Impact of Petroluem Exploration, Extraction and Transport - Coursework Example

Introduction Oil and gas exploration in areas that are ecologically sensitive have been a cause for concern regarding the potential environmental ramifications of production. Such concerns continue to emerge and extend. Many of the technological advancements in oil and gas exploration technology aim at minimizing environmental degradation. These technologies help to optimize extraction of resources by drilling fewer oil wells, which result in small amount of cuttings, drilling fluids and mud, and generated waters. The slimhole, multilateral, and directional drilling minimize the traces of drilling rigs and reduce surface impacts. Technological advancement have led to cutbacks in energy consumption, reduced noise of operations, minimal greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollutant emission, increased obscurity of facilities, improved protection of water resources and staff safety (Gedeon n.d). The increase in efficiency of drilling has helped to reduce the amount of drilling mud and cuttings in each barrel in new oil reserves. Currently, one well can achieve the level of production as compared to two oil wells in 1985. The downhole technology of separation can reduce the amount of water generated during production, which constitutes the biggest flow of waste related to production of oil and gas. This paper will discuss the potential environmental consequences of conventional drilling compared to Remote Manifold Platform (RMP) drilling. The paper will also discuss possible remediation technique for restoring degraded land after drilling activity. Potential environmental ramifications of conventional drilling methods The drilling wastes include solid wastes that comprise drill cuttings and fluid mud for drilling. The shale gas and rigid oil extraction are land-intensive because of drilling pads, equipment, movement space for trucks, gas processing, access roads and transportation premises (Lechtenbohmer, Altmann, & Capito 2011). The main air pollutants include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matters as antecedents for regional smog, surface level ozone whose precursor is nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)/organic HAPs (US Environmental Protection Agency 2008). There is also production of greenhouse gases, with fugitive methane comprising considerable threat to global warming-weighted emissions. CO2 is emitted from process heaters and internal combustion engines, including compressors (Tullow Ghana Limited n.d). The natural gas extraction causes generation of huge amounts of oilfield wastewater. Produced water contains crude oil components that are emulsified and dissolved, trace elements, organic chemicals and natural salts. The amount of wastewater produced is dependent on the site’s maturation state (Ashaghi, Ebrahimi, & Czermak 2007). The environmental receptors are usually the fauna and flora within the wetland. In the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil, the environmental receptors include the rural Brazilians and wildlife habitats (Wilson, Johnson, & Freed 2010). The Pantanal or swamp of South America is the largest fresh water wetland in the world whose flora and fauna are similar to that of the Amazon, Cerrado, Chaco and Atlantic Forest regions. The boundaries of this wetland extend across Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil borders, with Brazil constituting at least 70 % of the wetland. It covers approximately 200,000 km2 mainly in Mato Grosso and Mato Gross do Sur. The basin’s slope is gentle and contains meandering rivers that gradually discharge water into Paraguay River. Many species are yet to be discovered. Birding albeit relaxed can yield at least 50 species daily and at times myriads of mammals, particularly capybaras, yacare, and dozens of birds. The basin is home to the largest parrot, hyacinth macaw. Other birds include the Helmeted Manakin, Great Rhea, Agami Heron, Toco Toucan, and Jabiru Stork. The large mammals common in this area include Brazilian tapir, giant otter, marsh deer, crab-eating fox, maned wolf, and primates. Anaconda, the world’s largest snake is found here, with two species existing. The green anaconda is the rarer of the two species (Dienger 2012). Fig 1. Some of bird and snake species of Brazilian Pantanal wetland Source: Birds and Wildlife of Brazils Pantanal by Dienger (2012). Available at: http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/national/brochure/12780a.aspx Conventional drilling versus Remote Manifold Platform (RMP) drilling approach Drilling in marshland is difficult because the land is often inadequate to support trucks, thus prevents driving of equipment into the site. The soils and ecology of the area are at risk of severe damage even if the soils support trucks. The marsh water is too shallow to permit floating of equipment into the drilling site, with the possible transportation by aircraft or helicopter being too costly. This problem is usually overcome by digging canals in marsh to engender deep waters that allow floating of drilling equipment. However, canal drilling can destroy wildlife habitats and impede flooding during storms. This is because canals facilitate the direct passage of saltwater into the marsh. The current drilling methods are much faster and extend deeper through hard rock, in manifold directions from a single wellbore. The traditional rigs were huge and cumbersome requiring big ginpole tucks and cranes in order to carry out rig-up