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1. Module Leader
Name: Dr Babatunde Anifowose Room number: GE407 Tel: +44 (0)2476 88 8254 Email: [email protected]
2. Assignment Information Length of report: 1500 words - excluding tables, figures, references, etc. NB: Assignments that are more than 10% over the word limit will result in a deduction of 10% of the mark i.e. a mark of 60% will lead to a reduction of 6% to 54%” Proportion of total Module Mark: 50%
3. Date Handed Out Tuesday, 16 May 2017
4. Submission Date Friday, 23 June 2017
5. Submission Procedure Submissions are all on-line, no paper copy required. The coursework must be submitted through M54GED module site (through ‘Turnitin’) by 23:55 on Friday, 23rd June 2017. It will NOT be possible to upload your file after the 23:55 deadline (separate arrangements will be made for students with an extension). Any coursework submitted after the deadline will still be assessed to supply formative feedback but will be classified as late and will automatically score ZERO.
Students may also upload a copy of their draft assignment onto a Turnitin icon on the course (not module) web for plagiarism checking.
Please refer to the following for information and guidance on Turnitin and submission of assignments through Turnitin: http://cuba.coventry.ac.uk/cuonlinehelp/guides/turnitin
NB: Make sure that you upload the correct file; you will not get a second chance after the set deadline if you upload the wrong file in error. DO NOT leave your online submission to the last minute; give yourself at least 2 hours (or preferably longer) prior to the deadline to allow sufficient time to upload your work successfully.
Faculty of Engineering, Environment & Computing
School of Energy, Construction & Environment
M54GED: Impacts of Petroleum Exploration, Extraction & Transport
Coursework Instructions 2017 - 2018
C O V E N T R Y U N I V E R S I T Y
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6. Return of Coursework
The mark, coursework and assessment sheet will be available online through the module web within 3 term weeks of submission. 7. Feedback on Coursework
Feedback will be given via annotation on the script and written on the online assessment sheet. A representative selection of coursework from the group will be moderated for Quality Assurance purposes.
8. Student Hours
The suggested time to complete this coursework is 30 hr.
9. Aim and Objectives
To assess the likely environmental impacts associated with oil and gas exploration and production.
10. Learning Outcomes On completion of this item of coursework you should be able to: 1. Evaluate spheres of the environment and manage the interaction of oil and gas operations on environmental receptors; 2. Apply the operating principles of EIA to critically evaluate the broad environmental and social impacts of petroleum extraction, processing and transportation
11. Procedure Background Information Global anthropogenic methane emissions are rising and the oil and gas industry contributes a substantial proportion of this methane burden (i.e. ‘the total amount of methane in the air’ - Nisbet et al. 2014). Though there has been a lull in oil and gas project activities globally, some are still progressing. For example, the Australian government has plans to develop the Bonaparte Basin (see video link underneath Table 1) located on the Northwest Shelf of Australia covering ~329,000 km2 of offshore and onshore licenses (fig. 1). The Australian legislation requires a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for such a large scale project.
There are about 16 fields within the Bonaparte Basin and the Lakewood Petroleum Ltd. that you work for has had a successful bid to develop the Waggon Creek-1 gas field (fig. 2). This development will involve the project activities as detailed in Table 1. The Waggon Creek-1 field has a unique gas composition of low impurities with no produced water while the observed levels of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and methane are ~0.20%, 0.7% and 93.5% respectively. Recoverable gas is estimated at 12 Billion Cubic Feet and the wells flow gas at a stabilised rate of ~1.1 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMscf/d) with estimated lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
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Fig. 1: Classification of the Bonaparte Basin wells. Source: Geoscience Australia (2004)
Table 1: Main project actions/activities proposed at the Waggon Creek-1 gas field Project Activities* Specific Activities 1 Exploration Site clearance, surveys and seismic activities, exploratory drilling 2 Well development (spudding) & construction works a) Site preparation: surface facility construction, access road, installation of venting/flaring facilities for drilling & pump testing etc. b) Drilling, casing & completion: installation of drilling rigs & related facilities, temporary site offices, power generating houses, mechanical vibration units, installation of pumps & wellhead for well completion, wireline & cementing trucks, service vehicles etc. c) Tie-in to gathering systems & surface equipment: installation of wellhead separator & metering skids, connecting the gas gathering system to the wellhead separator at each well, trenching of flowlines etc. 3 Production the drilling & extraction, separation & processing of complex hydrocarbons (i.e. a mixture of gas, water, solids). NB: natural gas impurities may be removed at the field or at a designated processing plant 4 Transportation & distribution Trenching and installation of pipelines to link the processing units to designated terminals for export; or road & rail tanks, jetties and oceangoing vessels *This coursework is limited to these activities/actions only. Summary of a typical E&P process can be watched through this video link: http://energyindepth.org/docs/rig/index.html. The video of Bonaparte Basin can be watched here: http://www.adventenergy.com.au/projects/bonaparte/bonaparte-basin-ntwa---ord-fly.html
The project is expected to commence in December 2017. You are to assume that the Waggon Creek field covers an area of 1,100 km2 and that 3,000 wells are expected to be drilled over its lifespan at a density of four wells per 0.65 km2. There
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is the Ord River Irrigation Area used to support agriculture and residents near the Waggon Creek field (fig. 2).
