Service and Consultancy Oil & Gas
Public awareness and government requirements to assess environmental conditions have led to environmental surveys. The objective is to monitor the effects of pollutants on the marine environment.
IRIS has performed environmental impact and risk evaluations for different companies. The effect of different kinds of chemical discharges have been monitored, like PAH from aluminium smelters, PAH and chemicals in produced water, drilling mud discharged in the water column or as piles on the sea floor.
Biomiljø has conducted several studies of the biological effects of marine chemical discharges from land based industries. As an example, the monitoring project t ongoing at Melkøya LNG processing plant (Statoil) involves the use of transplant caging of mussels as a tool for effect assessment of the discharge cooling water released to sea.
Our strategy has been to offer services, mainly to O&G industry, based on our R&D competence. This provides a closer interaction and better communication with our clients. The border between R&D and consultancy services is not very sharp, and elements of research are also found in the service and consultancy activities listed below.
Risk based environmental management for Norwegian maritime regions ( 2007-2008)
It is an on-going development to establish a risk based environmental management of Norwegian maritime regions. This involves several governmental organizations that have none to moderate experience in risk based management approach. IRIS has through a series of workshops together with the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway elucidated different aspects of a risk based management model for petroleum activities.
Financing : the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway
Environmental Impact Assessment projects related to the North Sea
EIF evaluations using DREAM have been conducted for several clients on North Sea Oil fields.
Financing: OLF, Statoil, ExxonMobil, A/S Norske Shell, Maersk, DONG
Do alkyl phenols in produced water have reproductive effects on fish stocks in the North Sea? ( 2002-2005)
IRIS Biomiljø and Institute of Marine Research (IMR) performed an environmental risk assessment representing the best currently available methods and data. The project was funded by Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF). The report is available on the OLF homepage (www.olf.no).
The exposure regimes of fish were simulated using the DREAM (Dose related Risk and Effect Assessment Model) software in two steps. First the DREAM-EIF software as a screening step to pinpoint the areas with potential risk.
Then the full capabilities of the DREAM model were used taking into account fish movement and uptake/elimination rates for the areas with a potential risk. The risk assessment combined the amount of fish that were exposed to alkyl phenols beyond the critical body burden with the fish abundances indexes provided by IMR.
Financing: Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF).
Water Column Monitoring ( WCM)
IRIS-Biomiljø is - in collaboration with NIVA and The Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) responsible for the annual water column monitoring of Produced Water discharges in the North Sea, required by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority.
The concept is based on findings in the ICES based workshop, BECPELAG (Biological Effects of Contaminants in Pelagic organisms, 2001) with later improvements, and involves analysis of biological and chemical parameters in caged organisms.
These water column monitoring projects are coordinated by and financed through OLF.Other participants in the projects have been the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and Ocean Climate a/s. The water column monitoring projects have investigated the influence area of the produced water discharge from the oil fields: Troll B (2003), Statfjord B (2004) and Ekofisk (2006) and (2008) Projects consist of a mandatory part with a predetermined suite of biomarkers measured in caged cod and blue mussels, as well as a research part which includes new and potentially more sensitive and ecologically relevant biomarkers for future monitoring programs.
Financing: The Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF)
BioPartner AS
This daughter company was established to provide research based consultancy services for environmental risk assessment and effect monitoring. Biopartner AS is owned by IRIS and Plymouth Environmental Laboratories, - an independent and impartial collaborative centre of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in UK.
Biota Guard AS
A daughter company established to develop and commercialise a multi-sensor water quality monitoring system for use offshore. The unit combines real time monitoring of the physiology and behaviour of selected marine invertebrates with traditional physical and chemical sensors. Data is relayed on-line to an expert centre where analyses, interpretation and report generation takes place. Research is currently underway to adapt the system for use in Arctic waters.
Biota Guard Mongstad ( 2009-2010)
Real time online monitoring of the water column close to the outlet of the Mongstad refinery north of Bergen. Heart rate and valve gape behaviour from instrumented blue mussels were used as sensors and measures were taken during deployment. Additional measures were taken after deployment to evaluate the health of the mussels.
The major objective of the project was to assess the biosensors - pivotal in the Biota Guard monitoring unit – with respect to sensitivity to water quality changes, reproducibility of data and long term reliability.
Financing: Biota Guard, Statoil, Shell Technology Norge, GdF SUEZ Norge, Eni Norge, Total E & P Norge AS, Conoco Phillips
AkvaMiljø Caspian AS
This daughter company was established to provide offshore chemical, biological and ecotoxicological service and consultancy in Baku, Azerbaijan. Scientists from IRIS Biomiljø have contributed to AkvaMiljø Caspian projects, with special competence within field work, biomarker analyses and literature studies.
