O1 - Discharges, spills and emissions associated with the offshore oil and gas industry

OSPAR’s monitoring with regard to the offshore oil and gas industry takes place in support of the application of a risk-based approach to the management of produced water discharges from offshore installations.
Furthermore, Contracting Parties report annually to the Offshore Industry Committee (OIC) data on discharges, spills and emissions from offshore oil and gas installations, using a common reporting format (Agreement 2012-08 ) and procedure for sampling and analysis (Agreement 2006-06 ). OIC prepares periodic assessments of the impact of discharges, emissions and spills of substances from offshore sources, which cause or are likely to cause pollution. This includes preparation of assessments on specific issues, such as assessments of the impacts of oil and chemicals and cutting piles. The assessments are based on the annual data collection, on research, and on data and information from other sources.
Monitoring of environmental impacts of discharges from the offshore oil and gas industry is carried out under national monitoring programmes. However, this is guided by the OSPAR Guidelines for Monitoring the Environmental Impact of Offshore Oil and Gas Activities (Agreement 2004-11). OSPAR also has a harmonised reporting format to compile environmental monitoring data and information related to offshore oil and gas activities (Agreement: 2006-07).

Which other countries are involved in practical implementation of this monitoring programme, and what is the degree of cooperation.

marineSubregion
marineSubdivision

[Monitoring Purpose]

Ra-226

CONC-W

OTH

Produced Water Discharges (Theme O1, O2, O3)
OSPAR Recommendation 2001/1 for the Management of Produced Water from Offshore Installations (as amended by OSPAR Recommendation 2006/4 and OSPAR Recommendation 2011/8).
Data to be reported to OSPAR for:
Total quantity of produced and displacement water discharged;
Total quantity of dispersed oil (aliphatic oil) discharged in produced and displacement water;
Total quantity of dissolved oil (as represented by BTEX components) discharged in produced and displacement water
Quantification, sampling and analysis carried out as per national standards but analysis should be to the OSPAR Reference method (OSPAR Agreement number: 2005-15) or a method that can be correlated to it.
OSPAR Recommendation 2012/5 for a risk-based approach to the Management of Produced Water Discharges from Offshore Installations.
Offshore Chemicals (Theme O4)
OSPAR Decision 2000/2 on a Harmonised Mandatory Control System for the Use and Reduction of the Discharge of Offshore Chemicals.
OSPAR Recommendation 2006/3 on Environmental Goals for the Discharge by the Offshore Industry of Chemicals that Are, or Which Contain Substances Identified as Candidates for Substitution
OSPAR Recommendation 2005/2 on Environmental Goals for the Discharge by the Offshore Industry of Chemicals that Are, or Contain Added Substances, Listed in the OSPAR 2004 List of Chemicals for Priority Action.
OSPAR Recommendation 2010/3 on a Harmonised Offshore Chemical Notification Format (HOCNF) (as amended)
 Data to be reported to OSPAR for total quantity of offshore chemicals used and discharged and reported using the categories detailed in Decision 2000/2.
Organic Phase Fluids (Theme O7)
OSPAR Decision 2000/3 on the Use of Organic-phase Drilling Fluids (OPF) and the Discharge of OPF-contaminated Cuttings.
Data to be reported to OSPAR for:
total quantity of OPF used;
total number of wells drilled with OPF and with discharges
total quantity of OPF discharged on cuttings, injected and transported to shore;
average concentration of OPF on cuttings discharged

Radioactive Substances (Theme O8)
OSPAR Agreement on a monitoring programme for concentrations of radioactive substances in the Marine Environment (2005-8, 2011 Revision)
Data to be reported to OSPAR for Pb-210, Ra-226, Ra-228 in produced water.
Sampling and analysis carried out as per national monitoring programmes and requirements.
Oil and Chemical Spills (Theme O-1bis)
Data to be reported to OSPAR of number and quantity of oil and chemical spills and breakdown by pre-screening category.

National QC through national procedures