and rig-down operations. The current rigs are much smaller, lighter, and self-erecting. These rigs have high mobility and are designed to be automatic and semi-automatic (Rogers, Williams, Haut, & Burnet 2007). In the US, the residual oil and gas are often found in deeper geologically complex areas that demand deeper drilling. RMP wells design tends to defy the conventional vertical drilling because their orientation ranges from a few degrees to entirely horizontal, with some inverted towards the earth surface. Drilling horizontally and directionally enable oil producers to reach rigs that are much deeper below the drilling rig, which is essential in avoiding sensitive environmental surface and subsurface features (J.Ray News 2009). Resources are produced far deeper below the features of sensitive environments. Furthermore, the producer can contact the reservoir more such that more resources are extracted from a single oil well. This is facilitated with the aid of 3-D seismic imaging of high-resolution, 4-D real time imaging, aeromagnetic sensing, radar and satellite imaging, enhanced reservoir imaging and classification. When these are blended with improved drilling technologies, the rates of drilling success improve, reduces the costs of drilling as well as reducing the environmental impacts. The horizontal drilling has made it possible 3-D earth navigation, and linking and producing resources economically while reducing surface disturbance. These wells have capacity to laterally penetrate zones, extending at least one mile within only 2 feet of window of porosity. The redesigning of seismic methods has helped minimize the impact of explosive shocks. The explosive devices have been replaced with shotholes and geophones positioned such that charges are initiated in hydrophones instead of using drilling. Improvements in directional drilling have promoted multilateral and completion, which allow several offshoots to emanate from a single wellbore in a radial manner or resource contacts at multiple depths. The zero pad drilling allows onshore drilling with less impact on ecological footprints through use of horizontal drilling that is multilateral drilling in gas reservoirs and lines and disposal systems for production and gathering (Rogers 2006). Fig 2 Rig technology minimizing surface footprint while increasing subsurface contact area. Source: Assessments of Technologies for Environmentally Friendly Drilling Project:Land-Based Operations by Rogers (2006). The elevated rig platforms are movable and modular in order to enable oil and gas drilling of wells within the arctic, shallow water or environmentally sensitive geographical situations (Rogers 2006). The conventional methods for leveling and carrying capacity involved using gravel pads, which tended to be more intrusive to the ecology. However, elevated platforms for drilling use piles, and are less interfering and more environmentally friendly (Yu, Medina-Cetina, & Briaud 2010). The platform facilitates extension of drilling cycle time in sensitive soils of the arctic and wildlife habitats. The modules are made of aluminum, with length of 50 ft and width 12.5 ft. The modules are lighter in order to facilitate ease of transportation through aircrafts, sleds, vehicles, barges, and boats to the drilling site. The modules are designed to float and be towed on water to the drilling location in shallow coastal marshlands (Rogers, Williams, Haut, & Burnet 2007). Fig 3. The current drilling methods Source: Environmental Benefits of Advanced Oil & Gas Exploration and Production by Gedeon. The technology minimizes wastes by decreasing the number of oil wells. The new rigs have smaller footprints and tend to produce minimal noise and visual effects. The wells do not require regular maintenance and workovers, with reduction in related wastes. There is also reduction in fuel consumption and related emissions (Drilling Waste Management Information System 2012). Well management is improved in order to increase worker safety and prevent pollution of ground water. The increased speed of production has led to the reduction of workers’ time on site, which minimizes risks from injuries and associated impacts on the environment. Compared to conventional methods, the current approach produces wastes that are less toxic. The RMP drill rigs minimize surface loading thus promoting improved protection of ecologically sensitive environment. The current technological advancement has facilitated the extension of drilling seasons to the Arctic without necessarily causing disturbance of the migratory patterns of wildlife and the tundra. Shothole loading and ramming rather use of drilling to initiate seismic signals both offshore and onshore enables the noise reduction, worker safety, and protection of marine and wildlife (Gedeon n.d). Fig 4. Three-dimensional platform layout Source: Towards an Uncertainty-Based Design of Foundations for Onshore Oil and Gas Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) Systems by Yu, Medina-Cetina & Briaud (2010). Green remediation technique Remediation encompasses cleanup strategies that aim at restoring contaminated sites to make them suitable for productive use, encourage environmental stewardship, and minimize related costs. Footprint remediation should minimize the burden placed on the environment in the course of cleanup to minimize the possibility of collaterally damaging the environment. The impacts that affect environmental media include air pollution from poisonous pollutants such as lead and particulate matter. Other