Impact of Oil Exploration, Extraction and Transport - Coursework Example

IMPACT OF OIL EXPLORATION, EXTRACTION AND TRANSPORT 2 Introduction The mining industry is one ofthose that carry returns for countries or corporations involved in the process. However, the process has high risks that are potential causes of huge risks in the industry. Often, accidents that step from faults in the management of the drilling process pose serious health and ecological harm in the environment, for this reason, it is always important that companies involved in the exercise to be very careful. In the drilling processes, the petroleum industry in general has to comprehend the significance of making proper assessment of any spillages that may happen in the course of the drilling process effectively. Thereafter, it has to lay down measures to take care of the risks that may arise from this process, in doing this, the companies, give primary focus, as well as priority to the process of reducing the risks associated. In addition, it has to put into places strategies by which it can use to minimize and prevent future occurrences of the spills. Other ways of reducing the risks arising from oil spills include creating systems that enhance a positive response whenever these incidences happen. This process can be achieved effectively by creating reliable source controls, as well as preparedness programs for the risks (Schirmer 2011 67). Part A Dynamics of Oil spillages During drilling, the spillage that happened at the project may have been triggered by several incidents. Most often, oils spills may happen during drilling at various stages, in addition it sometimes happens during the process of repairing the vessels used in the process. In both cases, the oil spills into the water and can have serious health concerns to aquatic animals. The stages that are often associated with spillages are often characterized by wells that are found offshore, at the same time, it also happen in the process of transporting the oil to the offshore (Trefry 2003 151). The transportation process may take various forms; it is done by use of underwater pipelines, using special tankers as well as flow line vessels. In all these case, chances are that the spillage that happened at Sankofa projects may have been triggered by the drilling and transportation processes. It is important to note that the process that are used on the transportation of drilled out are highly interconnected. In this case, oil spillage from a particular faulty line can trigger the same process in other machines and equipment, the exact scenario that happened at the project. Whenever, there has been incidents of oil spills, there is always fire, in this case, chances of people losing their lives are extremely high. Oil spillage incidents that have been recorded before have often involved loss of lives of people on board; there are minimal survival rates whenever these incidences occur (Murthy 2008 52). In other incidences, there are various cases of oil wastes that are recorded in different places with companies doing onshore and offshore drilling. With off-shore drilling companies, most of the oil wastes stem from the process of disposing of fluid wastes that are used in the drilling process. At the same time, they may also originate from run-off water coming from the decks, leaks from the pipelines and flow lines, as well as failures and blowouts of the particular wells (Loucks 2012 76). In the same process, it is important to note that the process of disposing of wastes from offshore production can also be a cause for sea pollution. This effect is the same as that caused by leakages in the oil storage tanks, leaks from pipelines and flow lines as well as failures happening in the wells. Oil spills that happen in ships while doing their offshore drilling processes comprises of the fuels that are used in the trasportation process, as well as their particular cargo, which is mostly the crude oil that has been drilled. In general, oil spills are phenomena that are highly undesired in all measures, besides losses in the amounts of oil that has been drilled, the process comes along with serious ecological and environmental impacts. Companies are forced to spent millions of dollars in the sea clean-up exercise and compensation of third parties that are affected in different ways from the spillages. Potential causes of the oil spillage at the Sankofa Project At the Sankofa project, several possibilities can be deducted as potential causes of the oil spills. First, the spillage may have been caused by failures in the instruments that were being uses in the process of drilling the oil. It was reported that fire started in the Christmas tree; this is a clear indication of the failures that may have been experienced during the functioning of equipment and other facilities. Keeping in mind that the Christmas tree in the offshore drilling process refers to a series of facilities used in the process, the process involves a high interconnection of projects such that any spillage that happens in one, easily flows into another. At the Sankofa project, it was reported that the fire outbreak that happened at the project quickly spread to other sections, causing massive damages. The second conclusion that can be made over the cause of the spillage can be in regard to the transportation process. Here, the spillage and fire incident could have been triggered by poor connections in the pipelines and flow lines. This can be justified by fact the spillage process happened to spread easily to other projects in the process of drilling the oil. The Christmas tree on FDPSO In the petroleum and gas mining industry, the Christmas tree is used to refer to a valves, fittings, as well as spools that are used in the process of drilling oil in the wells (Akinyokun & Inyang 2013 16). In addition, the term is also used to describe similar facilities, tools and other equipment that are used in the gas wells, petroleum, as well as in the extraction of natural gas. The term was given to these tools since when they are assembled, they look like the actual decorated tree that is common in certain religions functions at certain seasons. How the Christmas tree function in the drilling process The Christmas tree is an important resource that is used in both surface, as well as subsea wells that are used in the drilling of well, gas and other petroleum products. Each of the classification that is on the trees has special variation and functions. At FDPSO, its main objective, was to control the flow of the oil during the drilling process, it also serves the same function when gas and other products are being drilled offshore and onshore. During the drilling process, the tree is useful in the process of injecting gas or water in the non-porous wells so that the rates of production oil can be sped up. In the process, as soon as the well re in a position to received the gas, the valves on the tree are