The powerful eddy, which resembled an underwater hurricane, originated from the Loop Current, an intrusion of warm surface water that flows northward from the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Strait. Eddies can cause extensive and costly damage to underwater equipment.

The latest data show the Loop Current has shifted to the north of its average position, sparking concerns that it could generate more eddies over the next few weeks. The current eddy, dubbed Walker, was detected breaking away from the Loop Current in mid-February.

Ocean FOCUS forecasts, based on computer models and ESA satellite measurements, can give prior warnings of eddy formation.

Oil companies use the warnings to minimize production losses, optimize deepwater drilling activities and prevent damage to critical equipment. The Loop Current's eddies create induced vibrations, which can cause more component stress than direct force, and they can result in high levels of fatigue and structural failure. The damage caused by eddies can be very costly, in terms of production and exploration downtime and damage to underwater components.

Ocean FOCUS data give oil and gas operators information they can use to plan major operations, such as installing new equipment - which can be very sensitive to local conditions and may require prolonged windows of low current speed for successful completion.

Ocean FOCUS was developed by Ocean Numerics and is partially supported by ESA's Earth Observation Market Development program. Ocean Numerics is a joint venture between France's Collecte Localisation Satellites, the UK's Fugro GEOS and Norway's Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Centre.

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