Offshore Weather Services was commissioned by UTEC and Saipem to provide onsite weather forecasting support during the installation of the Zawtika topside in the Gulf of Mottama, Myanmar.  The Zawtika Project is a gas field development project between partners PTTEP International Limited (PTTEPI) as operator and Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE).

The ZPQ is an integrated platform which combined both natural gas processing facilities and living quarters into a single platform. The topside weighs 16,500 metric ton (MT) and is one of the largest topside structures installed in South East Asia. It was designed and constructed by SOME (Singapore) with Saipem engaged for the installation.

OWS Director and Senior Forecaster Eric Tiong was the Meteorological Consultant on board the support vessel PW Natuna and worked directly with and advised the operations personnel responsible for the successful float over which occurred during the early morning on 21st October 2013.

Zawtika topside being towed

Zawtika topside being towed

Offshore Weather Services have recently conducted the PTTEP 2013 Tropical Cyclone Briefings and assisted in the Typhoon Exercise in preparation for the 2013 Tropical Cyclone Season in the Gulf of Thailand.

Offshore Weather Services senior forecasters Peter Wellby and Aila Aguilar took turns and went around the PTTEP assets in the Gulf of Thailand to conduct the Tropical Cyclone Briefings. The briefings covered the tropical cyclone risk in the region, TC forecast tracks and warnings issued during cyclone occurrences and the PTTEP TC Emergency Response Zones. A ‘Tropical Cyclone Exercise’ followed.

The Gulf of Thailand normally has one to two Tropical Cyclone threats each year, occurring mainly in the months of October to December. The region has been affected by 23 tropical cyclones for the past 21 years with 17 tracking across the gulf at varying intensities.

2013 PTTEP TC Briefing