Post on 19-Jun-2018
Premier Oil UK Limited 2015 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 2 of 34
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................3
1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................5
2.0 OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS ..............................................................................6
2.1 Production Operations – Balmoral Floating Production Vessel (FPV).....................6
2.2 Projects ..................................................................................................................7
(a) Solan ...............................................................................................................7
(b) Catcher ...........................................................................................................9
2.3 Drilling Operations................................................................................................ 10
(a) Solan Drilling ................................................................................................. 10
(b) Catcher Drilling .............................................................................................. 11
(c) Other Drilling Operations ............................................................................... 11
3.0 HSE & SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ..................................................... 12
4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE .................................................................. 15
4.1 Oil in Produced Water .......................................................................................... 15
(a) Balmoral FPV – Total Volume of Produced Water ......................................... 15
(b) Balmoral FPV – Total Mass of Oil Discharged to Sea .................................... 16
(c) Balmoral FPV – Average Oil in Produced Water Concentration .................... 17
4.2 Chemical Use and Discharge ............................................................................... 18
(a) Balmoral FPV – Chemical Use and Discharge .............................................. 19
(b) Solan Drilling – Chemical Use and Discharge ............................................... 20
(c) Catcher Drilling – Chemical Use and Discharge ............................................ 22
4.3 Waste................................................................................................................... 23
(a) Balmoral FPV Waste ..................................................................................... 23
(b) Solan Drilling Operations Waste .................................................................... 24
(c) Catcher Drilling Operations Waste ................................................................ 26
4.4 Atmospherics ....................................................................................................... 28
(a) Balmoral FPV Atmospheric Emissions .......................................................... 28
(b) Drilling Operations Atmospheric Emissions ................................................... 29
5.0 INCIDENTS .......................................................................................................... 31
5.1 Unplanned Releases – PON 1 ............................................................................. 31
5.2 Permitted Discharge Notifications – PON 1 .......................................................... 32
5.3 Regulatory Non-Compliance (NC) ........................................................................ 32
6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE AGAINST TARGETS ............................... 34
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 3 of 34
ABBREVIATIONS
Bbl/d Barrels of Oil per Day
CEFAS Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
CH4 Methane
CO Carbon Monoxide
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
DECC Department of Energy & Climate Change
ECE Environmentally Critical Elements
EU ETS European Union Emissions Trading Scheme
FPS Forties Pipeline System
FPSO Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel
FPV Floating Production Vessel
HSES Health, Safety, Environment and Security
ISO International Standards Organisation
IOGP International Association of Oil and Gas Producers
mg/l Milligrams per Litre
NCN Non Compliance Notice
NCR Non Conformance Report
NOX Nitrous Oxides
OCNS Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme
OCR Offshore Chemicals Regulations
ODP Oil Discharge Permit
OHSAS Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series
OPEPs Offshore Pollution Emergency Plans
OPPC Oil Pollution Prevention and Control
OIW Oil in Water
OSD Offshore Safety Directive
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PDN Permitted Discharge Notification
PLO Poses Little or No Risk
PON Petroleum Operations Notice
PPC Pollution, Prevention and Control
ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle
RQ Risk Quotient
SOX Sulphur Oxides
SUB Chemicals Rated for Substitution
UKCS United Kingdom Continental Shelf
VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds
2015 Environmental Statement
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Premier Oil UK Limited hereafter referred to as Premier, is the UK subsidiary of the
publicly listed oil and gas company Premier Oil plc. Premier Oil plc is a leading
independent exploration and production company with oil and gas interests in the
North Sea, South East Asia, Pakistan, the Falkland Islands and Latin America.
Premier’s North Sea position was transformed with the acquisition of Oilexco North
Sea Ltd in 2009, adding a production base, including operatorship capability, and a
broader development and exploration portfolio in the UK North Sea. Since then,
Premier has discovered the Catcher Area fields, which are currently under
development, brought on-stream the Huntington and Solan fields and, most recently
in April 2016, acquired E.ON’s UK North Sea assets.
Under OSPAR (Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-
East Atlantic) Recommendation 2003/5, the regulatory agency Department of Energy
and Climate Change (DECC) requires that all companies operating in the United
Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) have systems and procedures in place to identify,
monitor and control the environmental aspects associated with offshore activities.
The Premier operated Balmoral Floating Production Vessel (FPV), worldwide drilling
operations, the Aberdeen office and onshore services are certified to the international
environmental management system standard, ISO 14001. Recertification of ISO
14001 was granted in 2014 and surveillance visits are undertaken annually.
This report provides information on Premier’s UK offshore operations in 2015, and the
environmental performance of these operations. For the purpose of this report, these
operations include all production and drilling activities undertaken by Premier in the
UKCS. Therefore, whilst an overview of Solan and Catcher is provided, only drilling
data is included as these fields did not produce during 2015. This report also
excludes information about the assets secured as part of the E.ON acquisition as
these were not part of Premier’s portfolio in 2015. Year-on-year comparisons
provided are factual however, in some cases, these do not represent like for like
comparisons. This is due to different operational modes on installations, start-up
dates and changes in regulatory reporting requirements.
