Approval And Restoration Of The Environmentally Sensitive Cats Pipeline Landfall
Authors: Etter C.K. , Bettelley L.M. 
Published: October 2008

Coatham Sands, the Land fall site for the Central Area transmission System (CA13) pipeline, is recognised as an important ecological system by the UK Government. Ensuring its protection while at the same time constructing a pipeline to transport valuable North Sea gas reserves required extensive cooperation and open consultations between industry and conservation organizations. This paper describes the SUCCESS of this relationship and the methods used during the construction and restoration period, both of which have universal application throughout the petroleum industry.

INTRODUCTION

Protecting the environment while continuing to develop hydrocarbon reserves, is the twin challenge facing today's petroleum companies throughout the world. In the UK, this challenge was undertaken by Amoco (U.K.) Exploration Company during the construction of the Central Area Transmission System (CATS) pipeline on the landfall site on the north east coast of England. An important staging post for migratory birds, the area is recognised by the British Government as one requiring particular protection as a "Site of Special Scientific Interest," commonly referred to as "SSS1". For industry, this means that before Government approval can be given to work in the area, construction and restoration plans must first be reviewed and accepted by local and national environmental organizations to ensure the minimum disruption to the site, and reinstatement as close as possible to its original condition.

In 1990, Amoco began this process of consultation and has continued it throughout the construction and restoration period. The following paper will describe the nature and extent of this cooperation the benefits to both industry and conservationists of effective and open communication, and the environmental methods successfully applied throughout the project.

LANDFALL AND SCHEDULE CONSTRAINTS

The Central Area Transmission System (CATS) is a 255 mile, 36 inch diameter pipeline transporting gas to England from the Central Graben area of the North Sea, approximately 150 miles east of Scotland. The pipeline has a capacity of 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day and will deliver gas to Teesside, an industrial area, as shown on Figure 1. Together with the governmental authorities it was determined that the optimum landfall location would be Coatham Sands and Common near the town of Redcar in Teesside. This selection was made after an evaluation of various landfalls, taking into account safety, engineering feasibility, and causing the least disturbance to the community and the environment.

Although Teesside is highly industrialized, the area around Coatham Sands and Common is designated as environmental y sensitive due to the unusual species diversity of birds, flora and fauna which inhabit the location. The terrestrial ecology ranges from sand dunes to grassland to salt marshes as shown on Figure 2 and consists of some nationally scarce plants, many that are rare to the local area. There are a significant number of orchids, namely the Fragrant, Marsh and the Bee orchid which was thought to have vanished from northern England.