opened. This enables the formation fluids to flow in the lines into places they are expected to be. After it is done, the next stage is the processing facility, at this stage, the oil is stored temporarily waiting to be transported to the refinery and other distribution centers. In subsea wells, flow lines often lead to fixed production platforms, when this is not necessary, they are channeled directly to storage ships and other containers that are standby. In addition, a Christmas tree plays an important role in the provision of several addition functions during the drilling process. These functions include, providing means to relieve pressure, detection of sand and other impurities including addition of chemicals at various injection points. In this regard, the Christmas tree, as used at the FDPSO, was necessary for the entire process of oil drilling at the project. Health and ecological impacts of oil spills As pointed out earlier, oil spills are undesirable phenomena whenever they happen in offshore and onshore drilling sites. Besides the huge costs that are involved in the process of clearing the mess, there are huge ecological impacts that come along with these accidents. When oil happens to spill in the ocean, the initial impact is that it sinks in the water, often it is floating on the surface basing on the relative density as well as its original composition. When it floats, it creates a slick that remains cohesive at it dries up, alternatively, it may disintegrate and break into pieces depending on the action of the waves of the sea and ocean. The action of the waves and wind on ocean water forces the slick to spread to other areas in the sea, and sometimes can reach the shoreline. Oil spills pose great danger to fishing at the deep sea, as well as to the fisheries that are found on the seashore. The short –term effect of such spills on aquatic life is mass mortality, at the same time, it causes unnecessary contamination to the fishes and other kinds of organisms that thrive in the sea (Trefry 2008 54). The long-term effects of the spills have far-reaching effects, they cause poisoning of sensitive organic substrate that is found in the deep sea and the coastal areas. These areas form sources of food to fishes, as well as the favorable reproduction grounds, this means that in the end, oil spills can lead to complete loss of sea biodiversity. Oil spills also poison birds, wildlife, sea creatures as well as replies and amphibians that enjoy the sea and its habitat; effects of which are often because ingestion, as well as smothering of their skin covering. This reduces their thermal insulation abilities, while damaging their reproductive systems. The long-term effects of these spillages on the ecology are contamination of the sea substrate, which is a source of food to these organisms. This leads to total loss of the sea biodiversity since the food chains are totally ruined. Part B Appraisal techniques for appraising the areas affected by oil spills After the oil spill has happened, it is always important a proper appraisal be done on the environment in order to comprehend the nature of the harm that has been suffered. This is necessary so that proper actions can be undertaken to remediate the environment and ecology. There are various appraisal techniques are used in the process of establishing the extent and nature of harm suffered. One of the appraisal processes that is conducted before establishing the necessary remediation techniques for areas affected by oil spills involves determination of moisture content (Osuji & Achugasim 2010 35). In this process, samples of soil are taken for testing to determine their moisture content; the variations that will be made are helpful in detecting the amount of damage that particular soils have got. The second appraisal technique involves detecting of the soil pH and its electrical conductivity. Here, soils that are found to have high levels of electrical conductivity and increased levels of acidity are characteristic of those that have been affected by the spills. This method requires that that the particular soils samples be stirred in homogeneous slurries and allowed to stabilize at temperature measurements of 250C. Source: Nwoye & Osuji (2007 321) ­­­Features of the appraisal techniques The appraisal techniques that are used in the evaluation of soils that have been affected by oil spills are similar in several ways; first, they both have abilities to determine the total hydrocarbon levels in the soils. Besides the temperature, moisture and pH levels, these appraisal techniques are useful in detecting the actual compositions of hydrocarbons and other compounds that are associated with petroleum products. In addition, these techniques operate efficiently under special conditions of temperature and pressure. It is believed that different kinds of soils behave differently under these conditions depending on the organic compounds that the soils have. In this case, the appraisal techniques can reveal the exact components present according to the nature and intensity of the spills suffered. Appraisal of remediation techniques used in remediating coastal areas In the past, there have been rising cases of marine oil spills; this has led to the question of how to create effective solutions for the environment (Vellani 2007 34). Bioremediation techniques, according to the way they have been used in different places, have become a major mechanism for removing oil residues on the affected shorelines. The methods that have been used in these techniques have a major cause of public concern. The processes that have involved application of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in the form of fertilizers have proved to be effective and reliable in accelerating the biodegradation process. In the end, this has made the coastal environments and others that have been affected by oil spills to be safe for human habitation and general biodiversity. Remediating of the coastal lands and other areas that have been affected by oil spills is essential in regaining the biodiversity of the particular lands (Bashkin 2006 67). Remediation is important so that the substrate that forms important food and breeding grounds for fish and other aquatic life is restored, this is necessary for establishing fishing grounds in the deep sea and other coastal areas. The remediation exercise is a collaborative process that requires various stakeholders and other interested parties. In some countries, the process is very comprehensive, involving army planes, which help in spreading certain chemical in the surface water to dissolve the oil and allow the water to regain its natural characteristics to attract biodiversity. Before the actual process has to begin, there has to be a successful evaluation of the techniques to be involved so that necessary requirements can be made, and resources sought for its success. 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