RIASSUNTO
C.J. Herlugson, SPE, BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., and J.A. Parnell, SPE, BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
Abstract
Since oil production began at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, in 1977, numerous monitoring programs have examined the region's biota in an effort to establish baseline conditions and support impact assessments. These programs are used to reduce or mitigate changes resulting from oil and gas development. North Slope exploration and production operations are governed by a complex set of regulations that often require monitoring. Monitoring programs are conducted annually to measure air emissions, water quality, and the distribution and abundance of wildlife within the operating areas.
Introduction
The North Slope covers an area of 65,000 square kilometers, of which up to 40 percent is classed as wetland. The Arctic coastal plain is frozen for more than nine months of the year, and during the brief summer the most obvious feature of the terrain is the amount of standing water -- prevented from draining by underlying permafrost. The coastal plain contains thousands of thaw lakes, tundra ponds, streams and rivers, and tens of thousands of smaller features such as polygons, pingos, frost boils and earth hummocks. The coastline is characterized by bays, lagoons, barrier islands, and vast river deltas. This region is home to 15 regularly occurring species of terrestrial mammals, six species of marine mammals and more than 250 species of birds, of which some 183 species are known breeders. Bird and mammal density is generally low, although regionally the area may support numbers in the millions.
Since oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay in 1968 and production began in 1977, numerous monitoring programs have examined the biota of this region, establishing baseline information and making possible impact assessments which are subsequently used to reduce or mitigate changes resulting from development. Wildlife studies on the North Slope have focused on individual, population and habitat level impacts.
North Slope research programs conducted by BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. (BPXA) target each facet of oil and gas operations:
- Exploration: Baseline data are collected in anticipation of permitting requirements. Major activities are conducted during the winter months, utilizing ice pads and ice roads to protect the tundra.
- Pre-construction: Wildlife distributions and habitat types are surveyed during project planning.
- Construction: Sensitive seasons are avoided and disturbance of wildlife minimized.
- Post-construction: Wildlife use of areas surrounding facilities and transportation corridors is monitored.
- Post-abandonment: Rehabilitation projects are designed to enhance the wildlife value of disturbed sites and reduce visual impacts.
Environmental assessment programs are designed to distinguish between natural variability and man-made impacts, and must be able to establish causal relationships. As in any ecological system, change is not always proof of an adverse effect. Wildlife populations will increase and decrease over time, regardless of industrial or human presence. In environments such as the North Slope, it is often assumed that negative effects will result from an industrial presence. However, research programs have shown that environmental change resulting from industrial development is usually benign, and can be beneficial to certain species in some circumstances.
BPXA uses aerial and ground surveys, computers, time-lapse video cameras, satellites and photography as tools for, environmental assessment. Information from environmental assessment programs is used to reduce or eliminate disturbances to wildlife and habitat where possible, or rehabilitate disturbances.
The oil and gas industry should be committed to research and monitoring of its activities to ensure that habitats can support fish and wildlife species. To help meet that commitment, companies must assess the effect of their operations on the environment. Long-term studies are key to understanding the ecological complexity of a region and information collected can help oil companies determine how wildlife and development can best coexist.
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