| MMS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM: ONGOING STUDIES | ||||||
| MMS OCS Region: | Pacific | |||||
| Title: | Environmental Mitigation Monitoring (PC-95-04) | |||||
| Total Cost: | $730,000 | Period of Performance: | FY 1996-2001 | |||
| Conducting Organization: | MEC, Inc | |||||
| MMS Contact: | Mark Eckenrode | |||||
| Description: | ||||||
| Background | ||||||
| Without demonstrated compliance with mitigation measures and project conditions, it will continue to be difficult for the MMS to have oil and gas operations proceed in a timely manner. The region expects further development of the oil reserves in the Northern Santa Maria Basin and additional drilling has started from existing platforms. Delays for the MMS, industry, and public resource agencies and expenditure of resources could occur without the demonstrated compliance by industry. | ||||||
| A prototype environmental mitigation monitoring database has been developed and populated with historical post-lease mitigation data for approximately the last 10 years (Task I). The final effectiveness review report on the MMS post-lease mitigation measures for that same time period has also been submitted (Task 2). The first task order final report prepared under TASK III on the vertical seismic profile acoustic propagation study has been completed. MMS scientists have reviewed the second task order draft report on night vision equipment. | ||||||
| Objectives | ||||||
| The study consists of three primary tasks. Task I consisted of developing environmental mitigation effectiveness criteria and a subsequent environmental monitoring database in a format compliant with the MMS Technical Management System (TIMS). Task II provided for the evaluation of mitigation effectiveness of historic post-lease oil and gas projects. The Task III study goals are to observe, sample, and/or monitor post-lease OCS oil and gas operations in the Pacific OCS Region to determine environmental compliance with mitigation measures or project conditions (e.g. MMS regulations, Lease Sale Stipulations, National Environmental Policy Act requirements, and non-MMS agency requirements) and their effectiveness. | ||||||
| Methods | ||||||
| Task I methodology involved convening a review panel of scientists to devise appropriate environmental mitigation effectiveness criteria and design and development of a database to evaluate mitigation effectiveness. Task II methodology consisted of a review of 3 large Pacific OCS projects covering a period of 10 years for input into the database to evaluate the effectiveness of post-lease mitigation measures. Task III methodology consists of field monitoring studies as determined by current MMS projects to observe and monitor the effectiveness of environmental mitigation. Data were analyzed from the field-monitoring phase (nighttime detection of marine mammals using infrared and light enhancing technologies). Future field monitoring studies in conjunction with Pacific OCS Region projects of opportunity could include additional endangered species detection studies, high energy seismic survey related monitoring, physical and chemical profiling of shell mounds in the vicinity of the platforms, and collection of drilling discharges and sediment samples in the vicinity of hard bottom areas. The type of data collected will be determined by Pacific OCS Region environmental management and scientists as specified by the particular project and would depend on the specified approval conditions. | ||||||
| Importance to MMS | ||||||
| Environmental compliance monitoring data will be used by the MMS to evaluate mitigation measures and project conditions of post-lease OCS oil and gas operations. In order for the MMS to make better decisions on oil and gas post-lease operations, the agency needs to monitor and observe the operations in the field for environmental mitigation compliance and to determine effectiveness of the measures. Information from environmental mitigation monitoring studies would aid decision makers to develop more feasible and scientifically defensible mitigation measures and project conditions for future oil and gas operations. | ||||||
| Current Status: | ||||||
| A Phase III study to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of OCS shell mounds was recently conducted. The study mapped the size and extent of shell mounds at representative platforms in the Pacific OCS. A new study is to be procured in FY 2002 to continue this type of monitoring near active OCS leases. | ||||||
| Final Report Due: | September 2001 | |||||
| Publications: | ||||||
| Affiliated WWW Sites: | ||||||
| Revised date: | November 2001 | |||||
| ESPIS |
ESPIS - All completed
ESP Studies: |
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