Posted: February 6th, 2015

Impacts of Petroleum Exploration, Extraction and Transportation

Impacts of Petroleum Exploration,
Extraction and Transportation
(M54GED)
Spheres of the Environment
Dr. Babatunde Anifowose
Email: [email protected]
RM: GE407
Session structure:
• Definition and classification of the Environment
• Spheres of Environment
– Atmosphere
– Hydrosphere
– Lithosphere
– Ecosphere
– Anthrosphere
• Spheres Interaction and Environmental
Receptors
• Introduction to basic and operating principles of
Environment Impact Assessment
Intended Learning outcomes:
At the end of this session, you should be
able to:
1.
Assess the classification of the environment
2.
Evaluate different spheres of the environment and
their interactions
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENT?
Ambience, consisting of the physical and
biological systems supporting life, including
animal, human as well as built environment.
“Surroundings in which an organization operates,
including air, water, land, natural resources, flora,
fauna, humans, and their interrelation”
– International Standards Organization
CLASSIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENT
Environment
Biological
Environment
Physical
Environment
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Culture/Society
Hydrosphere
Flora
Social
Environment
Fauna
Microorganisms
Politics
Economy
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT
Four broad divisions of the earth’s environment:
Atmosphere
Zone of air
Lithosphere
Zone of rock
Hydrosphere
Zone of water
ECOSPHERE
Realm of living matter
Source: Rodrigue et al. 2009
BIOSPHERE
Environmental system could be defined as the set of
interactions between the components of the Biosphere
(i.e. atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, ecosphere).
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Atmosphere
Voyager 1 is the farthest man-made object
from earth at 18 billion km (120 AU)
Strata of the atmosphere as a function of height above the surface
Other gases: carbon dioxide,
argon, water vapour etc,
http://elearning.stkc.go.th/lms/html/earth_science/LOcanada7/701/1_en.htm
http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect14/Sect14_1a.html
– Stratosphere & troposphere are the main atmospheric interactors of the Biosphere
– Atmosphere is key for the spatial diffusion of pollutants
– Also a temporary accumulator of pollutants until they precipitate
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
– Atmosphere is the most rapidly varying of all the spheres
– Atmosphere receives water, gases & particles and these are transformed therein
– They are then deposited on the lithosphere where they first originated
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
‘Ultraviolet A’ rays transmitted through side glass, penetrating the epidermis and
upper layers of the dermis – a gradual onset of skin cancer, esp. if UVB:
Unilateral Dermatoheliosis
Jennifer R.S. Gordon, M.D., and Joaquin C. Brieva, M.D.
N Engl J Med 2012; 366:e25April 19, 2012
UVB is linked to higher rate of Photocarcinogenesis
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Lithosphere
Potassiu
Sodium m
3%
3%
Calcium
4%
Iron
5%
Aluminu
m
8%
Magnesi
um
2%
Oxygen
47%
Silicon
28%
Main constituents of Lithosphere
Lithosphere is a:
•
Key source of pollutants e.g.
NORM in produced water
• Permanent accumulator
Only the upper 100 km of the lithosphere interacts directly with the biosphere,
hydrosphere and atmosphere (Marsh and Grossa 2005)
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10h.html
•
•
Lithosphere is subdivided into huge tectonic plates and shifts slowly (over millions
of years) to shape the earth’s surface environment
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Lithosphere
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Lithosphere
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Lithosphere
The crust is only ~0.3% of the earth’s depth, yet
hydrocarbon deposits are locked there.
•
As of 2007, the world’s
deepest land-based
well was completed by
Exxon-Mobil’s Russian
Co. on Sakhalin Island
at ~11.2 km depth
•
In 2009, BP’s Tiber well
(GOM) in U.S. waters at
~10.7 km became the
world’s deepest
deepwater well with
~1.2 km of water above
it.
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Hydrosphere
Hydrosphere:
• Covers ~71% of the
earth surface
• A major
accumulator of
pollutants and key
vector of diffusion
• It constitutes the body of water in all its forms: solid, liquid and gas
• Oceans represent > 97% of the earth’s total water; Ice/glaciers: ~2%
while Rivers/Lakes, groundwater and vapour: ~1%
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Hydrosphere
• Seasonal variation in temperature and circulation are induced by
hydrosphere
• For example, ocean current helps transfer warmth from tropical
regions to polar regions e.g. the ITCZ
Source: NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
ECOSPHERE
• The earth as an ecosystem is known as ‘ECOSPHERE’
• Serves as temporary accumulator of pollutants and
source of pollutants e.g. heavy metals like mercury,
lead, arsenic: from natural weathering processes
• This occurs within a very intricate set of interactions
with the Atmosphere, Lithosphere & Hydrosphere
• ECOSPHERE and all its living organisms make-up the Biosphere
• Biosphere comprises all living organisms including animals, plants &
the dead organic matter produced by them
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
• In summary: Atmosphere, Lithosphere &
Hydrosphere (i.e. ECOSPHERE) + living organisms
including human beings constitute the Biosphere
• Biosphere exchanges matter and energy with other
spheres
• This supports the biogeochemical cycling of
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus etc.
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
A 5th sphere of the environment is:
Anthrosphere
Anthrosphere
• Aspect of environment made or modified by
humans for their survival (Manahan 2007)
• The Anthrosphere is shaped by:
– commerce, human dwellings / buildings
– movement and transportation networks
(spatial interaction)
– energy E&P, refining, transportation & distribution
– pollution prevention, waste discharge, treatment & disposal techniques
SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
Anthrosphere
• Environmental science / mgt. focuses on reducing the flux of
pollutants and their impacts from the complex interaction between
the Anthrosphere and other spheres
Listen to / Watch:
Chief Seattle’s 1854 Oration about the Environment

