FUGRO GEOSCIENCE

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FUGRO GEOSCIENCE
Marine Seismic Acquisition Experience from
projects in environmentally sensitive areas
November 2002
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INTRODUCTION

• Fugro-Geoteam A.S.
• The Seismic Tool - description
• Environmental Goals
• Areas of Operations
• Mitigation Measures
• Effects of the Seismic Tool
• Future
• Conclusions

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Fugro-Geoteam EXPERIENCE
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Fugro-Geoteam Vessels
Geo Pacific
Geo Baltic
Geo Arctic
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Fugro-Geoteam Vessels
GeoPacific Back Deck Source arrays
Icing in Antarctica
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Fugro-Geoteam Vessels
GeoPacific Back Deck System Deployed
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The Seismic Tool
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The Seismic Tool
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Environmental Goals
FGAS - Policy is to manage its business and to
provide services in such a way that it minimises
the risk to the health and safety of its
employees and other persons onboard, and the risk
of damage or harm to the environment and
wildlife.  Fugro-Geoteam AS shall not only comply
with health, safety and environmental measures as
required by law, but shall also act positively to
prevent injury, ill health, damage and loss
arising from its operations, and provide a safe
and healthy working environment for its
employees. IAGC Mission is to optimize the
business climate and commercial health of the
geophysical industry, and to promote the conduct
of business in a professional, safe and
environmentally responsible manner. Clients
All clients that we work for have specific
policies to reduce risk to the environment. The
level of requirement and dedication varies
according to each companys corporate leadership
and values.
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Specific Areas of Comment
UK Offshore
Gulf of Mexico-US
Australia Tasmania
2 Australia / Antarctica
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Comments - Procedural
UK Offshore Regulated by the Joint Nature
Conservation committee (JNCC) The JNCC will
continue to look at PON 14 (seismic) applications
and assess the need for Marine Mammal Observers
on a case by case basis The JNCC sets
requirements based on animal habitat and in some
cases none are required (Southern North Sea) and
in others such as summer north of 57 degrees two
are required due to long daylight hours. Gulf
of Mexico-US - MMS regulations in progress,
currently require Marine Mammal observation,
logging and certain start up procedures. Ongoing
discussions between MMS and NOAA Fisheries to
further enhance mitigation measures.
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Comments - Projects
Australia / Antarctica Two surveys 2001
Duration 87 days Surveying up to the ice edge (
WD gt 1000 M) FGAS used dedicated marine mammal
observer onboard vessel. Surveying in WD lt 1000
M used off duty personnel as marine mammal
observers. 240 Whale sightings with one
shutdown required 2002 Duration 96 days Same
criterea as above 34 Whale sightings with no
shutdown required
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Comments - Projects
Australia Tasmania Full environmental prestudy
submitted (see next slide) No aerial recon
required (not mating season of Blue
Whales) Dedicated marine mammal observers
equipped with night vision binoculars. 5 Whale
sightings one shutdown required
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Objectives Standards
Criteria
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Mitigation Measures

• Pre-Survey studies
• Environmental Impact level as necessary
• Fisheries as warranted
• Marine Mammal Observation and Recording
• Dedicated or Shared
• Night Vision Binocular
• Soft Start of Source
• Fishery Representative Onboard
• Chase Vessel for Communication local rep
• Constant Communication
• Environmental Incident Recording and Training

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Incident Reports 2000-2001
Vessel Pac Bal Arc Nal of Reports 5 3
3 2 Typical Reports 18/06/2002 ARC-24 A
small leak of oil sprung from a hydraulic pipe
union by the compressor oil tanks. No record of
amount of oil but believed to have been mostly
contained on deck 29/05/2002 GDN-88 It was
noticed that the buckets of food waste contained
teabags and plastic bags. 04/05/2002 GDN-101 A
plastic bag was seen discharged with the food
waste. 14/03/2000 PAC-12 While waiting on
weather with streamers deployed, streamer one
parted. 150 litres of kerosene
spillage. 11/06/2000 PAC-37 The observer on
duty was draining a damaged streamer section for
kerosene. 15 litre spillage, contained on
deck. 22/02/2002 PAC-7 A Person was observed
throwing a plastic water bottle
overboard. 22/06/2002 PAC-34 During the
cleaning and washing on the forecastle deck it
was observed that one of the deck hand trew a
piece of plastic overboard.  
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Effects of Seismic
Environmental Short Term Long Term
Fisheries Short Term Long Term Economic Oil
Gas Exploration Local Economy
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Future

• Studies of effects on Marine Mammal and
  Cetaceans
• Species
• Individual
• Population
• Monitoring Techniques
• Improved Observation and Recording
• Technical Monitoring Improvements

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Cetacean Monitoring System
300 250 200 150 100 50 0
Level dB re 1 microPascal _at_ 1 m

• 10 100 1k
  10k 100k 1M
• Frequency

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Cetacean Monitoring System
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Conclusion

• The Seismic Tool What we as an Industry do
• Environmental Goals As Regulated and More
• Areas of Operations Oceans of the World
• Mitigation Measures Within Operational
  Framework
• Effects of the Seismic Tool Geophysical
  Oil Gas
• Future Study, Discuss, Implement
• Use technologies as available

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