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Parameterisation of the Environmental Impacts on Bottom Fauna of Water-based Drilling Fluids and Cuttings - Field and Mesocosm Experiments

Tildelt: kr 4,1 mill.

Prosjektnummer:

173333

Søknadstype:

Prosjektperiode:

2006 - 2009

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Geografi:

In Norway, monitoring surveys aimed at studying possible effects of disturbance on the sediment-dwelling fauna from offshore oil and gas exploration activities and disposal of drill cuttings have been a standard since the early 1970s. Drill cuttings disch arges have caused significant ecological changes in the benthic fauna (eg. reduction in number of species, abundance and diversity) adjacent to many platforms in the North Sea. Today water based drilling muds (WBM) are the main drilling mud used and adver se effects on the bottom fauna are considered to be the burying effect on sessile benthic species, changes in the surface sediment grainsize, development of anoxia in the surface sediments and possible toxic effects on the benthic fauna from drilling mud compounds. Over the last years the oil companies has initiated the development of an environmental risk model (ERMS) to predict and evaluate effects of drill cutting discharges. The model have till now mainly been based on physical/chemical process, witho ut incorporating the effects the bottom fauna has on the various parameters used in the model. It is important to acknowledge that the benthic fauna is both affected by and will affect the WBM drill cutting discharges. In this project data we will, throug h controlled mesocosm- and field experiments and literature studies provide quantitative information needed for development of a Faunal Module in ERMS and quantitatively describe the adverse effects of WBM on bottom fauna and the fauna recolonisation proc esses on WBM cutting disposals.

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