Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Effects Monitoring

Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Effects Monitoring
Author: Shelley L. Armsworthy
Publisher:
Total Pages: 658
Release: 2005
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

Offshore oil and gas drilling operations take place in some of the world's most biologically productive oceanic waters. An ongoing concern related to the development of this industry is that exposure to contaminants from waste discharges may cause ill effects on organisms and their habitat. Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) programs are undertaken to verify environmental impact assessment predictions, to detect any unforeseen effects, and to help identify cause-effect relationships. EEM has been carried out worldwide for many offshore developments, and much has been learned about the fate of drilling and production contaminants and their biological effects. EEM programs have rapidly evolved in response to new knowledge on the transport, fate, and effects of potential contaminants; changes in regulatory requirements; and improved impact assessment technologies and statistical approaches for data interpretation. In May 2003, an international group of scientists, environmental managers, and industry representatives shared their expertise and new knowledge at the Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Effects Monitoring Workshop. The participants reviewed the status of current offshore oil and gas EEM programs and identified future research needs to advance our understanding of the impacts of the offshore oil and gas industry. This book represents a selected number of peer-reviewed papers from workshop participants, covering a range of topics including regional experience from past and ongoing EEM programs; environmental management issues such as risk assessment and decision-making processes; the development of predictive risk assessment models; and new approaches and technologies formonitoring potential alterations in benthic, pelagic, and tropospheric ecosystem components. This book will be of use to scientists, environmental managers, regulators, and industry representatives, as well as members of the general public wishing to improve their understanding on the application of offshore oil and gas EEM programs for the protection of our ocean environment and its resources.

Environmental Impact of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

Environmental Impact of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry
Author: Stanislav Aleksandrovich Patin
Publisher: Ecomonitor Pub.
Total Pages: 452
Release: 1999
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN:

This book provides more comprehensive materials and discussion on environmental impact of the offshore oil and gas industry than any other single source currently available. Specifically, multi-disciplinary perspectives are given, addressing worldwide advances in studies, control, and prevention of the industry's impact on the marine environment and its living resources. Unique to this text are the data on environmental aspects of Russian offshore oil and gas developments presented by the leading expert on the problem. The author considers the main impact factors of the offshore activity and outlines conditions providing the balance of interests for the oil industry and fisheries. Special attention is given to the ecotoxicological and biogeochemical characteristics of oil and gas hydrocarbons in the marine environment. Based on all presently available information, specific environmental requirements for discharges and seawater quality are substantiated. Final chap! ters summarize strategic principles of environmental protection and ecological monitoring in relation to the offshore oil and gas activity. Appendix includes Russian standards of Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPC) and Approximate Safe Impact Limits (ASIL) for about 200 chemicals used in oil and gas production.

Oil in the Sea III

Oil in the Sea III
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2003-03-14
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309084385

Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.

Produced Water

Produced Water
Author: Kenneth Lee
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 601
Release: 2011-09-18
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1461400465

A state-of-the-art review of scientific knowledge on the environmental risk of ocean discharge of produced water and advances in mitigation technologies. In offshore oil and gas operations, produced water (the water produced with oil or gas from a well) accounts for the largest waste stream (in terms of volume discharged). Its discharge is continuous during oil and gas production and typically increases in volume over the lifetime of an offshore production platform. Produced water discharge as waste into the ocean has become an environmental concern because of its potential contaminant content. Environmental risk assessments of ocean discharge of produced water have yielded different results. For example, several laboratory and field studies have shown that significant acute toxic effects cannot be detected beyond the "point of discharge" due to rapid dilution in the receiving waters. However, there is some preliminary evidence of chronic sub-lethal impacts in biota associated with the discharge of produced water from oil and gas fields within the North Sea. As the composition and concentration of potential produced water contaminants may vary from one geologic formation to another, this conference also highlights the results of recent studies in Atlantic Canada.