SPHERES OF ENVIRONMENT contd.
• There is also CRYOSPHERE – water in solid state
CLASSIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENT
Environment
Biological
Environment
Physical
Environment
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Culture/Society
Hydrosphere
Flora
Social
Environment
Fauna
Microorganisms
Politics
Economy
Class Exercise 1
Why is the atmosphere a temporary accumulator of pollutants?
Why is the lithosphere a permanent accumulator of pollutants?
Why may hydrosphere not be regarded a permanent
accumulator of pollutants?
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SPHERES
• All the spheres are closely linked and interact with one another
• Change in one sphere often leads to a chain reaction, hence leading
to change(s) in other spheres
• Such changes are called ‘events’
• For example, natural events like heavy flooding results from an upset
within the hydrosphere linked to cloud formation in the atmosphere
• There are also anthropogenic events like release of GHGs into the
atmosphere; and/or oil spill on water body or land
• These cause-effect events ensure interaction between spheres
ANALYSING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
SPHERES
The three critical questions to examine interactions:
What sphere caused the event?
Sphere
Event
What are the impacts of the event on the sphere(s)?
Event
Sphere
How will changes in one sphere impact on the other sphere(s)?
Sphere
Sphere
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THESE INTERACTIONS?
• Identify localised / global interaction patterns
• Helps predict potential impacts for planning and
contingency purposes
• Evaluate environmental impacts of projects/activities
against potential benefits
Class Exercise 2
Having learnt about the five spheres of the
environment, develop a conceptual diagram of all
possible interactions between the spheres and an
event
Food for thought!
The current ‘balance’ among
these complex interactions makes
it possible for us to be here and
for life to flourish on earth.
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT
“Any change to the environment, whether adverse
or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an
organization’s activities, products or services”
– International Standard Organization
any change (due to a project activity) that has
effect on an environmental receptor which may
be observed through the relevant environmental
parameter/indicator
WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL
RECEPTOR
Environmental receptor (synonym of ‘environmental
resource’) refers to any feature of the environment –
natural or manmade, renewable or depletable resource.
It is also ‘any measure or statistic describing a feature of
the environment, such as population density or monitored
air quality, that might be impacted by a proposed action’
Eccleston and Doub (2012, p.182)
WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL
RECEPTOR (contd.)
Others have referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RECEPTORS
as:
Environmental Components
Environmental Compartments
Environmental Areas
WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL
PARAMETER or INDICATOR
Environmental parameter defines the state or condition
of a given environmental receptor as measured through
appropriate instrumentation at a point in time or over a
period of time.
This helps define status/wellness of an environment
and to predict potential changes to it as a result of a
project or activity.
BREAKDOWN OF SPHERES OF THE ENVIRONMENT INTO
RECEPTORS / COMPONENTS / COMPARTMENTS / AREAS
Table 1: Potential environmental receptors/components/compartments/areas likely to be impacted
NO.
