Current understanding and research needs for ecological risk assessments of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in subsea oil and gas pipelines

Koppel, Darren J.; Kho, Fenny; Hastings, Astley; Crouch, Dean; MacIntosh, Amy; Cresswell, Tom; Higgins, Stuart

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106774

Cited by 34 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 117 publications

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“…Such patterns may be different for other types of infrastructure, such as platform jackets which are known to be structurally more complex and consequentially have a high fish diversity (McLean et al, 2019;van Elden et al, 2019). This does not, however, suggest that removal of pipelines in this NW region will not impact fish diversity, as these anthropogenic features can influence fish communities in a manner of ways not investigated by this study, e.g., influencing fish behaviour (Bond et al, 2018b), facilitating depth range extensions of associated taxa (Sammarco et al, 2014), concentrating fishing activities (Bond et al, 2021), and potential adverse impacts of contaminants trough bioaccumulation in food webs or toxicity to local organisms (MacIntosh et al, 2021;Koppel et al, 2022). Further, there is a clear paucity of research into the influence O&G infrastructure on seascape ecological connectivity (McLean et al, 2022), yet this is a critical consideration for decommissioning (NOPSEMA, 2022).…”

Section: Conclusion and Implications For The Decommissioning Of Oil A...mentioning

confidence: 75%

Regional patterns in demersal fish assemblages among subsea pipelines and natural habitats across north-west Australia

Galaiduk

Radford²,

Case³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Regional patterns of fish diversity, abundance, distribution, and assemblage composition are driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic conditions in the marine environment, but these conditions can be altered through anthropogenic activities, such as those associated with oil and gas extraction. The present study utilises data on fish relative abundance and diversity obtained from 1546 baited remote underwater video deployments conducted between 2004 – 2019 in depths of 9 – 170 m across 2000 km of coastline in north-west Australia on natural habitats and subsea pipelines to understand the influence of oil and gas infrastructure on fish assemblages. A total of 450 fish taxa from 56 families was observed, with populations dominated by generalist and invertebrate carnivore taxa. At the regional scale, subsea pipelines had lower diversity (lower taxonomic richness) than natural environments, but possessed a higher abundance of piscivorous and herbivorous fish taxa. Clear patterns in fish assemblage composition were observed in multivariate analyses, reflecting the proximity of oceanic shoals and banks, depth, and to a lesser extent, oil and gas infrastructure. Shallow-water and close to shoals assemblages were characterised by a diversity of site-attached (e.g., wrasses, tuskfish), reef-associated taxa (e.g., emperors). Mesophotic fish assemblages were characterised by commercially important (e.g., goldband snapper), wide-ranging (e.g., sharks) and sand-affiliated (e.g., toadfish, threadfin bream) taxa. Proximity to pipelines and platforms ranked low as predictors in the multivariate analyses suggesting a negligible regional influence of these structures on fish communities in comparison to depth and shoal habitats. Local-scale influences of subsea infrastructure, however, may be important for some fish species (infrastructure vs. immediate surrounds). Our study highlights the influence of abiotic factors on regional-scale patterns in fish assemblage structure across north-west Australia.

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Section: Conclusion and Implications For The Decommissioning Of Oil A...mentioning

confidence: 75%

Regional patterns in demersal fish assemblages among subsea pipelines and natural habitats across north-west Australia

Galaiduk

Radford²,

Case³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…Over the production life of an oil or gas system, the various forms of mercury interact differently with the infrastructure used to transport and process the production fluids. Subsea oil and gas infrastructure includes subsea Christmas trees (a pressure-containing barrier between the well and the surrounding environment), well head jumpers and spools, flexible and rigid risers, and pipelines (Koppel et al 2022). In pipelines, particularly gas-export pipelines, elemental mercury can adsorb to surfaces, bind to corrosion products (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Before cleaning options are employed, mercury concentrations in pipelines can be above 1 g Hg/m length of pipeline (Wilhelm and Nelson 2010), depending on the pipeline material, form of mercury, and presence of any internal coatings. Subsea pipelines are believed to contain the largest inventory of contaminants due to the large number of pipelines and their direct contact with production fluids (Kho et al 2022;Koppel et al 2022). In Australia, the total length of subsea pipelines is estimated at 8160 km.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Australia, the total length of subsea pipelines is estimated at 8160 km. In the Gulf of Mexico there are over 29 000 km of pipelines that have already been decommissioned in situ (Koppel et al 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have demonstrated the benefits of decommissioning in situ through the provision of artificial reefs that increase biodiversity and improve ecosystem connectivity (McLean et al 2017(McLean et al , 2022Bond et al 2018;Fowler et al 2018). However, few studies to date have assessed the potential risks due to contaminants associated with the infrastructure (MacIntosh et al 2021;Melbourne-Thomas et al 2021;Koppel et al 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A review of the potential risks associated with mercury in subsea oil and gas pipelines in Australia

