Assessment of Discharges, Spills and Emissions from Offshore Oil and Gas Operations on the German Continental Shelf in 2018 - 2022
Executive Summary
This report presents the discharge, spill and emission data from offshore oil and gas operations on the German Continental Shelf (GCS) over the period 2018–2022 and the assessment of the data. The data on which the assessment is based is provided in Annex 2.
Setting the scene
The GCS is a mature petroleum region. The level of activity in the period 2018 – 2022 was relatively low, comprising approximately one well drilled per year. In previous years the total production of oil, gas and condensate produced from two fixed installations was stable above 1 mil. toeq. For the time period 2018 – 2022 the total annual production dropped below 1 mil. toeq. In year 2020 production from one of the two installations was shut-in. The remaining production decreased further to 0.75 mil. toeq in year 2022.
Full Report
Oil discharges
In previous years the quantity of dispersed1 oil (aliphatic oil) discharged to sea via produced water decreased significantly down to 0.01 tonnes due to fundamental technical upgrades on the discharging platform. In the reporting period 2018 – 2022 this decrease continued and in the year 2020 the discharge of dispersed oil has been finally stopped. Produced water was the only contributor to the planned oil discharges to sea from the petroleum industry.
There were no oil spills to sea on the GCS in the reporting period 2018 to 2022.
Chemicals
The use and discharge of chemical substances has been regulated by OSPAR protocols since the beginning of 2001 and has been implemented into German regulatory practice by means of the operation plan procedure (Betriebsplanverfahren) in accordance with the German mining law.
The annual total quantity of chemicals discharged remained at a very low level. It was depending on single well activities in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the relevant year. Since year 2021 the discharge for PLONOR chemicals, candidate substances for substitution and LCPA is zero. Discharge in the pre-screening category for Ranking was equal to, resp. below 80 kg.
Emissions to air
Atmospheric emissions are not regulated by OSPAR measures but they are reported annually to OSPAR. The trend of emissions to the atmosphere has been strongly decreasing in the reporting period for the German sector. Nearly all the emissions are caused by gas turbines installed on the two, respectively one platform (since 2020).
1“Aliphatics” and “aromatics” are defined by the reference method set in OSPAR Agreement 1997—16 (Solvent extraction, Infra-Red measurement at 3 wavelengths). In that context, “aliphatics” and “dispersed oil” mean the same thing.