2016 SoE Marine Chapter - Pressures - Oil and gas extraction and production

Brief description

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "Pressures on the marine environment associated with oil and gas extraction and production". The full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Expert Assessment are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESSURE
Potential impacts to the commonwealth marine environment, extending beyond state waters, from planned oil and gas activities are generally well known and vary depending on the size and type of activity and its location. Activities in offshore waters include: Exploration - seismic surveys and drilling, Development – drilling, pipeline and facility construction, Operations –offshore production facilities and decommissioning. Impacts from these activities may include seabed disturbance from the physical footprint of subsea infrastructure and drilling discharges, underwater noise from seismic or piling, artificial light and air quality effects from operating facilities, and water quality effects from discharges of drilling waste or production discharges. The extent, duration and severity of the impacts will vary depending on the biological sensitivities in the receiving environment. In many cases impacts from planned activities are highly localised, short term and have little measurable effect on the environment. In other cases the impacts may occur on a broader scale and over a longer time period and are able to be managed using reliable control measures and/or are distant to sensitive environmental receptors. Quantifying cumulative impacts from offshore activities, and separating these from other anthropogenic stressors however, continues to be a challenge for the both the oil and gas industry, regulators and marine estate managers.
Risks to the marine environment also exist from unplanned events such as hydrocarbon spills. The impacts that may arise from unplanned events are less well studied, may be difficult to predict prior to an event occurring but have the potential for significant physical and biological consequences. Knowledge of the risks and impacts from oil spills and how to prevent or minimise them, has increased dramatically following significant spill incidents in both Australia and internationally over recent years. As levels of awareness of oil and gas activity impacts and risks continue to grow, together with improvement in environmental impact assessment processes, predictive modelling capabilities and the metocean data that support them, greater confidence in the predictions of environmental outcomes has and will be achieved.

DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT
All petroleum activities in commonwealth waters. Environment data only spans 2012 – 2015 since NOPSEMA was formed. Combination of qualitative and quantitative data used. Details of the specific data sets used to generate this assessment have not been provided, but all information is available from the NOPSEMA website: https://www.nopsema.gov.au/

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2016 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details]

• 2016 •
Assessment grade: Low impact
Assessment trend: Improving
Confidence grade: Adequate high quality evidence and high level of consensus
Confidence trend: Adequate high quality evidence and high level of consensus
Comparability: Grade and trend are somewhat comparable to the 2011 assessment
• 2011 •
Assessment grade: Very good
Assessment trend: Stable
Confidence grade: Limited evidence or limited consensus
Confidence trend: Limited evidence or limited consensus

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CHANGES SINCE 2011 SOE ASSESSMENT
The assessment grade was given as ‘very good’ in 2011 – this doesn’t match the key to grades provided for 2016. It was also reported as ‘stable’ however with limited confidence. Changes to the regulatory regime and understanding of the pressure since 2011 have resulted in the improved grade, trend etc provided for 2016.

Lineage

Statement: QUALITY OF DATA USED IN THE ASSESSMENT
Regulatory records contained in an electronic records management system are used to report regulator activity levels (such as assessments and inspections) and this is very accurate. Using assessment numbers as a potential indicator of industry activity levels has some constraints as there is not a direct (one for one) relationship between submissions made and activities conducted. There is no simple indicator of industry activity levels that can be used (titles issued by NOPTA has limitations because of actual activities conducted under each title).

Notes

Purpose
To describe the pressures on the marine environment associated with oil and gas extraction and production for use in the Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment report.