Title
Dynamic assessment of the ecological risk of the discharge of produced water from oil and gas producing platforms
Author
Karman, C.C.
Reerink, H.G.
TNO Milieu, Energie en Procesinnovatie
Publication year
1998
Abstract
Since 1991 the North Sea countries (UK, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark) have put a lot of effort in the development of a decision support system for the legislation of the use and discharge of offshore exploration, drilling and production chemicals. The heart of this so-called 'harmonised mandatory control system' is the 'chemical hazard assessment and risk management' (CHARM) model. This model enables the ranking of chemicals on the basis of their intrinsic properties, using a realistic worst-case scenario. To meet the prerequisites of the model (simple and transparent calculation rules), the CHARM model uses a fixed dilution factor, assuming equal and constant dispersion of chemicals around the platform. In reality, however, the chemical follows a three-dimensional dispersion pattern which will change over time. To be able to use the principles of the CHARM model in such a dynamic situation for risk management, a new model has been developed by TNO in cooperation with Dutch Oil (NAM). This model gives a probabilistic estimation of the ecological risk of produced water, based upon a realistic calculation of the fate of components of produced water after discharge from the platform. Spatial and temporal variation in the concentration of chemicals is summarised in frequency distributions. The ecological risk is calculated for aquatic life, benthic life and the food chain. The model aims to support the selection of cost-effective mitigating measures for risk reduction.
Subject
Perception
Ecological risk assessment
Effluents
Produced water
Time variable exposure
Computer simulation
Cost effectiveness
Discharge (fluid mechanics)
Dispersions
Ecology
Environmental protection
Flow patterns
Mathematical models
Probability
Production platforms
Risk assessment
Water pollution control
Ecological risk assessment
Harmonized mandatory control systems
Software package CHARM
Hazardous materials
North Sea
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a9fb0843-4f65-40a4-98e8-070132e6dfee
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-3894(98)00106-x
TNO identifier
234551
Publisher
Elsevier Sci B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands
ISSN
0304-3894
Source
Journal of Hazardous Materials, 61 (1-3), 43-51
Document type
article