Development of an Ocean Current Model for the North West Approaches

A hindcast current modelling system for the North West Approaches is described. The model system is a regional high resolution version of the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) for the Faroe-Shetland Channel, the Faroes and the UK shelf north of Scotland. The regional model receives realistic boundary conditions from larger scale models and is currently being operated in a 2.5 years hindcast simulation. The model system simulates the broad range of oceanographic processes and conditions in the area, and provides an extensive current data set. The model output is used for the derivation of current operational and extreme statistics to support exploration and production activites in the region. This paper gives a detailed discussion of the overall model system and the approach taken, and also shows some examples from the hindcast simulation. This work has been supported by the North West Approaches Group (NWAG), a group of oil companies with interests in this region.