title: Real time observation system for monitoring environmental impact on marine ecosystems from oil drilling operations.
abstract: Environmental awareness and technological advances has spurred development of new monitoring solutions for the petroleum industry. This paper presents experience from a monitoring program off Norway. To maintain operation within the limits of the government regulations Statoil tested a new monitoring concept. Multisensory data were cabled to surface buoys and transmitted to land via wireless communication. The system collected information about distribution of the drilling wastes and the welfare of the corals in relation to threshold values. The project experienced a series of failures, but the backup monitoring provided information to fulfil the requirements of the permit. The experience demonstrated the need for real time monitoring and how such systems enhance understanding of impacts on marine organisms. Also, drilling operations may improve by taking environmental information into account. The paper proposes to standardize and streamline monitoring protocols to maintain comparability during all phases of the operation and between drill sites.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: olavrune@imr.no.
authors.forename: Olav Rune
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Godø
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Jarle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klungsøyr
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Sonnich
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, PO Box 1870, Nordnes, 5817 Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Eirik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tenningen
authors.affiliation: Jacobs University, OceanLab, 28207 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Autun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Purser
authors.affiliation: Jacobs University, OceanLab, 28207 Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Laurenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D037421:Anthozoa; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019652:Extraction and Processing Industry / Q000379:methods*; D009659:North Sea; D009664:Norway; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Coral reefs; Drill wastes; Environmental monitoring; Fatty acids; Lophelia pertusa; Petroleum industry