Environment Report 2017

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2017

Figure 5: Production, Drilling and Pipeline Chemicals Discharged

Drilling Chemicals

Production Chemicals

Pipeline Chemicals

Production

120,000

1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

0 200 400 600 800

40,000

Production (Million boe)

Chemicals Discharged (Tonnes)

20,000

0

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016 Source: EEMS July 2017

Composition of Chemicals Discharged Operators are obliged to phase out, where practical, the use of all SUB chemicals by the end of 2017 7 . However, although operators continue to look for working alternatives of these chemicals, there may not be a similar substance currently available that can do the same task to the required performance standard, which may be necessary for operational or safety reasons. In these cases, operators are permitted to continue to use these SUB chemicals. While 2016 shows a very small increase in the volume of SUB chemicals discharged to sea, the number of types of SUB chemicals used continues to fall from 216 in 2011 to 182 last year. While operators encourage suppliers to look for and develop replacements for these chemicals, in some cases, it is not currently technically feasible to use an alternative. In 2016, 72 per cent of chemicals discharged to sea from offshore oil and gas operations were PLONOR, 22 per cent were categorised as other, and just 6 per cent were SUB chemicals.

International Comparison Just over 152,000 tonnes of chemical additivesweredischargedon theNorwegianContinental Shelf in 2016 from upstream oil and gas operations. Down 5,000 tonnes from the previous year, 91 per cent of these chemicals fell into the green category, 9 per cent yellow and just 103 tonnes and 4 tonnes were discharged from the red and black categories, respectively 8 .

7 See www.ospar.org/documents?v=7336 8 Norwegian classifications do not match directly with that of PLONOR and SUB of the UK. For more information, see Norsk Olje & Gass Environment Report 2017 at http://bit.ly/NorskEnvironRep17

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