Environmental Research and the Offshore Petroleum Producer
Authors: Matthews C.S. , Tuttle R.N. 
Published: October 2008

The offshore petroleum producer has a strong interest in maintaining a clean, healthy environment and in meeting our nation's new goals in air and water conservation. To reach these goals research and development will be needed in three areas:removal of small amounts of oil from water,solids waste disposal, andreduction in nitrogen oxide emissions from large stationary engines. This paper will discuss a proposed cooperative research program in these areas.

Introduction

In helping to achieve his nation's new goals in air and water conservation the petroleum producer must assume the primary responsibility for the environment surrounding drilling and production facilities. He must continue best present practices, define problems, apply available technology to these, and conduct research in areas where present technology is insufficient. This paper will be concerned with the research aspect and will be aimed primarily at the offshore petroleum producer and his environment.

Along with the petroleum producer, at least three other groups have an important role to play in the offshore environment. These groups are the government, the equipment supplier, and the academic community. Each has a different role. The role of the government is to set fair standards along with reasonable times for achievement. To make sure that standards are set neither too high nor too low, the government should also fund some of the more basic and long-range studies. The role of the petroleum supplier is to strive to insure that his products and services will meet, or can be modified to meet, tomorrow's standards as well as today's. The major role of the academic community is to assist through research, particularly when basic information is needed to define or to solve an environmental problem. The petroleum producer must solicit the cooperation and aid of all three of these if he is to achieve air and water conservation goals in a timely and efficient manner.

A Proposal for Cooperative Research

In setting environmental standards, the most important questions to consider are of the type "What is achievable and what is the cost?" Answers to these questions will be achieved only through research. The petroleum producer has an excellent chance to help provide the answers through a stepped-up program of research conducted prior to the setting of standards. For maximum effectiveness, this research must cover the major problems, and its results must be rapidly disseminated. A publicly announced cooperative effort by the petroleum producers can achieve these ends.

Such a publicly announced cooperative program has many advantages. It will first of all prevent duplication of effort. It will also enable studies of greater depth than would be the case if each producer tried to cover the entire field. In addition, the scope will be widened since each producer can now give attention to problems of particular concern to him but outside the cooperative program. In summary, a cooperative program will speed up and broaden knowledge in the offshore environment and will thereby benefit the public.