Minerals Management Research Articles

HPHT 101-What Petroleum Engineers and Geoscientists Should Know About High Pressure High Temperature Wells Environment

On April 20, 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This turned out to be one of the worst environmental disasters in recent history. This high-profile blowout at the Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, brought the challenges and the risks of drilling into high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) fields increasingly into focus. New Technology, HSE regulations, new standards, such as newly recommended procedures by the American Petroleum Institute (API), and extensive training programs for the drilling crew seem to be vital in developing HPHT resources. High-pressure high-temperature fields exist in Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Almost a quarter of HPHT operations worldwide are expected to happen in the American continent particularly in North America. Major oil companies have tried to identify key challenges in HPHT development and production, and several service companies have offered many insights regarding current or planned technologies to meet these challenges. However, there are so many factors that need to be addressed and learned in order to safely overcome the challenges of drilling into and producing from HPHT oil and gas wells.Drilling into HPHT wells is a new frontier for the oil and gas industry. The growing demand for oil and gas throughout the world is driving the exploration and production industry to look for new resources. Some of these resources are located in deeper formations. According to US Minerals Management Service (MMS), over 50% of proven oil and gas reserves in the US lie below 14,000 ft. subsea. As we drill into deeper formations we will experience higher pressures and temperatures.Drilling operations in such high pressure and high temperature environments can be very challenging. Therefore, companies are compelled to meet or exceed a vast array of technical limitations as well as environmental, health and safety standards. This paper explains the technological challenges in developing HPHT fields, deepwater drilling, completions and production considering the reports from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), formerly known as the Minerals Management Service (MMS). It reviews the HPHT related priorities of National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), operated by the US Department of Energy (DOE), and DeepStar Committees for Technology Development for Deepwater Research.

Technology Focus: Gas Production Technology (November 2012)

Technology Focus This months’ Gas Production Technology feature may provide solutions to problems that have plagued our industry for years. It has always been impossible to unequivocally answer, “Where should I set the tubing tail in a long vertical completion?” or “Should I drill a horizontal well toe up or toe down?” because one cannot isolate the effect of one parameter from all others in a real well. If history is a guide, only years of keen observations in many wells will lay the foundation on which industry will postulate, test, and realize technical breakthroughs. Two papers present examples of such keen observations, while a third envisioned a long-term test in Alaska that could unlock the secrets of natural gas hydrates. In 2008, the US Minerals Management Service reported that between 11,000 and 34,000 Tcf of methane is trapped in hydrates just in the northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico; so, this resource is game-changing, even if only a small fraction is recoverable. That is the good news. The bad news is that researchers worldwide have spent more than 25 years and billions of dollars studying naturally occurring hydrates, with little progress toward demonstrating commercial scale production. Like any other natural resource, hydrates come in a variety of natural environments. A few are significantly more suitable to production than the rest. Written in 2010, paper OTC 22152 described an optimal production test location, with high permeability and hydrate-saturated sand at temperatures that would allow spontaneous methane production with a small decrease in pressure. It also happens to be in the middle of one of the largest concentrations of oilfield infrastructure in the world. In 2011, the Ignik Sikumi 1 (Inuit for “fire in the ice”) was drilled next to the gravel road near the Prudhoe Bay L-pad, and, in early 2012, the longest hydrate production test was conducted. Although the formal objective was to evaluate CO2/methane exchange in the field, the well produced intermittently for 30 days, giving a hint of what could happen on a simple long-term depressurization test. Even though this was a step forward, it will remain unclear what recoveries were a result of CO2/methane exchange, nitrogen-injection stimulation, pressure depletion, or something we have not considered. As with any complex system, only long-term and repeated tests can isolate the critical mechanisms. Because the well was plugged and abandoned as the ice pad melted with the approaching summer, we still have a long way to go to see if hydrates can live up to their potential. More details can be found at www.netl.doe.gov. Recommended additional reading at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org. SPE 151611 Taking Advantage of Fines Migration Formation Damage for Enhanced Gas Recovery by P.T. Nguyen, University of Adelaide, et al. SPE 142283 Effect of Water Blocking Damage on Flow Efficiency and Productivity in Tight Gas Reservoirs by Hassan Bahrami, Curtin University, et al. SPE 141036 Gas Well Dewatering Method Field Study by Rick D. Haydel, Altec, et al. SPE 153072 Production Data Analysis in Eagle Ford Shale Gas Reservoir by Bingxiang Xu, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, et al. SPE 153073 Cyclic Shut-In Eliminates Liquid Loading in Gas Wells by Curtis Hays Whitson, NTNU/PERA, et al. SPE 145576 Two-Phase Flow Choke Performance in High-Rate Gas/Condensate Wells by Hamid Reza Nasriani, Iranian Central Oil Fields, et al.

