Assessment of the Potential of Energy Extracted from Waves and Wind to Supply Offshore Oil Platforms Operating in the Gulf of Mexico

Francisco Haces-Fernandez, Hua Li and David Ramirez
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Francisco Haces-Fernandez: Environmental Engineering Department, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
Hua Li: Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
David Ramirez: Environmental Engineering Department, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 5, 1-25

Abstract: Offshore oil platforms operate with independent electrical systems using gas turbines to generate their own electricity. However, gas turbines operate very inefficiently under the variable offshore conditions, increasing fuel costs and air pollutant emissions. This paper focused on investigating the feasibility of implementing a hybrid electricity supply system for offshore oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, both for the United States and Mexico Exclusive Economic Zones. Geographic Information Systems methodologies were used to analyze the data from various sources. Three different scenarios were studied, including wind power only, wave power only, and wind and wave power combined. The results showed that all the offshore locations were within accepted feasible distance to the coast for connecting to the onshore grid. Most of the locations had acceptable power levels of either wind or wave energy while the combination of both resources can improve the overall energy harvesting efficiency and reduce the variability in a significant number of locations. The proposed methodology can be applied for specific locations with finer spatial and time resolution, which will allow stakeholders to improve the decision making process, generate important savings on the normal operation, reduce pollution, and potentially increase income by selling surplus energy from renewable sources.

Keywords: wind power; wave power; offshore oil platforms; Gulf of Mexico; Geographic Information Systems; WaveWatch III (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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