Results from a comprehensive environmental analysis have found minimal environmental impacts from offshore fracking, off California.
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Image from BSEE. |
The study, conducted by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) evaluated the potential impacts from the use of well stimulation treatments on the 23 oil and gas platforms in operation on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), offshore California. Based on their findings in the joint Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA), BSEE and BOEM issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the use of specific well stimulation treatments in oil and gas activities on the Pacific OCS.
“Drawing on the best available science, the EA provides information and analysis on the use of well stimulation treatments in federal waters offshore California. The comprehensive analysis shows that these practices, conducted according to permit requirements, have minimal impact,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper.
The EA evaluated several categories of treatments, including hydraulic fracturing, a range of alternatives, and all environmental resources that could potentially be impacted. The analysis indicated no significant environmental impacts associated with any of the alternatives considered, BSEE and BOEM said in a joint statement.
In addition, the EA provides information that BSEE’s Pacific Region will consider in future processing of permits involving well stimulation treatments.
“BSEE is fully committed to safeguarding the environment,” said BSEE Director Brian Salerno. “Anyone familiar with our regulations understands that they not only address worker and operational safety, but also require the industry to function as environmental stewards. We consider vigorous environmental enforcement central to the Bureau’s mission.”
The EA was conducted as part of settlement agreements to resolve lawsuits regarding the Bureaus’ compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act.
Pending completion of the EA, BSEE agreed to withhold approvals of future applications for permit to drill and applications for permit to modify involving hydraulic fracturing and certain well stimulation treatments on the Pacific OCS.
Upon evaluating the offshore sector, BSEE and BOEM looked at water quality impacts from discharges of produced water, and the potential for associated impacts to fish and wildlife.
Considering the low expected concentrations of well stimulation treatment chemicals, the analysis in the EA affirms that wastewater discharges from proposed well stimulation activities will not have a significant impact on the environment, BSEE and BOEM said. Accidental releases of well stimulation treatment fluids have a relatively higher potential to cause impacts, but the probability of an accident occurring and the reasonably foreseeable size of a resulting release are so small that such accidents would not be expected to cause a significant impact.
According to BSEE and BOEM, there have been a total of 24 well stimulation treatments, 21 of which involved hydraulic fracturing on the OCS offshore California between 1982 and 2014, and these were conducted on four of the 23 platforms. Reservoirs on the OCS off Southern California tend to be much more permeable than onshore reservoirs, and are already highly naturally fractured. Therefore, little permeability enhancement has been required for their development. As described in the scenario evaluated in the EA, the future use of well stimulation treatments is expected to continue to be occasional rather than essential to hydrocarbon production from these platforms.
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) applauded the results from the EA.
“Today’s final EA report by BOEM and BSEE reaffirms what our industry already knows: there are no significant environmental impacts from offshore fracking. Unlike the hyperbole released by many of the extreme environmental groups, the EA’s findings are backed by ground-truthed science and are a testament to the hardworking men and women of our industry,” said Randall Luthi, NOIA president. “We hope this report quickly ends the moratorium on well stimulation techniques offshore California. Offshore energy is a vital source of jobs and revenue for both California and the US, and the sooner operations offshore California can resume the better.”
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