CKD–Mineral and Bone Disorder Management in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Kidney transplantation, the most effective treatment for the metabolic abnormalities of chronic kidney disease (CKD), only partially corrects CKD-mineral and bone disorders. Posttransplantation bone disease, one of the major complications of kidney transplantation, is characterized by accelerated loss of bone mineral density and increased risk of fractures and osteonecrosis. The pathogenesis of posttransplantation bone disease is multifactorial and includes the persistent manifestations of pretransplantation CKD-mineral and bone disorder, peritransplantation changes in the fibroblast growth factor 23-parathyroid hormone-vitamin D axis, metabolic perturbations such as persistent hypophosphatemia and hypercalcemia, and the effects of immunosuppressive therapies. Posttransplantation fractures occur more commonly at peripheral than central sites. Although there is significant loss of bone density after transplantation, the evidence linking posttransplantation bone loss and subsequent fracture risk is circumstantial. Presently, there are no prospective clinical trials that define the optimal therapy for posttransplantation bone disease. Combined pharmacologic therapy that targets multiple components of the disordered pathways has been used. Although bisphosphonate or calcitriol therapy can preserve bone mineral density after transplantation, there is no evidence that these agents decrease fracture risk. Moreover, bisphosphonates pose potential risks for adynamic bone disease.

The economic environment and the growth in reserves from known gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract The vast proportion of yearly oil and gas reserve additions are accounted for by reserve changes in known oil and gas fields. For example, in 2008 approximately 96% of the dry natural gas reserve additions in the United States were accounted for by reserve changes in known fields. The increase in proved ultimate recovery that results from these reserve changes is known as reserve appreciation or reserve growth. Ideally, reserve growth should be measured by comparing the current known petroleum volumes equal to cumulative production plus remaining reserves of fields discovered in say, 1950, with their initial discovery sizes. Unfortunately, implementing the ideal is often not possible since the initial discovery sizes of fields discovered before 1975, or thereabouts, are many times unknown. Up to now, the standard solution to the problem has been based largely on the work of Arrington (1960) who developed a method to estimate reserve growth when initial discovery sizes are unknown and the number of time series observations is small. While the contribution of the economic environment to the growth process has been acknowledged by geologists, the application of the Arrington method presumes that growth is independent of the economic environment. In our view, this creates a bias. For example, if, as we suspect, the economic environment affects reserve growth, then an Arrington-based supply analysis will underestimate the response of supplies to higher prices. In this paper, we employ a rich database from the former United States Minerals Management Service (MMS) to evaluate the contribution of the economic environment to the reserve growth process. In contrast to Forbes and Zampelli (2009) which examined reserve growth at the individual field level, the analysis in this paper aggregates the field level data based on the year of first production. One advantage of this approach is that it has the potential to yield insights about the resource potential of a particular geologic province. The results strongly suggest that age is not the sole factor in explaining a field’s annual reserve growth. In particular, we find that the annual growth rate in the known petroleum volumes of a field is affected by the economic environment as proxied by price. Incorporation of this effect into the modeling process has the potential to improve the accuracy of resource assessments.

Management of mineral and bone disorder after kidney transplantation

Mineral and bone disorders (MBDs), inherent complications of moderate and advanced chronic kidney disease, occur frequently in kidney transplant recipients. However, much confusion exists about the clinical application of diagnostic tools and preventive or treatment strategies to correct bone loss or mineral disarrays in transplanted patients. We have reviewed the recent evidence about prevalence and consequences of MBD in kidney transplant recipients and examined diagnostic, preventive and therapeutic options to this end. Low turnover bone disease occurs more frequently after kidney transplantation according to bone biopsy studies. The risk of fracture is high, especially in the first several months after kidney transplantation. Alterations in minerals (calcium, phosphorus and magnesium) and biomarkers of bone metabolism (parathyroid hormone, alkaline phosphatase, vitamin D and FGF-23) are observed with varying impact on posttransplant outcomes. Calcineurin inhibitors are linked to osteoporosis, whereas steroid therapy may lead to both osteoporosis and varying degrees of osteonecrosis. Sirolimus and everolimus might have a bearing on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation or decreasing osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Selected pharmacologic interventions for the treatment of MBD in transplant patients include steroid withdrawal, and the use of bisphosphonates, vitamin D derivatives, calcimimetics, teriparatide, calcitonin and denosumab. MBD following kidney transplantation is common and characterized by loss of bone volume and mineralization abnormalities, often leading to low turnover bone disease. Although there are no well established therapeutic approaches for management of MBD in renal transplant recipients, clinicians should continue individualizing therapy as needed.