AkvaMiljø Caspian is owned by : IRIS, Eurofins and Innovation Norway
Biomarker based baseline investigation of deepwater licenses on the Faeroe Islands
Background levels of biomarkers in Greenland halibut, in collaboration with Biosense for Fiskirannsóknarstovan (GEM project).
Financing: Fiskirannsóknarstovan
Environmental monitoring of the oil field ‘Snøhvit’
Baseline investigation of biomarker levels in cod and capelin before the operational phase of Snøhvit, in collaboration with University of Oslo.
Financing: Statoil
Monitoring of the oil field, ‘Snøhvit’
This is a programme awarded for three years at a time. However, the perspective is longterm as Statoil has committed itself towards SFT, ( Norwegian State Pollution Authority) to perform monitoring for the next 20 years. Biomiljø was contracted by Statoil to define the initial programme.
Financing: Statoil
Deepwater biomarkers (2005)
Baseline investigation of biomarker levels in fish and crustaceans near the new O&G exploration blocks in deepwater (Vøring plateau, Norwegian Sea), in co-operation with DNV for Statoil, ENI and Shell.
Financing: Statoil, Eni Norge AS and AS Norske Shell
Monitoring of gas pipeline laying in Karmsundet ( 1999)
Biomarker monitoring of mussels during Statoil’s gas pipeline lying in a PAH polluted area (Hydro aluminium) near Karmsund straights.
Financing: Statoil
Biomarker monitoring of the recipient in connection with acute oil and chemical spills
Contingency partnership with SINTEF in connection with follow up investigations following acute marine spills (shipwreck etc). Participation in biomarker monitoring in fish and crustaceans at the “Green Ålesund” and “Rocknes” and “Server” wrecks for the Norwegian Coastal Administration.
Financing: the Norwegian Coastal Administration
Melkøya LNG biomarker study ( 2006-2009)
As a part of the environmental monitoring program for the Snøhvit LNG plant at Melkøya. IRIS conducted (2008) a field study in which blue mussels are caged close to where the main effluent discharge from the plant is released to the sea. The aim is to investigate whether chemical substances that are present in the sea discharge from the LNG plant can be traced in sea organisms living in the recipient environment and, if so, whether these substances are likely to induce chemical and biological effects in the mussels.
Financing: Statoil
Melkøya controlled exposure study (2008-2010)
As a supplement to the “Melkøya biomarker study” IRIS conducted in 2008 a laboratory study in which sea organisms (blue mussel and fish) are exposed under laboratory controlled conditions to selected concentrations of the Melkøya discharge effluent. The aim of this study is partly to validate the study methods which are used in the mussel caging field study (Melkøya biomarker study) and partly to produce good-quality information about the theoretical likelihood that negative environmental effects may arise in the sea around Melkøya as a consequence of chemical contaminants that originate from the effluent discharge stream.
Financing: Statoil
Consequences of regular discharges to the sea – RKU Norskehavet ( 2002)
The project formed the basis for Regional Consequence Analyses (Exposition) for the Norwegian Sea. The objective of these impact studies was to provide a better overview of the environmental consequences of regular discharges to the sea, following oil and gas activities in the Norwegian Sea area. The results constituted input to further development of risk and impact assessments, monitoring methodologies and they provided support to decisions on field development and choice of alternative production technologies and concept solutions.
Based on updated plans for operation of fields and development of oil exploitation activities - plans provided by the industry - , analyses and assessments were made of the potential environmental effects of regular discharges to the sea. The major discharges come from drilling and discharge of produced water. Data from literature, ongoing laboratory and field experiments and model simulations of the composition of oil and chemicals and how discharges may spread, were included/conducted in order to describe the potential for impact on organisms in terms of uptake and effects, and how this potentially may influence populations and communities of marine life. The study included assessment of consequences for aquatic organisms living in the free water masses on the sea bed, for aquaculture and for coastal areas with kelp forests.
Financing: Statoil
Validation of drilling mud discharges in the Sleipner oil field
A field study was conducted in which scallops were caged in the plume of planned drilling discharges in the Sleipner field. After one month the scallops were collected and Biomarker studies performed, in order to investigate the possible biological effects induced by substances contained in the drilling mud. The project was a collaboration with SINTEF, aiming to produce validation data for the model "DREAM Drilling Discharges".
Baseline survey on five petroleum fields in the North Sea ( 2002)
A survey was requested by SFT and formed part of the documentation of the environmental conditions prior to oil and gas production. Sediment samples were taken from the sea bed in order to investigate environmental conditions. 68 stations were sampled, water depth varying from 85 to 370 meter.. Analyses included THC, PAH ,metals and physical analyses ( grain size). In addition, 35 fauna samples were collected.
Requested by: SFT – The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority.
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