BARROW ISLAND OILFIELD ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW — 25 YEARS OF LEARNING

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
R.D. Lagdon

Barrow Island, off the north-west coast of Western Australia, was declared a Class 'A' Nature Reserve for the protection of flora and fauna in 1908. Since 1963, West Australian Petroleum Pty Limited (WAPET) has conducted oil exploration and production operations on the island, producing over 235 million barrels of oil. The fact that the introduction of exotic plants and animals has been prevented and the island's full suite of native species remains intact is due to a rigorous environmental program. In developing and refining that management program over the past 25 years, WAPET has pioneered environmental management and rehabilitation techniques. In 1988-89, WAPET carried out a comprehensive review and audit of its management procedures to satisfy itself that its operations continued to meet the high environmental standards expected of our industry. The review critically examined the impacts of operational procedures including seismic exploration, gravel extraction, quarantine, rehabilitation and workforce education to determine the effect of the operations on the conservation values of Barrow Island. The Barrow Island operation demonstrates that with proper management and planning, development and conservation are not incompatible.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-84
Author(s):  
Issam Touhami ◽  
Ali El khorchani ◽  
Zouheir Nasr ◽  
Mohamed tahar Elaieb ◽  
Touhami Rzigui ◽  
...  


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 588
Author(s):  
Meysam Banimahd ◽  
Steve Tyler ◽  
Matthew Kuo ◽  
Fiona Chow

The July 2019 magnitude 6.6 earthquake 200 km offshore from Broome is a recent reminder of the significant risk that earthquakes pose to oil and gas infrastructure in Australia. Unlike tropical cyclones, there are no reliable methods for predicting the timing, location and magnitude of imminent earthquakes. Appropriate risk management is therefore required, together with the implementation of emergency response and integrity management procedures, to manage the potential impacts to health, safety, process safety, the environment and production. Given the concentration of oil and gas infrastructure in the north west of Australia, a collaborative approach is advantageous for earthquake risk management and emergency response measures. This paper shares Woodside’s earthquake risk and integrity management procedures with the aim of enabling appropriate quality and consistency throughout the industry. The paper reviews state-of-the-art international practice in earthquake risk management for critical infrastructure from design to operation. Applicable seismic design criteria, likely failure modes and performance requirements are also described. Woodside’s real-time earthquake alert and integrity management systems are presented. Recommendations are made on best practice for earthquake risk management in the region and areas for further collaboration and improvement within the industry.



1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 423
Author(s):  
Ian LeProvost

Environmentally safe management of hydrocarbon exploration and production activities is becoming increasingly important, particularly in sensitive marine areas. LeProvost Environmental Consultants have been working closely with Hadson Energy Limited, Western Mining Corporation Ltd and West Australian Petroleum Pty Ltd to produce environmental impact assessments, environmental management plans and monitoring programs for oilfields recently developed on the North West Shelf. Many of the well sites are located in areas with sensitive ecological habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and prawn spawning and fishing grounds. Consequently, operators in these areas have been required to produce comprehensive Environmental Management Plans and Oil Spill Contingency Plans, to gain development and operating approvals from the Western Australian Government.Formulation of these plans begins with baseline surveys of the biological, physical and social characteristics of the study area. Hydrodynamic modelling of the metocean conditions produces oil spill prediction envelopes to highlight the areas that may potentially be affected by an oil spill, if one should occur. Site-specific oil spill response procedures are then designed to cater for the sensitive marine habitats of the area, using the resources that are available in the region to deal with an oil spill.Results to date from the Marine Biological Monitoring Programs for three oilfields have supported predictions that no significant adverse impacts on the environment would result from the development and operation of the oilfields.



2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 385-391
Author(s):  
Roman Beloborodov ◽  
Marina Pervukhina ◽  
Matthew Josh ◽  
Michael B. Clennell ◽  
Juerg Hauser

Shales have always been a difficult target for drilling of deviated and horizontal wells. In the presence of azimuthal stress fields, inclined boreholes in smectite-rich shales exhibit geomechanical instabilities and can result in borehole failure. The complex geology of the major gas fields in the Northern Carnarvon Basin on the North West Shelf of Australia makes it necessary to drill deviated wells through the smectite-rich shale seal extending more than 1 km in thickness. Predicting the mineralogical composition of shales in the area is therefore crucial for the success of drilling operations related to hydrocarbon exploration and production. Here we introduce a novel workflow that combines seismic data, well logs, and laboratory measurements to rapidly infer smectite content in shale. The workflow is applied to the Duyfken 3D seismic survey in the central part of the Northern Carnarvon Basin. The results of our quantitative interpretation are verified against the laboratory X-ray diffraction measurements from the test well that was not used for interpretation, and they match the test data well within the determined uncertainty bounds.