FOCUSED CLINICAL CAMPAIGN IMPROVES MINERAL AND BONE DISORDER OUTCOMES

As with other disease states, mineral and bone disorder (MBD) management is challenging and may benefit from more systematic management. To evaluate the effectiveness of a focused campaign to improve MBD outcomes, we compared the percentage of patients meeting 2003 Kidney Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI)-recommended MBD targets between baseline and 18 months after programme initiation. The four components of the clinical campaign were: (1) a set of grids allowing simultaneous evaluation of MBD test results, (2) a weighted, facility-level cumulative scoring system representing percent of patients within KDOQI-recommended MBD targets, (3) team involvement and (4) patient education. Eighteen months after programme initiation, the percent of patients simultaneously meeting all 2003 KDOQI targets increased 7% and the percent meeting calcium and phosphorus targets increased 24% and 8%, respectively. These findings suggest that a coordinated clinical campaign with effective tools, outcome tracking and sharing and team involvement is an effective strategy to improve MBD outcomes.

Why Geology Matters: Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future

Review: Why Geology Matters: Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future By Doug Macdougall Reviewed by Byron Anderson DeKalb, Illinois, USA Macdougall, Doug. Why Geology Matters: Decoding the Past, Anticipating the Future. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2011. xv, 285 pp. ISBN: 9780520266421,US$29.95, cloth. Printed on 100 percent post consumer waste, recycled, de-inked fiber. E-book available. Why Geology Matters pursues two goals: to better understand how Earth works and to provide clues to the future of the planet. Macdougall, Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, hopes “that this book will, in some small way, stimulate a deeper interest in the field among its readers, and perhaps help improve this situation” (p. xiii). Geology is defined as “an intellectual pursuit that encompasses studies of the atmosphere, the oceans, the solid earth, and even other planets of the solar system” (p. 249). It is interdisciplinary incorporating mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology, and has spun off a number of related studies, for example, astrogeology and biogeochemistry. Interspersed chapters explore Earth’s history with specific events and processes, for example, the Chicxulub Crater in the Yucatan Peninsula. Geoscience studies natural processes, for example, volcanic dust, tsunamis, and earthquakes, and addresses areas, such as sustainable management of water, mineral, and energy resources. The book emphasizes the importance of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, as a primary agent driving widespread environmental change. The geological timescale is introduced covering epochs, periods, eras, and eons all the way back to the Hadean eon which started at Earth’s formation about 4.6 billion years ago and ended roughly 3.8 billion years ago, though most of the book deals with the Phanerozoic eon, approximately 540 million years ago to the present. Geoscientists look for clues about Earth’s past by examining evidence, for example, the presence or absence of different types of fossils which shed light on the record of changing environments. This evidence is then combined with inferences from theory. The “Wandering Plates” chapter does an excellent job in explaining why most natural phenomena are influenced by plate tectonics. Study of these plates has led to a better understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes, and other phenomena that affect living things. While analytical tools for decoding the past have become very sophisticated, for example, x- rays and three dimensional images, geoscientists still find it necessary to use of terms, such as, “may have” and “perhaps” particularly in determining certain conditions that occurred billions of years ago. From the beginning of Earth’s formation through the Proterozoic eon, many details will never be known. Macdougall drives home the importance of geology, an understudied subject, and concludes somewhat ominously that “to a considerable extent, the immediate future of our planet is now in our own hands” (p. 248). The book is for students of geology and educated laypersons. It could be used as an introductory textbook, and is recommended for all libraries with a geology collection. The text is nicely supplemented with over thirty illustrations, a bibliography and future reading section, and a subject index. Byron Anderson, , retired from Northern Illinois University Libraries, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA. Electronic Green Journal, Issue 32, Fall 2011, ISSN:1076-7975