Environmental Effects Monitoring for Exploration Drilling

Environmental Effects Monitoring for Exploration Drilling
Author: Robert A. Buchanan
Publisher: [Calgary] : Environmental Studies Research Funds
Total Pages: 104
Release: 2004
Genre: Environmental monitoring
ISBN:

The main goal of this study was to develop a strategy for monitoring environmental effects at a single exploratory offshore well on the east coast. Work carried out in the study consisted of consultations with scientists, regulators, & stakeholders; reviews of regulatory regimes; toxicity results relevant to exploratory activities; and development of a decision tree for determining when & how to conduct environmental effects monitoring (EEM). The study report first presents background on potential issues related to the environmental impacts of exploratory drilling, the characteristics of typical exploratory drill rigs & drilling muds, the regulatory regime in Canada & elsewhere, and the biological & other effects of drilling. It then summarizes EEM programs & their results for exploratory wells on the Scotian Shelf & Grand Banks; outlines EEM issues of concern for the Newfoundland & Nova Scotia offshore, and discusses issue similarities & differences between the two areas; and draws brief conclusions on the application of production EEM experience to exploratory drilling EEM. Finally, an EEM decision process based on three scenarios appropriate to the east coast is presented, along with recommended study designs to address the scenarios.

True Sustainability in Technological Development and Natural Resource Management

True Sustainability in Technological Development and Natural Resource Management
Author: M. Ibrahim Khan
Publisher: Nova Publishers
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2007
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781600212031

The word 'sustainability' is frequently misunderstood because there are numerous definitions of sustainability and not even two definitions have converging meanings. Instead of achieving 'sustainability', some of the sustainable development projects aggravate ecological and other problems, as painfully evidenced in numerous experimental projects. This book attempts to improve our understanding of what it means to be sustainable by exploring several different sustainability projects and techniques.

Macondo Well Deepwater Horizon Blowout

Macondo Well Deepwater Horizon Blowout
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 213
Release: 2012-03-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309221412

The blowout of the Macondo well on April 20, 2010, led to enormous consequences for the individuals involved in the drilling operations, and for their families. Eleven workers on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig lost their lives and 16 others were seriously injured. There were also enormous consequences for the companies involved in the drilling operations, to the Gulf of Mexico environment, and to the economy of the region and beyond. The flow continued for nearly 3 months before the well could be completely killed, during which time, nearly 5 million barrels of oil spilled into the gulf. Macondo Well-Deepwater Horizon Blowout examines the causes of the blowout and provides a series of recommendations, for both the oil and gas industry and government regulators, intended to reduce the likelihood and impact of any future losses of well control during offshore drilling. According to this report, companies involved in offshore drilling should take a "system safety" approach to anticipating and managing possible dangers at every level of operation-from ensuring the integrity of wells to designing blowout preventers that function under all foreseeable conditions-in order to reduce the risk of another accident as catastrophic as the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. In addition, an enhanced regulatory approach should combine strong industry safety goals with mandatory oversight at critical points during drilling operations. Macondo Well-Deepwater Horizon Blowout discusses ultimate responsibility and accountability for well integrity and safety of offshore equipment, formal system safety education and training of personnel engaged in offshore drilling, and guidelines that should be established so that well designs incorporate protection against the various credible risks associated with the drilling and abandonment process. This book will be of interest to professionals in the oil and gas industry, government decision makers, environmental advocacy groups, and others who seek an understanding of the processes involved in order to ensure safety in undertakings of this nature.

Analytical Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry for Environmental Monitoring

Analytical Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry for Environmental Monitoring
Author: Melissa N. Dunkle
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2020-09-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1119523303

A thorough introduction to environmental monitoring in the oil and gas industry Analytical Techniques in the Oil and Gas Industry for Environmental Monitoring examines the analytical side of the oil and gas industry as it also provides an overall introduction to the industry. You’ll discover how oil and natural gas are sourced, refined, and processed. You can learn about what’s produced from oil and natural gas, and why evaluating these sourced resources is important. The book discusses the conventional analyses for oil and natural gas feeds, along with their limitations. It offers detailed descriptions of advanced analytical techniques that are commercially available, plus explanations of gas and oil industry equipment and instrumentation. You’ll find technique descriptions supplemented with a list of references as well as with real-life application examples. With this book as a reference, you can prepare to apply specific analytical methods in your organization’s lab environment. Analytical Techniques can also serve as your comprehensive resource on key techniques in the characterization of oil and gas samples, within both refinery and environmental contexts. Understand of the scope of oil and gas industry techniques available Consider the benefits and limitations of each available process Prepare for applying analytical techniques in your lab See real examples and a list of references for each technique Read descriptions of off-line analytics, as well as on-line and process applications As a chemist, engineer, instructor, or student, this book will also expand your awareness of the role these techniques have in environmental monitoring and environmental impact assessments.