Environment Report 2016

Figure 20: Cuttings Discharged to Sea per Operator

1

14,000

Water-Based Cuttings Oil-Based Cuttings

12,000

2

10,000

3

8,000

6,000

4

4,000

Discharged Cuttings (Tonnes)

2,000

5

0

A C E G I

K M O Q S U W Y AA AC AE AG

Source: EEMS July 2016

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4.4 Production Chemicals Last year, there were three main categories of production chemicals discharged to sea, as illustrated in Figure 21 overleaf. Twenty-two of the 35 reporting operators discharged less than the average of 816 tonnes per operator; eight reported between one and two thousand tonnes; and the remaining five reported larger amounts. On a per operator basis, the mass of chemicals used ranges from 0 to 3,200 tonnes, but this does not directly correlate to production and so the operator that used the most chemicals is not necessarily the one that produces the most. This is due to the differing well conditions that dictate the amount of chemicals required. From one tonne of production chemical, 2,875 tonnes of oil equivalent were produced in 2015. This is slightly higher than in 2014 when 2,797 tonnes were produced for each tonne of production chemical and reflects both improved performance from existing assets and new fields with more efficient technology coming on-stream.

7

8

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