The Norwegian government issued in 1998 White Paper No. 58 followed by the"Zero discharge report" requiring the oil industry operating in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea to develop a strategy for reaching "zero environmental harmful discharges" of produced water (PW) within 2005. As a result Miljøsok proposed to develop a management tool based on environmental risk and hazard assessment to identify the most potential environmentally harmful discharges of PW, and to quantify the environmental benefit of different actions to reduce these. The Norwegian OilIndustry Association (OLF) working group for PW was asked to develop the Environmental Impact Factor (EIF), and the tool has sofar been applied for PW management on a single platform level. The plan is to elevate this work to a regional scale in order to compare the potential benefit of measures to reduce PW discharges in the whole area, and to form a basis for a cost-effective total approach to PW management. The EIF is based on a combined environmental risk and hazard assessment of PW discharges, accounting for both composition and amount of the discharge. The EIF is also linked to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies in the area and the environmental monitoring programme for the water column, initiated in1999. Determination of the EIF for a single platform allows the operator to rank the available technologies for PW discharge reduction on a cost-benefit basis. The EIF identifies the source of potential environmental damage and quantifies the benefit of any action taken to reduce this. Technologies like PW re-injection, treatment and removal or replacement of process chemicals can thus be ranked based on cost and environmental benefit. Introduction Produced water management in the Norwegian waters is currently based on the"Zero impact" mindset, meaning that the ultimate objective is to remove all potential environmentally harmful discharges (1). In general, a number of technological approaches are being considered and developed to meet this challenge;*Re-injection*Treatment*Water shut off*Down-hole separation*Removal or replacement of process chemicals
This paper presents state of the art methodology for establishing reliable fuel consumption and emissions to air forecasts for the offshore petroleum business in Norway. The methodology is applicable for any operation within the upstream oil and gas industry. It is unique due to a combination of simple input, simple algorithms and accurate output results. The general forecasting method is established as a process between the operators and Norwegian Authorities, under the management by FUN (Forum for Forecasting and Uncertainty Evaluations). The accuracy is proven by simple calibration techniques, comparing measured fuel consumption against calculated demands from using the forecasting method. Forecasts have been established by Novatech on behalf of the operator Norsk Hydro. Results for the Troll oil field are shown as a sample case. The case verifies the ability to forecast fuel consumption within an accuracy of 2–3% when the forecasting model is checked by use of actual activity level input data. Also by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD)'s experience the precition of reported fuel and emission forecasts has been gradually improved as the methodology as described below has been implemented by the operators. Background and Applications Each year the operators on the Norwegian Continental Shelf prepare fuel and emission forecasts to be reported to the Norwegian authorities, as input to the Revised National Budget (RNB). The data from the upstream oil and gas industry are received and evaluated by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). Similar forecasts are required for a number of reasons, as for instance as input to field development and operational planning; company internal, field licensee or shareholder reporting; emission permit applications and other environmental concessionary requirements set by the authorities, and for OPEX forecasting if any national taxes or carbon trading systems apply. All these purposes meet in a desire to make realistic quantification of future fuel and energy demands, greenhouse gas emissions etc. But for these forecasts to have any value, they must be fairly accurate. For the oil and gas industry this would as a minimum require a correlation to the activity levels; i.e. basically the drilling level and the throughput of oil, gas and water handled on an offshore installation or field. Preferably it should also reflect any major production philosophies and the technical design and constraints, or perhaps rearrangements/replacements that may be foreseen during the field production lifetime (or the forecasted period). Ref. [1] describes a general methodology for doing all this, and with means of relatively easily attainable information. The method relates future emissions, fuel consumption and energy needs to each other and to the oil, water and gas production, injection and deliveries as well as the drilling activities measured in number of wells drilled. Such forecasts are normally readily available. Furthermore, the accuracy of the fuel forecasts can be checked and the calculation models involved may be calibrated to improve the accuracy if required. Information from the forecasting model established may even be used actively for operational optimization purposes for a given case. This may actually identify potentials for a reduction in fuel demand, reduced expenditure by lower fuel consumption and possibly lower taxes, minimised maintenance down-time, improved efficiencies, reduce losses like for instance by flaring, etc. The methodology is presented in the next chapter, followed by a sample case and experiences gathered by the second largest operating company on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, Norsk Hydro, as well as by the Norwegian Authorities, represented by the NPD who receives and evaluates the annual RNB reporting from the operators.
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