1
TYPICAL
COMPARTMENTS
Ecology
SOME OF THE PARAMETERS COVERED
Flora, Fauna & Biodiversity displacements as a result of project execution.
Water Resources
(Hydrology)
Geology &
Geomorphology
Landscape/Landuse,
Visual Sensitivity
Climate & Meteorology
Surface & Groundwater; Water aquifer; Major river crossings; Flow regime;
Sediment load; Channel stability; River hydraulics
Seismic or lithospheric structure; Earth Surface Processes, Earthquake
monitoring; Active or passive volcanoes, fault zones and other geohazards.
Relief & Landforms; Topography; Vegetation cover/land cover
8.
Archaeology & Cultural
Heritage (Aesthetics)
Traffic & Transportation
Infrastructure
Air Quality (Ambient)
9.
10.
Noise
Soil & Soil Erosion
11.
Social, Economic and
Demography (incl.
attitudes & perception)
Historical artefacts; Potential excavation works or sites; Protection of
aesthetics
Road networks & linkages; Safety infrastructure; Road furniture; Upsurge or
increase in traffic resulting to safety risks in specific locations
Assessment of air quality data; Onsite monitoring of air quality; Modelling of
emissions e.g. at proposed pump stations and gas flare location
Background Noise Survey; Ambient noise levels (at night & day)
Soil profile; Soil history; Soil pore spaces & porosity level; Soil permeability;
Soil content
Demographic characteristics of the area. Sources of livelihood prior to
project execution and this, in ideal situation, should be improved by project
proponents as part of corporate social responsibility.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Rainfall feasibility & intensity; Temperature levels; Weather condition etc.
Source: Anifowose et al. (2014)
EXAMPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS /
INDICATORS
Source: http://drs.nio.org/drs/bitstream/2264/2112/6/chap2_3.pdf
EXAMPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS /
INDICATORS (CONTD.)
Source: http://drs.nio.org/drs/bitstream/2264/2112/6/chap2_3.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE
CONDITION
…is defined as the past, present and likely
future state of the environment, assuming
that a proposed project is not undertaken,
taking into account changes resulting from
natural events and from other human
activities
(after Glasson et al. 2005, p.100).
BASIC & OPERATING PRINCIPLES OF IMPACT
ASSESSMENT (Source: IAIA 1999)
EXAMPLE OF ‘SCOPING’
http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/scotland_Quad204_Pro
ject_EIA_Scoping_Report_Aug_2010.pdf
EXAMPLE OF ‘ALTERNATIVES’
http://www.gdfsuezep.co.uk/~/media/Files/G/GDF-SuezEP/documents/orca-summary-report.pdf
HOW ARE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSESSED?
*Project screening
*Scoping
*Project Description/Alternatives
*Environmental baseline
*Identification of key impacts
*Prediction of impacts
*Evaluation/assessment of
impact significance
Public consultation
and participation
*Identification of mitigating
measures
*Presentation of findings in the EIS
Environmental Assessment
studies are normally in phases:
– Environmental Scoping Study
(ESS)
*Decision-making
– Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA)
*Post decision monitoring
– Environmental Management
Plan (EMP)
*Review of the EIS
*Audit of prediction & mitigation
measures
Source: Glasson et al. (2005)
A generic Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) procedure
Class Exercise 3
Evaluate how a bird uses the biosphere,
atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere.
Offshore / Onshore
Some bibliography and further reading (more on Moodle page)
Anifowose, B., Lawler, D., van der Horst, D., and Chapman, L. 2014. Evaluating interdiction of oil pipelines at river

