Environment Report 2016

ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2016

Releases by Source Understanding source trends for past data allows operators to develop plans to target particular operational areas where accidental releases have been more frequent. There is annual variation in the breakdown of sources, reflecting the unplanned nature of the releases. There are limited data publically available on the circumstances leading to particular PON1 reports and so some categories are necessarily broad. The majority (799 tonnes) of the reported accidental oil releases between 2010 and 2015 came from production systems and related equipment or pipework infrastructure. However, 754 tonnes (93 per cent) of this came from just three releases. In 2010, there was one spill of 131 tonnes of crude from a failed subsea sump pump; in 2011, 218 tonnes of crude were released from a pipeline; and, in 2012, 405 tonnes of condensate were released from a wellbore loss of containment. These masses are the worst case estimations for each incident and so the actual amount released is likely to be less. Another notable release was that of 56 tonnes in 2013 from a lubricating oil drain being incorrectly routed to sea. As previously stated, the majority of releases are very small and so major releases have been shaded in Figure 26 to be easily identified. The graph shows clearly the significant impact on total mass that these individual incidents have.

Figure 26: Accidental Oil Release Mass by Source

350

600

Hydraulic Systems

300

Subsea Systems and Related Equipment

500

250

Pipework Infrastructure

400

Containment

200

300

Bulk Transfer Systems

150

200

Drainage Systems

Number of Releases

100

Production Systems and Related Equipment

100 Accidental Oil Release Mass (Tonnes)

50

Other*

0

0

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Number of Releases

*Other includes releases from firefighting systems, flare systems, deck washings and unidentified sheen, as well as those releases for which no source is identified. Shading highlights single large spills in that particular category

Source: BEIS July 2016

42