impacts include water cycle imbalances within local and zonal hydrologic systems, depletion of nutrients and soil erosion, ecological differences and reduction of populations and emission of CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and other greenhouse gases emissions that cause global warming (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008). Onshore installations for production are usually decommissioned at the culmination of commercial life of a well, typically 20 to 40 years (United Nations Environmental Program 1997). However, most exploration wells are usually unsuccessful and decommissioned after the previous one to three months of activity. It would be prudent for operators to plan for this from the beginning so that decommissioning and remediation is simplified. The planning is aided by information collected during the evaluation process. Progressive remediation is more suitable rather than reserving the site for remediation later. Green remediation demands close coordination cleanup and planning of reuse. This is because the objectives of remedial action, cleanup benchmarks, and schedules are influenced by reuse objectives. Relevant authorities and communities must be consulted during the planning phase in order to evaluate the suitability and feasibility of after-use approach for the drilling site, although can be assessed and updated when decommissioning is evident. Such consultations should occur during the course of the project in order to be updated on changes of opinion with regard to preferred after-use due to circumstances. A reclamation plan can be prepared once the operators and the relevant authorities or communities have reached an amicable solution. The site can be restored to its pre-development condition either partially or entirely. The site can be restored to alternative condition that is acceptable, or it may not be rehabilitated (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2008). Green remediation approach entails organized planning, real-time systems of measurements, and dynamic strategies of site cleanup work. The mutual support of site reuse and cleanup can be through infrastructure need leveraging, sharing of data, structure, and demolition material reuse, reduction of surface-mobile practices, and incorporating other activities that enhance timely and cost-effective reuse and cleanup. The plan should contain procedures specific for each site in order to minimize energy and material consumption and air emissions, portray preservation of water quality and resources, cutbacks on waste production and establishment of short-term ecosystem improvements (US Environmental Protection Agency 2008). The green remediation approach underscores onsite sample testing, with fewer samples submitted to offsite laboratories for verification. GHGs and criteria pollutants such as SO2 are usually emitted during treatment processes of cleanup and from heavy diesel machinery, including trucks, loaders, and backhoes that set up and at times modify cleanup systems. The protection and conservation of quality during the remediation can be possible through reducing impervious covers in order to minimize the interruption of water hydrological cycle, controlling stormwater runoffs to minimize pollution, and increase infiltration onsite. This low impact development (LID) involves description of BMPs for decreasing and controlling stormwater runoffs to simulate the wetland’s natural hydrological conditions. BMPs help to reclaim treated for useful purposes or re-injection into an aquifer for storage, instead of pumping to mix with surface water. The green remediation approach helps to speed up reuse of degraded land while maintaining biodiversity and wildlife habitat. The BMPs are used for evaluation of progress of site through promotion of increasing wildlife habitats, sequestration of carbon, reduction of water and wind erosion, safeguarding water resources, achieving good impression by the community, and initiation of new green corridors. Waste management practice promotes valuation of lifecycle expenses of products and materials involved in remediation by the consumers (Khodja et al. n.d). The municipal or state agencies regulations form the basis of BMPs practices. The management plan of a site should incorporate planning actions applicable to entire support and cleanup practices (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2008). Drilling mud, river sediments and industrial contain contaminated material require disposal. Ground water, leachate, tunnel, and construction water contaminated during drilling also requires remediation. Ground water is extracted using pump and treats system that separate phases using in-site method. the water undergoes a series of stages through plants that comprise desorption, adsorption, flocculation and precipitation units determined by the concentration and form of pollutants (Bauer Resources Group 2012). Conclusion To summarize, the conventional oil and gas drilling involve the placement of gravel pad to permit leveling and meet carrying capacity. Elevated rig platforms provide an alternative to gravel pads and are less intrusive and damaging to ecologically sensitive areas. The marshland is often inadequate to support trucks, which makes drilling difficult. This problem is surmounted by digging canals in marsh to create deep waters that allow floating of drilling equipment. However, canal drilling can destroy wildlife habitats and impede flooding during storms. 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