Medical therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a broad term for diverse disorders affecting renal structure and function. The worldwide increase in the number of patients with CKD and consequent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring renal replacement therapy is threatening to reach a global epidemic level. The economic burden is difficult to deal for both family and society. A change in the global approach to CKD from treatment of ESRD to much more aggressive primary and secondary prevention is therefore imperative. CKD can be detected with routine laboratory tests, and some treatments can prevent its development and slow disease progression, reduce complications of decreased glomerular filtration rate and risk of cardiovascular diseases, and improve survival and quality of life. In this article, I review the practical methods-including blood pressure control, anemia correction, management of mineral and bone disorders related with CKD-for the prevention of or slowing the progression of CKD. I also describe several essential drugs that are used frequently to treat the common complications of CKD.

NGOs, Coalition Building and the Campaign for a Minerals Management Policy in the Philippines

This article discusses how development NGOs form advocacy coalitions to influence policy-making. In particular, it looks at how two advocacy coalitions — Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment and Defend Patrimony! Alliance and the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) — were formed and investigates their combined influence on mining policy. It traces the beginning of more than a decade of advocacy campaigning to repeal the Mining Act of 1995, looks at what has been achieved to date, and considers the prospects of the Act’s repeal in the future. The author argues that though the Mining Act of 1995 has yet to be repealed, it can be said that these advocacy coalitions have influenced mining policy in terms of consolidating the advocacy campaign for a minerals management policy through the Dapitan Initiative, and providing an Alternative Mining Bill (AMB) or House Bill (HB) No. 6342 which was submitted to the 14th Congress in May 2009. The AMB was re-submitted to the 15th Congress as HB 206 in July 2010, and was filed in December 2010 as HB 3763, which is now known as the Minerals Management Bill (MMB). Moreover, these advocacy coalitions had a major role in influencing the Local Government Units (LGUs) to assert their autonomy in terms of resisting mining entry and operations in their jurisdictions. However, it remains to be seen if there will be support from the Senate for the MMB to be passed into law in the 15th Congress to reverse the trend of large-scale exploitative mining.

FOCUSED CLINICAL CAMPAIGN IMPROVES MINERAL AND BONE DISORDER OUTCOMES.

As with other disease states, mineral and bone disorder (MBD) management is challenging and may benefit from more systematic management. To evaluate the effectiveness of a focused campaign to improve MBD outcomes, we compared the percentage of patients meeting 2003 Kidney Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI)-recommended MBD targets between baseline and 18 months after programme initiation. The four components of the clinical campaign were: (1) a set of grids allowing simultaneous evaluation of MBD test results, (2) a weighted, facility-level cumulative scoring system representing percent of patients within KDOQI-recommended MBD targets, (3) team involvement and (4) patient education. Eighteen months after programme initiation, the percent of patients simultaneously meeting all 2003 KDOQI targets increased 7% and the percent meeting calcium and phosphorus targets increased 24% and 8%, respectively. These findings suggest that a coordinated clinical campaign with effective tools, outcome tracking and sharing and team involvement is an effective strategy to improve MBD outcomes.

Impact of coastal wetland cultivation on microbial biomass, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, gross N transformation and N2O and NO potential production

A 15N dilution experiment was carried out to investigate effects of cultivation on the gross N transformation rate in coastal wetland zone. Microbial community composition was estimated by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and abundance of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Soil salinity decreased significantly, while total N increased after coastal wetland was cultivated. Microbial biomass (total PLFA), bacterial biomass, fungal biomass, and actinomycete biomass of the native coastal wetland soils were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of the cultivated soils whereas AOB population size also significantly increased after coastal wetland cultivation. Multiple regression analysis showed that total PLFA biomass and soil total N (TN) explained 97% of the variation of gross N mineralization rate in the studied soils (gross mineralization rate = 0.179 total PLFA biomass + 5.828TN − 2.505, n = 16, p < 0.01). Gross nitrification rate increased by increasing the soil AOB population size and gross mineralization rate (M) (gross nitrification rate = 3.39AOB + 0.18 M − 0.075, R2 = 0.98, n = 16, p < 0.01). Management of salt discharge and mineral N fertilization during the cultivation of wetland soils might have changed composition of soil microflora and AOB population size, thus influencing mineralization and nitrification. Probably, the cultivation of coastal wetland soils increased the risk of N losses from soil through nitrate leaching and gas emission (e.g., N2O and NO).