Fig. 2: The Waggon Creek Gas Field showing nearby facilities and natural resources. Source: Geoscience Australia (2004).
Your tasks
Write a report to cover the following major tasks:
1. Tabulate and briefly explain (i.e. a sentence each) the three main environmental impacts (namely: synergistic, irreversible and cumulative impacts) that may occur on each of the following environmental receptors given the planned project activities in the Waggon Creek-1 gas field of the Bonaparte Basin: a.) Lithosphere b.) Biosphere c.) Atmosphere 2. Calculate the potential methane emissions from production, processing, transportation/transmission and distribution during the lifetime of this project, using the data shown in Fig. 3; and 3. Using your answers to question 2, amongst others; you are required to critically analyse/evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the project activities (Table 1) in the Waggon Creek-1 gas field and the Bonaparte Basin in general. The impact evaluation should be illustrated using the following EIA operating principles: (i.) Impact analysis and (ii) Mitigation
Waggon Creek Gas field
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Fig. 3: EPA estimated methane (mass) leakage rates for different processes within the oil and gas value chain [as of 2012]. NB: Mass leakage rate as percent of gross natural methane gas extraction. Source: EPA (2013) and Brandt et al. (2014) in SWN (2014).
12. Marking Scheme/Criteria The marking criteria for this assignment are given on the ‘Marking Sheet’. The grade criteria used is based on the standard University 'Grade Criteria' for assessments (a copy of this is posted on your course module web site).
13. PLAGIARISM WARNING This assessment must be all your own work. Assignments should not be copied in part or in whole from any other source, except for any marked up quotations, that clearly distinguish what has been quoted from your own work. All references used must be given, and the specific page number used should also be given for any direct quotations, which should be in quotation marks. Students found copying from the internet or other sources will get zero marks and may be excluded from the university.
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IMPACTS OF PETROLEUM EXPLORATION, EXTRACTION & TRANSPORT M54GED – Coursework Report Assessment Name of Student: Date: Coursework Marking scheme:
Criteria Requirements For an indication of pass/merit/distinction benchmark requirements, see the University Assessment Criteria
Max. Mark (%)
Mark (%)
Structure and Coherence
The report should be well-structured and information should be presented in a logical and coherent order. Avoid convoluted sentences but be precise and concise. All the materials included must be relevant to the subject and repetition avoided.
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Presentation and Content (e.g. Task 1)
The Report should answer task 1 directly in a tabular format with appropriate evidence. The report should be well-presented, have good English grammar and be spell-checked (using the UK-English spell-checker). The CU Harvard referencing system should be used for citing and listing references. All references cited in the text and sources of figures must be included in the reference list and vice versa.
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Estimation and quantification where appropriate (e.g. Task 2)
Careful estimation of methane emissions for each of the identified segments and the overall total methane emissions for the project lifespan (Task 2). A critical discussion of the impacts and the potency of these emissions in aggravating climate change is essential.
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Use of literature An appropriate and suitably extensive selection of reference material should be consulted to justify arguments put forward throughout the report. Suitable examples and specific data from the literature should be included where appropriate.
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Analysis, Evaluation & Discussion of Information (e.g. Task 3)
Report should demonstrate an understanding as well as application of the operating principles of EIA especially for task 3. The material included should be discussed, compared and contrasted, and critically evaluated throughout the report, for example, the use of data provided in the background information is highly encouraged. Judgement should be exercised as to the relevance and importance of the material included.
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Total Mark 100
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