This book provides more comprehensive materials and discussion on environmental impact of the offshore oil and gas industry than any other single source currently available. Specifically, multi-disciplinary perspectives are given, addressing worldwide advances in studies, control, and prevention of the industry's impact on the marine environment and its living resources. Unique to this text are the data on environmental aspects of Russian offshore oil and gas developments presented by the leading expert on the problem. The author considers the main impact factors of the offshore activity and outlines conditions providing the balance of interests for the oil industry and fisheries. Special attention is given to the ecotoxicological and biogeochemical characteristics of oil and gas hydrocarbons in the marine environment. Based on all presently available information, specific environmental requirements for discharges and seawater quality are substantiated. Final chap! ters summarize strategic principles of environmental protection and ecological monitoring in relation to the offshore oil and gas activity. Appendix includes Russian standards of Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPC) and Approximate Safe Impact Limits (ASIL) for about 200 chemicals used in oil and gas production.

The petroleum industry must minimize the environmental impact of its various operations. This extensively researched book assembles a tremendous amount of practical information to help reduce and control the environmental consequences of producing and processing petroleum and natural gas. The best way to treat pollution is not to create it in the first place. This book shows you how to plan and manage production activities to minimize and even eliminate some environmental problems without severely disrupting operations. It focuses on ways to treat drilling and production wastes to reduce toxicity and/or volume before their ultimate disposal. You'll also find methods for safely transporting toxic materials from the upstream petroleum industry away from their release sites. For those sites already contaminated with petroleum wastes, this book reviews the remedial technologies available. Other topics include United States federal environmental regulations, sensitive habitats, major U.S. chemical waste exchanges, and offshore releases of oil. Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering is essential for industry personnel with little or no training in environmental issues as well as petroleum engineering students.

This publication, prepared in cooperation with the oil industry's Exploration Production Forum, sets out the oil exploration process, describes the potential environmental consequences of exploration and recommends measures for the prevention or minimization of adverse impacts. The material is based on the experience of IUCN's Environmental Assessment Service.

Offshore oil and gas drilling operations take place in some of the world's most biologically productive oceanic waters. An ongoing concern related to the development of this industry is that exposure to contaminants from waste discharges may cause ill effects on organisms and their habitat. Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) programs are undertaken to verify environmental impact assessment predictions, to detect any unforeseen effects, and to help identify cause-effect relationships. EEM has been carried out worldwide for many offshore developments, and much has been learned about the fate of drilling and production contaminants and their biological effects. EEM programs have rapidly evolved in response to new knowledge on the transport, fate, and effects of potential contaminants; changes in regulatory requirements; and improved impact assessment technologies and statistical approaches for data interpretation. In May 2003, an international group of scientists, environmental managers, and industry representatives shared their expertise and new knowledge at the Offshore Oil and Gas Environmental Effects Monitoring Workshop. The participants reviewed the status of current offshore oil and gas EEM programs and identified future research needs to advance our understanding of the impacts of the offshore oil and gas industry. This book represents a selected number of peer-reviewed papers from workshop participants, covering a range of topics including regional experience from past and ongoing EEM programs; environmental management issues such as risk assessment and decision-making processes; the development of predictive risk assessment models; and new approaches and technologies formonitoring potential alterations in benthic, pelagic, and tropospheric ecosystem components. This book will be of use to scientists, environmental managers, regulators, and industry representatives, as well as members of the general public wishing to improve their understanding on the application of offshore oil and gas EEM programs for the protection of our ocean environment and its resources.