Remote Sensing System Design of Beijing Mineral Environment Monitoring and Evaluation

This paper proposed a system used to survey and evaluate mineral environment of Beijing. In the system, RS mineral environment surveying, mineral environment evaluation and mining data management is combined as a unit system. The system is focus on an efficiency and cost-effective services in various mineral areas, and it will be applied in different aspects of mineral environment surveying, evaluation and data management. the system will reducing management costs and provide a new way of supervision and management mineral resources as a new model, it will play an important role in improving the efficiency and quality of mineral management and improving mining environment.

Significant International Environmental Cases: 2010-11

On 1 February 2011, the Seabed Disputes Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivered its very first Advisory Opinion pursuant to Article 191 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 Convention). The Chamber accepted that it had jurisdiction to grant an advisory opinion as there had been a valid request from the Council of the International Seabed Authority and the request raised relevant questions of a legal nature that arose in the scope of the activities of the Council. Part XI of the 1982 Convention establishes a system for the management of minerals found on the deep seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Companies wishing to mine for these minerals must apply for permission from an international organisation, the International Seabed Authority. To qualify for a mining permit, companies must be sponsored by a State Party to the 1982 Convention.

Measurement and Modeling of Topographically Trapped Waves Along the Sigsbee Escarpment

This article, written by Assistant Technology Editor Karen Bybee, contains highlights of paper OTC 20694, ’Measurements and Modeling of Topographically Trapped Waves Along the Sigsbee Escarpment,’ by Steven L. Morey and Dmitry S. Dukhovskoy, Florida State University, and Cortis Cooper, Chevron Energy Technology Company, originally prepared for the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, 3-6 May. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Observations of strong currents with wave-like behavior have been documented from specific sites near the seafloor along the Sigsbee escarpment (SE) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). These currents tend to occur when the Loop Current (LC) or its separated eddies are in the vicinity, typically to the east of the SE. Observational and numerical-modeling efforts were funded in 2008 to understand these events and their dynamics better. The full-length paper summarizes the observations, numerical-model hind-casts, and process studies. Introduction The SE runs through the Walker Ridge and Atwater Valley blocks where many new discoveries are being made and developed [e.g., Jack/St. Malo, Big Foot (BF), and Atlantis]. While these cover a relatively small number of blocks, pipe-lines of blocks developed farther south can be affected by flow dynamics along the SE. Strong near-bottom currents, with instantaneous speeds exceeding 100 cm/s, have been observed along the SE. Such strong currents can cause costly delays in drilling and present major engineering challenges to the design of production risers and pipelines. Despite their importance, only a few strong (greater than 50 cm/s) events have been measured to date, and no well-validated numerical model has been developed. To help fill this gap, DeepStar (DS) funded two efforts in 2008—deployment off four moorings for 1 year along the SE and development of a numerical model. In addition to the DS measurements, Fig. 1 shows the bathymetry of the GOM-model domain (left) with detail of the SE-model domain (right). Locations of the Minerals Management Service I2 and I1 moorings, the DS moorings, and the BF site are shown on the right. Observations along the upper portion of the SE beginning in September 1999 showed strong currents with fluctuations resembling those associated with topographic Rossby waves (TRWs), near the 2000-m bottom, with speeds estimated from the low-pass filtered time series at greater than 85 cm/s. It is interesting that each of the documented strong events occurred when a strong LC eddy (LCE) or meander of the LC was in the vicinity, particularly with the SE near its western edge. During the early months of 2009, the LC had extended far to the northwest and formed the Eddy Darwin. Several events of moderately strong currents were observed near the bottom during this time.

Is the road to survival paved with good mineral management?

A recent observational study from the UK raises questions over the control of mineral metabolism parameters to within target levels defined by the KDOQI clinical practice guidelines. Data from this study highlight the need for a randomized controlled trial to determine whether optimal management of bone mineral metabolism actually provides any survival benefit.

