[Posted on January 13th, 2015 by Bill Stewart]

Hydrodynamic analysis is the study of liquids in motion and more specifically, water. When you are engaging in any kind of offshore project, such as oil drilling or anything else, you have to know how the water is going to behave to be sufficiently prepared. There are five reasons why you want to invest in analysis that you can rely on.

Plan for Worst-Case Scenarios

It’s always best to plan for the worst-case scenarios because it is good for business. If you get out in the middle of the ocean and then suddenly have swells twice the size than what you were expecting, there are going to be problems with your project. Accidents can happen and you can lose equipment and even lose men. Many maritime accidents have occurred as a result of lack of planning and this can be avoided simply by obtaining hydrodynamic analysis.

Have the Right Equipment Onboard

There’s going to be a lot of equipment going onto your rig. The lines and cables that you bring will be able to deal with a certain amount of force. The power of ocean waves can be considerable and you don’t want to encounter issues where a cable breaks when a wave comes through. Knowing more about the power of the waves based upon where you will be will make it possible to acquire all of the right equipment.

Double Check Your Numbers

You may do a lot of the analysis on your own, though it’s a good idea to have a third party crunch them as well. When you are involved in offshore drilling, it’s always a good idea to double check numbers to make sure that all aspects have been covered and you aren’t making critical decisions based on old or inaccurate numbers.

Take Advantage of State of the Art Technology

State of the art technology can be used for obtaining hydrodynamic analysis. At Stewart Technology Associates, Orcaflex is the software used and it is known for providing some of the best numbers regarding various offshore projects, including cable dynamics. This gives you a clear understanding of what you will deal with out on the water to make better judgment calls and prepare everyone involved.

Train Your Staff

Training your staff is a step that cannot be taken lightly and hydrodynamic analysis can be used to help you determine what topics the training needs to cover. You want to talk to them about worst-case scenarios, run through safety drills, and do an array of other things so they are well prepared. Accidents are most likely to happen when the staff doesn’t know what to expect. You cannot afford to go out into the middle of the ocean and lose a team member, especially if it could have been avoided with a few hours of training.