crossings using Environmental Impact Assessments.
Area 46 (1), 4-17.
Beauchemin, S.S., Hamshari, H.O. and Bauer, M.A. 2009. Passive Atmospheric Diffusion with Gaussian Fragmentation.

International Journal of Computers and
Applications, 31(2):97-108.
Canter, L.W. 1996. Environmental impact assessment. McGraw-Hill, International Editions.
Dee, N., J. Baker, N. Drobny, K. Duke, and D. Fahringer. 1972. Environmental evaluation system for water resource planning

(to Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of
Interior). Battelle Columbus Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio, January, 188 pages.
Dee, N., J. Baker, N. Drobny, K. Duke, I. Whitman, and D. Fahringer. 1973. An environmental evaluation system for water

resource planning. Water Resources Research,
Vol. 9, No. 3, June, 523-535.
Eccleston, C.J. and Doub, P. 2012. Preparing NEPA Environmental Assessments: A User’s Guide to Best Professional Practices.

Taylor & Francis: Boca Raton FL.
Ellis, E. and Bledzki, L. (2011) “Biosphere”. In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.:

Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for
Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth January 8, 2009; Last revised Date September

10, 2011; Retrieved March 6, 2012
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biosphere
European Commission 1999. Guidelines for the assessment of indirect and cumulative impacts as well as impact interactions.

Office for Official Publications of the European
Communities, Luxemburg.
Glasson J, Therivel R, and Chadwick A (2005) Introduction to environmental impact assessment. 3rd ed. London: Routledge.
Leopold, L., Clarke, E., Hanshaw, B. and Balsley, J. 1971. A procedure for evaluating environmental impacts. Washington,

DC: US Geological Survey Circular 645.
NRDC, National Resources Defence Council 2011. Between a Rock and a Dry Place – The Impact of Oil Shale Development and

Climate Change on the Colorado River
Basin Water Supply. NRDC Press, New York,
Perdicoulis, A. and Glasson, J. 2006. Causal networks in EIA. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 26(6), 553-569.
Ponce, V.M. 2009. La Leche river flood control project Lambayeque, Peru – Environmental Impact Assessment. Available at:
http://saltonsea.sdsu.edu/task5_eia_part2_090724a.html. accessed on 30 April 2012
Scott M. Reid, Serge Metikosh, and Jim M. Evans 2008. Overview of the River and Stream Crossings Study. In:
Environment Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management 8th International Symposium edited by John W. Goodrich-Mahoney, Lawrence

Abrahamson, Jennifer Ballard, Susan
Tikalsky. Elsevier, 6 Mar 2008 – Science – 855 pages
Semmens, D.J., S.N. Miller, M. Hernandez, I.S. Burns, W.P. Miller, D.C. Goodrich, W.G. Kepner, 2004, Automated Geospatial

Watershed Assessment (AGWA) – A GISBased Hydrologic Modeling Tool: Documentation and User Manual; U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, ARS-1446.
Thibodeaux, L.J., Valsaraj, K.T., John, V.T., Papadopoulos, K.D., Pratt, L.R. and Pesika, N.S. 2011. Marine Oil Fate:

Knowledge Gaps, Basic Research, and Development
Needs; A Perspective Based on the Deepwater Horizon Spill. Environmental Engineering Science 28(2):87-93.
US Army Corps of Engineers 2005. Potential Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas Drilling on Great Lakes Resources.

Available at:
www.lrc.usace.army.mil/GrtLakes/OilGas/Chapter6.pdfSimilar accessed on: 17 March 2011
US DOI 2005. Monell Enhanced Oil Recovery Project. Environmental Assessment EA No. WY-040-EA05-161
USEPA 2004. Report on the Methane Sub-Model for the US EPA National MARKAL Model. International Resources Group,

Washington.

In addition to the course instruction
•    Please note that this report writing should follow the coursework instruction and is more of critical analysis.
•    Also know that task 2 must contain more words than the introduction
•    Also note that words in the table does not count in the word count

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Order Description

A research paper on the many genres of polish film director Krzysztuf Kieslowski. Make the title descriptive. Begin the

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Remain focused on the subject throughout the paper. Pull the paper together with a conclusion.

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