Serum Levels of Phosphorus, Parathyroid Hormone, and Calcium and Risks of Death and Cardiovascular Disease in Individuals With Chronic Kidney Disease

Clinical practice guidelines on the management of mineral and bone disorders due to chronic kidney disease recommend specific treatment target levels for serum phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and calcium. To assess the quality of evidence for the association between levels of serum phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and calcium and risks of death, cardiovascular mortality, and nonfatal cardiovascular events in individuals with chronic kidney disease. The databases of MEDLINE (1948 to December 2010) and EMBASE (1947 to December 2010) were searched without language restriction. Hand searches also were conducted of the reference lists of primary studies, review articles, and clinical guidelines along with full-text review of any citation that appeared relevant. Of 8380 citations identified in the original search, 47 cohort studies (N = 327,644 patients) met the inclusion criteria. The characteristics of study design, participants, exposures, and covariates together with the outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and nonfatal cardiovascular events at different levels of serum phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and calcium were analyzed within studies. Data were summarized across studies (when possible) using random-effects meta-regression. The risk of death increased 18% for every 1-mg/dL increase in serum phosphorus (relative risk [RR], 1.18 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.12-1.25]). There was no significant association between all-cause mortality and serum level of parathyroid hormone (RR per 100-pg/mL increase, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00-1.02]) or serum level of calcium (RR per 1-mg/dL increase, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.00-1.16]). Data for the association between serum level of phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and calcium and cardiovascular death were each available in only 1 adequately adjusted cohort study. Lack of adjustment for confounding variables was not a major limitation of the available studies. The evidentiary basis for a strong, consistent, and independent association between serum levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone and the risk of death and cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease is poor. There appears to be an association between higher serum levels of phosphorus and mortality in this population.

Europeanization ‘Beyond’ Europe? EU Impact on Domestic Policies in the Russian Enclave of Kaliningrad

Europeanization ‘Beyond’ Europe? EU Impact on Domestic Policies in the Russian Enclave of Kaliningrad

Monitoring Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Sediments of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea During Construction and Development of the Northstar Production Island, 1999 through 2006

Abstract In 1999 the Minerals Management Service (MMS) initiated studies to characterize the pre-construction environment near the Northstar and Liberty oil prospects, and to monitor hydrocarbons over time as part of a long-term program to assess potential spatial and temporal changes related to oil development and production near the Northstar and Liberty sites. The initial program, Arctic Nearshore Impact Monitoring in the Development Area (ANIMIDA), was designed to monitor changes specifically related to gravel island and oil pipeline construction activities. The follow-on project, the continuation of ANIMIDA (cANIMIDA) program, continued monitoring sediment chemistry. The objectives of these programs were: 1) to determine the background levels of chemicals of concern (i.e., anthropogenic-related organic parameters) associated with oil exploration, development, and production activities, 2) to examine temporal and spatial changes in chemical concentrations and composition, and 3) to determine if any ob...

Getting SMARTer: Recommendations for Improving SMART Monitoring Procedures Based on Experiences from the Deepwater Horizon Response: Scientific Support for Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Aerial Dispersant Operations

ABSTRACT During the MC252 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) response, aerial dispersants were applied as part of the operational response to minimize the potential for surface oil slicks to impact surfacebreathing wildlife and environmentally sensitive shoreline ecosystems. Monitoring of dispersant efficacy and environmental impact was performed according to the SMART protocols described in the Special Monitoring of Applied Response Technologies developed by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) (2006). Valuable lessons regarding SMART implementation were learned during this response. The magnitude and duration of the response required that multiple teams be deployed simultaneously to conduct Tier 1 observations, and Tier II and III fluorometry and water sample collection activities. The scope of the SMART activity required close coopera...

Managing Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks: A Comparative Assessment of the Minerals Management Service and Other Agencies

This study compares and contrasts regulatory and related practices - in particular, regulatory decisionmaking, risk assessment and planning processes, inspection and compliance, and organization structure, budgets, and training - of the Minerals Management Service (MMS, now the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, or BOEMRE) with those of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Comparing MMS practices with those of other federal agencies that also manage low-probability but high-consequence environmental risks provides a basis for identifying opportunities for enhancing regulatory capacity and safety performance in managing deepwater energy exploration and production. Our research finds important differences in processes for setting standards; peer review contribution to the rulemaking process; establishment of tolerable risk thresholds; and training of key staff. The paper concludes with several recommendations for how various EPA and FAA practices might be modified and used at BOEMRE to strengthen its regulatory and risk management processes.