Author(s):  
Н.А. Демидова ◽  
Т.М. Дуркина ◽  
Л.Г. Гоголева ◽  
Ю.С. Быков ◽  
А.А. Парамонов

Цель исследований – оценка сохранности, роста и развития сосны скрученной в сравнении с сосной обыкновенной на экспериментальных плантациях в условиях Европейского Севера (Архангельская, Вологодская области и Республика Коми). Анализ хода роста сосны скрученной на плантациях Архангельской области в разных условиях выращивания показал, что сосна скрученная, не уступая в росте сосне обыкновенной, обгоняет ее величине текущего прироста: по высоте – в 1,2–1,5 раза, диаметру – в 1,4–2,0 раза; по объему и величине среднего прироста по объему – в 1,2–2,3 раза. Аналогичные результаты получены в Республике Коми. Лучшими по росту и сохранности в условиях Вологодской области оказались деревья более южного канадского происхождения (55–58 с.ш.), которые превосходят сосну обыкновенную в росте как по диаметру, так и по высоте в 1,2 раза. Авторами отмечено, что с возрастом тенденция превосходства сосны скрученной над сосной обыкновенной сохранилась, но ее рост замедлился. Быстрый рост и интенсивное накопление фитомассы с первых лет жизни делает сосну скрученную менее устойчивой по отношению к ветровой и снеговой нагрузке, особенно на плодородных почвах и склонах. По результатам многолетнего выращивания сосны скрученной на Европейском Севере России авторами не было замечено ее естественное возобновление, что не влечет опасности загрязнения наших лесов инородной породой. С начала закладки первых опытных посадок прошел значительный промежуток времени (более 30 лет), в связи с этим, можно судить о перспективности промышленного выращивания сосны скрученной в условиях Северо-запада России. По результатам проведенных исследований сделан вывод, что Архангельская, Вологодская и Республика Коми являются перспективными районами для выращивания сосны скрученной (Pinus contorta Loud. var. latifolia S. Wats.), что подтверждает отечественный опыт выращивания данной породы в регионах Северо-запада России. Именно здесь она превосходит местные виды по производительности. The aim of the study is to assess the survival, growth and development of lodgepole pine in comparison with the Scots pine on the experimental plantations on the European North of Russia (the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions, and the Komi Republic). The growth analysis of lodgepole pine on the plantations in the Arkhangelsk region in different growing conditions showed that the lodgepole pine, overtakes Scots pine in terms of the current growth: in height  1.2–1.5 times, in diameter  1.4–2.0 times; in volume and size of the average growth by volume  1.2–2.3 times. Similar results were obtained in the Republic of Komi. The best in terms of growth and survival in the Vologda region were trees of more southern Canadian origin (55–58° N), which exceed the Scots pine in growth both in diameter and in height by 1.2 times. We should note that with age, the tendency of the superiority of lodgepole pine over Scots pine has remained, but the growth of lodgepole pine has slowed. The fast growth and intensive accumulation of phytomass from the first years of life make the lodgepole pine less resistant to wind and snow loads, especially on fertile soils and slopes. According to the results of long-term cultivation of lodgepole pine in the European North of Russia we did not notice its natural regeneration that does not involve the danger of contamination of our forests by alien species. A significant period of time (more than 30 years) has passed since the beginning of the first lodgepole pine experimental planting, therefore, one can judge the prospects of its industrial cultivation in the north-west of Russia. Based on the results of the conducted studies, it was concluded that the Arkhangelsk and Vologda Regions and Komi Republic are perspective areas for Pinus contorta Loud var. latifolia S. Wats. cultivation, that is confirmed with domestic experience of this species cultivation in the regions of North-West of Russia. It superiors the native species by productivity in this area.



2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 357 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Seebeck ◽  
Peter Menkhorst

Nineteen species of rodents, in two families, have been recorded from Victoria in the modern era. Eighteen are of the family Muridae, represented by 15 native and 3 introduced species. The other species, now extinct in Victoria, was the introduced Sciurus carolinensis. Six of the native species are extinct, one is classified Critically Endangered, one Endangered and four Lower Risk – near threatened. Four of the extinct species were restricted to the semi-arid far north-west; these were Leporillus apicalis, L. conditor, Pseudomys bolami and P. desertor. The two other extinct species, Conilurus albipes and Pseudomys australis, inhabited open forest/woodland, and grassy ecosystems. Extant species include Rattus fuscipes and R. lutreolus, both in the sub-family Murinae; both are widespread and common, particularly in southern Victoria. The remaining seven species are in the sub-family Hydromyinae. Hydromys chrysogaster is widespread in waterbodies throughout the state. Notomys mitchellii and Pseudomys apodemoides occur in dry habitats in the north-west of Victoria; they are uncommon, but most of their habitat is reserved. Mastacomys fuscus, found in higher-rainfall areas of southern and eastern Victoria, from coastal dunes to alpine snowfields, is uncommon. The distribution of Pseudomys fumeus is disjunct, in four widely separated areas. It is classified as Endangered. P. shortridgei is restricted to the Grampians and south-western Victoria, where it may be locally common. The most geographically restricted rodent species in Victoria, Pseudomys novaehollandiae, is Critically Endangered and is the subject of special conservation measures. The most critical threats to rodent populations in Victoria are considered to be (1) the lack of active habitat management for those species that require early seral stages in vegetation, (2) predation by introduced carnivores, and (3) the fragmentation of species into small genetically isolated populations.



Author(s):  
Daryl A. Cornish ◽  
George L. Smit

Oreochromis mossambicus is currently receiving much attention as a candidater species for aquaculture programs within Southern Africa. This has stimulated interest in its breeding cycle as well as the morphological characteristics of the gonads. Limited information is available on SEM and TEM observations of the male gonads. It is known that the testis of O. mossambicus is a paired, intra-abdominal structure of the lobular type, although further details of its characteristics are not known. Current investigations have shown that spermatids reach full maturity some two months after the female becomes gravid. Throughout the year, the testes contain spermatids at various stages of development although spermiogenesis appears to be maximal during November when spawning occurs. This paper describes the morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of the testes and spermatids.Specimens of this fish were collected at Syferkuil Dam, 8 km north- west of the University of the North over a twelve month period, sacrificed and the testes excised.





2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roald Amundsen ◽  
Godfred Hansen
Keyword(s):  


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