et al. 2022

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Environmental context The oil and gas industry has a significant liability in decommissioning offshore infrastructure. Following decommissioning, subsea pipelines could be left on the seabed to provide artificial reefs. Mercury is a contaminant of concern which could remain within pipelines. There are gaps in our knowledge on how mercury moves through the marine environment. We review the current science and identify future research needs to understand potential impacts from mercury in subsea pipelines which will better inform decommissioning activities globally. Abstract In the coming years, the oil and gas industry will have a significant liability in decommissioning offshore infrastructure such as subsea pipelines. The policies around decommissioning vary depending on regional policies and laws. In Australia, the ‘base case’ for decommissioning is removal of all property and the plugging and abandonment of wells in line with the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (OPGGS) Act 2006. Options other than complete removal may be considered where the titleholder can demonstrate that the alternative decommissioning activity delivers equal or better environmental outcomes compared to complete removal and meets all requirements under the OPGGS Act and regulations. Recent research has demonstrated that decommissioning in situ can have significant environmental benefits by forming artificial reefs, increasing marine biodiversity, and providing a potential fishery location. An issue, which has been given less attention, is around contaminants remaining within decommissioned infrastructure and their potential risks to the marine environment. Mercury is a contaminant of concern known to be present in some oil and gas pipelines, but the potential long-term impacts on marine ecosystems are poorly understood. We present a synthesis of information on mercury cycling in the marine environment including key drivers of methylation in sediments and ocean waters, existing models to predict methylmercury concentrations in sediments, and toxicological effects to marine biota. We discuss the applicability of existing water and sediment quality guidelines, and the associated risk assessment frameworks to decommissioning offshore infrastructure contaminated with mercury. Globally, research is needed to provide a comprehensive risk assessment framework for offshore infrastructure decommissioning. We recommend future areas of research to improve our understanding of the potential risks associated with mercury in subsea oil and gas pipelines.

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Systematic Assessment of Mechanisms, Developments, Innovative Solutions, and Future Perspectives of Microplastics and Ecotoxicity – A Review

Manikandan,

Preethi,

Deena

et al. 2024

Advanced Sustainable Systems

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As plastics become more ubiquitous, their impact on the environment and on human health cannot be overlooked. Once generated, micro‐ and nano‐plastics end‐up in the environment, causing widespread health and environmental risks. This is a significant environmental problem given the minuscule sizes of microplastics, and therefore warrants further investigation. This study presents a comprehensive review of the ecotoxicology of microplastics and methods for their degradation and decomposition besides discussing the fate and transport processes, recent progress, emerging strategies, challenges and potential future directions. The authors carefully evaluate the processes through which microplastics cause harm, from molecular interactions in species, to ecological impacts, and end with advances in microplastic biodegradation. Different kinds of microplastics found in the environment include polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. Analysis of microbial and enzymatic decomposition provides several swelling mitigation strategies designed to reduce environmental threats. In‐depth investigations of microplastic ecotoxicity and biodegradation are being facilitated by interdisciplinary proposals in the areas of nanotechnology, new analytical methods, and synthetic biology. The extensive study helps understand microplastics comprehensively which in‐turn ensures informed actions to mitigate the challenge of the environmental impact of microplastics for sustainable future.

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Current understanding and research needs for ecological risk assessments of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in subsea oil and gas pipelines

Cited by 34 publications

References 117 publications

Regional patterns in demersal fish assemblages among subsea pipelines and natural habitats across north-west Australia

Regional patterns in demersal fish assemblages among subsea pipelines and natural habitats across north-west Australia

A review of the potential risks associated with mercury in subsea oil and gas pipelines in Australia

Systematic Assessment of Mechanisms, Developments, Innovative Solutions, and Future Perspectives of Microplastics and Ecotoxicity – A Review

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