Overview of hazardous substances potentially emitted from offshore industries to the marine environment

Abstract

Im Rahmen des RESOW Projekts werden Einträge von gefährlichen Stoffen aus Offshore Industrie Quellen in die Meeresumwelt von Nord- und Ostsee untersucht. Dieser Bericht gibt einen Überblick über potentielle Emissionen von Schadstoffen aus der Offshore Öl- und Gasindustrie, die infolge der Arbeitsprozesse auf Offshore Plattformen zustande kommen können. Dabei werden Emissionen aus Bohrflüssigkeiten, Schneidölen, Produktionswasser sowie unfallbedingte Emissionen und Korrosionsschutzmaßnahmen untersucht. Die in den verschiedenen Eintragsquellen enthaltenen individuellen Substanzen werden weiterhin auf ihre Schadhaftigkeit für die Meeresumwelt analysiert. Da Informationen zu künstlich hergestellten Chemikalien nur in hoch aggregierter Form verfügbar waren und keine Informationen über individuelle Substanzen den aggregierten Daten entnommen werden konnten, war die Untersuchung künstlich hergestellter Chemikalien nicht möglich. Nur für Produktionswasser konnten individuelle Substanzen identifiziert werden. Die Bewertung des Gefährdungspotenzials basiert auf PBT-Kriterien (Persistenz, Bioakkumulation und Toxizität), Gefahrensätzen in Bezug auf aquatische Toxizität, der SIN-Liste (Substitute It Now), der OSPAR-Liste potentiell gefährlicher Stoffe, der OSPAR Liste von priorisierten Stoffen, der ECHA-Liste (European Chemical Agency) für endokrin wirksame Substanzen und den Wasserrahmenrichtlinien flussgebietsspezifischen Stoffen sowie prioritären Stoffen, welche in den Anhängen 6 und 8 der deutschen Oberflächengewässerverordnung gelistet sind, die eine nationale Implementierung der Wasserrahmenrichtlinie darstellt. Quelle: Forschungsbericht

Within the RESOW project potential emissions of hazardous substances from the offshore industry into the North Sea and Baltic Sea are investigated. This report gives an overview on potential emissions of hazardous substances from the oil and gas industry, which are associated to the different activities on the offshore platforms. Emissions from drilling fluids, cuttings piles, accidental spills, produced water and corrosion protection materials are investigated. The individual substances are further investigated on their hazardous potential for the aquatic environment. Information from man-made chemicals was only available in a highly aggregated form and no information on individual substances could be retrieved from the aggregated data. Only for produced water information on individual substances could be obtained. The assessment criteria for the determination of hazardous potential is based on PBT criteria, Hphrase related to aquatic toxicity, SIN-list (Substitute It Now), OSPAR list of possible concern, OSPAR list of priority substances, the ECHA list of endocrine disruptive substances and the Water Framework Directive river basin specific pollutants and priority substances respectively listed in annex 6 and 8 of the German Ordinance on the Protection of Surface Waters, which represent the national implementation of the Water Framework Directive. Quelle: Forschungsbericht

The report for authorities and scientists provides an overview of substances that can be released into the marine environment from various offshore industries and estimates the quantities of pollutant inputs. These may be relevant as additional contaminants according to European Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 for Descriptor 8, Criterion D8C1. In addition to the potential hazardous substances from the offshore wind and offshore oil and gas industries, which were published in sub-reports 1 and 2 of the RESOW project, three other offshore sources are considered in this report: Mariculture, maritime transport and (historically) dumped munitions.

The report for industry and permitting authorities provides an overview of the hazardous substances that can be released into the marine environment during the installation, operation and decommissioning of offshore wind turbines, including transformer stations, converter platforms and cables. The substances relevant to operation were identified and listed. These substances were assessed for their potential risk to the aquatic environment based on the following criteria: ⁠PBT⁠ criteria, H-phrases for aquatic toxicity, listing on ⁠REACH⁠, ⁠OSPAR⁠, ChemSec and ECHA contaminant lists. Applications in open systems such as galvanic corrosion protection and fire extinguishing foams, but also accidents with fuels and hydraulic oils are possible sources of emissions of hazardous substances into the marine environment.

The report provides an overview of potential inputs of hazardous substances from the offshore oil and gas industry into the North Sea. Emissions from drilling fluids, cuttings piles, accidental spills, produced water and corrosion protection materials were investigated. The individual substances contained were evaluated according to their persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity and according to a number of international and national lists of contaminants for their hazardousness to the marine environment. Since information on the use of man-made chemicals in the offshore oil- and gas industry is not available, only production water could be assessed.