Ian Leggett
Positive feedback from industry, coupled with knowledge of the benefit that metocean awareness brings to individuals and their organisations, has encouraged the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) to roll out five Metocean courses on four continents during 2014.
The optimum use of metocean (meteorology and oceanography) information and expertise can contribute to improved safety and reduced costs for the design and operations of offshore installations and vessels. It quantifies the impact of winds, waves, currents, water levels and other parameters such as air and sea temperature, visibility etc. And provides a range of products and services to display and report information such as real-time data, weather forecasts, 100 year extremes and weather downtime statistics.
“There is absolutely no doubt that effective use of metocean information can contribute to improved safety, better planning and decision-making, and reduced costs, ” explains Ian Leggett*, Global Technical Lead for IMarEST’s Metocean Courses.
“The three-day metocean awareness course is aimed at those for whom a greater understanding of metocean conditions and of reports provided by metocean experts, and how they might impact the effectiveness of their work will prove invaluable. It is essential for all those involved in offshore activities that are affected by weather and sea conditions including project managers, structural engineers, pipeline engineers, subsea engineers, drilling and well engineers, logistics, O & M and survey staff, plus new Metocean staff.”
Since 2008 there have been courses in Houston, London, Perth, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. “We are seeing an increase in the number of organisations wanting to invest in the quality and use of metocean information and expertise, ” says Ian Leggett. “In response to this demand, 2014 sees the net spread wider, and courses being held in Aberdeen, Scotland in June; Singapore in July, London, UK and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in September and Houston, USA in October.
Programmes for each event will be available on the IMarEST website at www.imarest.org/metocean.
The component parts of the course
During each course delegates learn just why metocean is so important to their sector; how to engage both internal and external stakeholders about metocean matters; explore how the regional metocean conditions around the world impact both operations and engineering design; examine how metocean statistics are presented and used; understand how weather and ocean forecasts are derived; identify the process for obtaining key metocean deliverables; and find out where metocean information and advice can be obtained.
Expert speakers at the interactive workshop sessions work actively in the industry and reflect the area in which the course is being held, ensuring that course content is relevant and highly topical, with maximum use being made of regional examples.
Courses can also be tailored to cater for specific company requirements to meet the in-house needs of those who use metocean data.
Ian Leggett recently retired from Shell after 30 years with the company managing data collection programmes, weather forecast services and the development of operational statistics and design criteria. He now runs his own metocean consultancy (OceanExpert Ltd) offering independent advice, expertise and training to the oil and gas and renewables sectors. Ian is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Marine Scientist and a Chartered Marine Technologist, and a Fellow of the IMarEST.
About the IMarEST
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) is the leading international membership body and learned society for all marine professionals. The IMarEST is the first Institute to bring together marine engineers, scientists and technologists into one international multi-disciplinary professional body. It is the largest marine organisation of its kind with a worldwide membership of 15, 000 based in over 100 countries.
Working with the global marine community, the IMarEST promotes the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology, providing opportunities for the exchange of ideas and practices and upholding the status, standards and expertise of marine professionals worldwide.
The IMarEST is a respected authority in every maritime country. It is a Non-Governmental Organisation with consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), observer status at the International Oceanographic Commission, and it has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC), which facilitates its access to other international intergovernmental meetings where its specialized marine expertise is of particular use, e.g., the United Nations meetings on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) and the work of the International Seabed Authority on marine mining. It is a nominated and licensed body of the Engineering Council (UK), a member of the Science Council and has significant links with many other maritime organisations worldwide.
IMarEST also runs a series of industry leading events and conferences as well as publishing internationally recognised titles: Marine Engineers Review (MER); Shipping World and Shipbuilder; Maritime IT and Electronics; Marine Scientist; and Offshore Technology.www.imarest.org
