Outline

I. Overview II. Types of offshore platforms III. Offshore pollution IV. Drilling waste management technologies V. Environmental issues associated with drilling waste VI. DENR Administrative Order 35 VII.Case Study: Evaluating Alternatives for Decommissioning Californias Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms

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Overview

The type of operation: shallow or deep water drilling will dictate what kind of platform will be installed.

Platform size depends on the facilities to be installed at the topside.

Classification of water depths:

< 350 m shallow water <1500 m deep water > 1500 m ultra deep water

Slide 3 JAEA18 The 2 main characteristics of offshore platforms that makes it unique are its being isolated & limited storage/volume.
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

Types of Offshore Platforms

1

FPSO

Advancements in technology had a positive impact on the generation of drilling wastes.

increased efficiency  faster drilling  fewer rig days/fewer wells to develop  lower discharge volumes & emission

less cost + less environmental impact

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Offshore Pollution

Offshore blowout

Massive oil spill incidents

Slide 8 JAEA14 these are what we usually know- brought by accidents

Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

Clean-up Strategies

Offshore Pollution
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1. Air emission
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2. Drilling waste

Drilling muds, drilling cuttings, produced water Water-based muds/cuttings are discharged to the sea.

Oil-based muds/cuttings & synthetic-based muds are transported to shore for disposal.

Slide 10 JAEA15 these are the real deal --what they discharge/emit in a regular basis. Solid - cuttings, Liquid - onshore disposal of drilling fluids and air- air emissions
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

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methane, VOCs removed from extracted gas are vented to the atmosphere - methane is a greenhouse gas which is 23x the damaging effect of the CO2
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

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Masses of solid and volumes of liquid drilling mud ingredients discharged to the Gulf of Mexico from offshore drilling operations in 1998. Shallowwater wells were drilled in less than 1000 ft of water. From Boehm et al. (2001)

Slide 11 JAEA13 shallow water operations has more luxury on drilling more wells that deep water operations.
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

Drilling Waste Management Technologies

1.Offshore Discharge 2.On-site Injection/cuttings re-injection 3.Marine Transport and Onshore Disposal 4.Thermal Treatment Technologies

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Environmental Issues associated with drilling waste

fate persistence and biodegradability toxicity & smothering of marine benthos organic enrichment & sediment anoxia of seabed sediments bioaccumulation

Slide 13 JAEA7 The reliability, economic operation, and environmental protection aspects of both underwater pipelines and tankers are improving. Remote sensing, remote control, and deep-water maintenance and repair are both detecting and preventing pipeline leaks. New standards for construction and operation of tankers are being applied to avoid accidents and associated spills. New technology is being developed to treat and process well fluids offshore, in order to decrease the volume of product being transported and to decrease the risk of leaking or spilling well fluids in the ocean environment.
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

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Dispersion and fates of water based drilling mud (WBM) following discharge to the ocean. JAEA20

Slide 14 JAEA20 JAEA21 therefore, envtl fate and persistence of the discharges will depend upon the local oceanographic conditions.
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

SBM and OBM muds/cuttings if dischaged offshore will behave differently - since they are not water miscible, they tend to aggregate.
Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 10/1/2010

persistence
depends on natural energy of resuspension and transport on the seafloor, amount of biological disturbance, rate of biodegradation of the fluid Drilling muds discharged to the ocean are diluted rapidly to very low concentrations, usually within 1000 to 2000 m down-current from the discharge and in less than an hour after the discharge

biodegradability
Degradation occurs more rapidly under aerobic than anaerobic conditions

Degradation occurs more rapidly under higher temperatures and in silt/clay sediments.

toxicity
2 types of toxicity tests: water column and sediment test

The metals of greatest concern in drilling fluids, include arsenic, barium, chromium, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc (Neff et al., 1987, 2000). WBM are non-toxic to marine animals, unless they contain elevated concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons, particularly diesel fuel.

smothering of marine benthos

Initial deposition of cuttings can physically impact bottom biota by altering bottom sediment particle size, which may impact larval settling.

organic enrichment & sediment anoxia of seabed sediments

Most all SBM field studies have indicated evidence of anaerobic

conditions in subsurface sediments (IBP SHE, 1999).

bioaccumulation
Bioaccumulation is the uptake and retention of bioavailable chemicals from an external source (water, food, sediment, air). The metals discharged from platforms in drilling muds and cuttings are diluted rapidly to natural background concentrations or are in forms that are not bioavailable to marine animals.

Regulatory Regime
All permits contain specific requirements for: Monitoring frequency for compliance with different effluent guidelines; Analytical methods for chemicals in drilling fluids and cuttings and toxicity test methods; Reporting and record keeping. Results of monitoring activities usually are submitted periodically to EPA in a Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR). Technical and operational requirements.

DAO 35 : Water Quality Guidelines and General Effluent Standards

Water Classification and Usage of Marine Water

Significant Effluent Quality Parameters per Sector

Provisions for Penalties must refer to R.A 9275 (Clean Water Act)
Upon the recommendation of the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), anyone who commits prohibited acts such as discharging untreated wastewater into any water body will be fined for every day of violation, the amount of not less than Php 10,000 but not more than Php 200,000. Failure to undertake clean-up operations willfully shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than four years. This also includes a fine of not less than Php 50,000 and not more than Php 100,000 per day of violation. Failure or refusal to clean up which results in serious injury or loss of life or lead to irreversible water contamination of surface, ground, coastal and marine water shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than 6 years and 1 day and not more than 12 years and a fine of Php 500,000/day for each day the contamination or omission continues. In cases of gross violation, a fine of not less than Php 500,000 but not more than Php 3,000,000 will be imposed for each day of violation. Criminal charges may also be filed.

CASE STUDY: Evaluating Alternatives for Decommissioning Californias Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms
Description of the problem

Decommissioning of the 27 oil and gas platforms offshore southern California is an unavoidable issue that will face Californias ocean managers at some point in the future as the platforms reach the end of their useful production lifetimes (predicted for the 23 platforms in federal waters to occur sometime between 2015 and 2030).
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Slide 22 JAEA1 Decommissioning is seen in many contexts:

Jean Audrey E. Aquinde, 9/23/2010

Objectives
Create an analysis and a decision framework that will assist decision makers and other interested parties in understanding and investigating the implications of different decommissioning options.

Prioritize potential decommissioning options and identify the most viable for more detailed analysis.

A segment of one of the larger California platforms onshore prior to its installation.

The Heavy Lift Vessel Hermod is in the 4000 ton lift category that would be required to decommission the larger California platforms.

bottom feeder lifting device

Overview of Decommissioning Options

PLATFORM DECOMMISSIONING DECISION SUPPORT TOOL

Conclusion
CRITERIA Complete removal Partial removal to 85 feet with the remainder of the platform converted to an artificial reef. less will leave intact much of the fish community, particularly rockfish, although organisms attached to the upper portion of the platform would be lost, will require new state legislation to allow the state to accept ownership of platforms in federal waters

Air emission Potential impact on marine resources Legal and regulatory frameworks

more death of all attached organisms and the 7 dispersal of fish to other reefs clearly defined

There are some large data gaps for 2nd & 3rd criteria, along with uncertainties about how some user groups will respond to changes in access to the area around platforms.

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