This report is available via the Premier Oil website at;
http://www.premier-oil.com/premieroil/corporate-responsibility/environment-new
2015 Environmental Statement
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2.0 OVERVIEW OF OPERATIONS
2.1 Production Operations – Balmoral Floating Production Vessel (FPV)
The Balmoral FPV (Fig. 2.1) is located in Block 16/21a in the Central North Sea -
approximately 125 miles north-east of the Aberdeen and 20 miles west of the
UK/Norway trans-boundary line in a water depth of approximately 147m (Fig. 2.2).
Figure 2.1 – Balmoral FPV Figure 2.2 – Balmoral FPV Location
First oil was produced from Balmoral in 1986. In 2009, Premier acquired operatorship
of the installation as part of the acquisition of Oilexco North Sea Limited in 2009.
Balmoral processes fluids from the Balmoral, Stirling, Brenda, Nicol, Burghley and
Beauly fields, with the crude oil transported to shore via the BP operated Forties
pipeline system (FPS) to the Kinneil reception terminal on the Firth of Forth.
Produced gas is used for power generation and gas lift, with excess gas flared from
the installation. The water phase is treated to meet the regulatory standard for oil in
water and is then discharged overboard under an Oil Discharge Permit (ODP) issued
by DECC.
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Figure 2.3 – Balmoral Field Schematic
2.2 Projects
(a) Solan
The Solan platform (Fig. 2.4) is a single steel jacket structure located in Block
205/26a of the UKCS, west of Shetland - 60 miles from the Scottish coast and 35
miles from the UK/Faroes median line in a water depth of approximately 138m
(Figure 2.5).
Figure 2.4 – Solan Installation Figure 2.5 – Solan Location
The facility is designed to process fluids from two production wells supported by two
water injector wells. It is capable of producing a peak flowrate of 28,000 Barrels of Oil
per Day (bbl/d) with separated crude accumulating in a Subsea Oil Storage Tank
prior to offloading to a tanker. Produced gas is used for power generation with excess
2015 Environmental Statement
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gas flared from the installation. Produced and ballast water is treated and injected to
maintain reservoir pressure.
Figure 2.6 – Solan Field Schematic Figure 2.7 – Solan Oil Storage Tank
During 2015, Premier commenced offshore works in support of the Solan
Development Project, including:
• Commissioning activities on the platform
• Subsea operations including tie-in of the 1st Production (P1) and Water
Injection (W1) wells
• Drilling of the 2nd Production (P2) and Water Injection (W2) wells
• Tanker hook up and offloading trial completed
• Single Anchor Loading installation completed
At the time of writing, commissioning had been completed and First Oil achieved in
spring 2016.
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(b) Catcher
Located in Blocks 28/9a and 28/10c of the UK North Sea, the Catcher Area
Development Project is focused on three fields (Catcher, Burgman and Varadero),
collectively referred to as the Catcher Area Fields. Figure 2.9 illustrates the location of
the Catcher Area Fields - approximately 125 miles south east of Aberdeen and in a
water depth of approximately 90m.
Figure 2.8 – Catcher Hull Section Outload Figure 2.9 – Catcher Field Location
The facility is designed to produce a peak flowrate of 60,000 Barrels of Oil per Day
(bbl/d). The three reservoirs will each be tied back to a single centrally located
Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) processing and export facility
which is currently under construction.
Separated crude will be held in the vessels cargo tanks prior to being offloaded to a
tanker. When offloading cargo, tank blanketing will normally use LP fuel gas, this gas
being recovered via the flare gas recovery package. Initially, produced gas will be
used for power generation and gas lift, with excess being exported into the SEGAL
system.
In normal operations, Catcher flaring is restricted to HP flare purge gas only. The LP
flare system uses a Vapour Recovery Package to recover purges and vents sent to
the LP flare system. The LP flare is lit, as required, in process upset or ESD
conditions only. Produced water will be treated and then either re-injected or
discharged under an ODP issued by DECC.
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Figure 2.10 – Catcher Development Schematic
During 2015, Premier Oil commenced offshore works in support of the Catcher Area
Development Project, including:
• Mattress and rock placement at third party pipeline crossings
• Installation, trench and burial of the 62 km gas export pipeline between the
proposed Catcher FPSO location and the tie-in point into the Shell Fulmar gas
pipeline
• Installation of the first Catcher subsea and drilling related infrastructure
• Commenced the drilling of the first 4 x Catcher development wells at Catcher
Drill Centre Template
First oil is expected in 2017.
2.3 Drilling Operations
(a) Solan Drilling
During 2015, drilling operations continued on the Solan 2nd producer (P2) and water
injection (W2) wells. This work was undertaken by the Ocean Valiant semi-
submersible drilling rig.
Figure 2.11 - Ocean Valiant Drilling Rig Figure 2.12 – Location of Solan wells
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The W2 well was re-entered following suspension in 2013 and was subsequently
completed in 2016. The P2 well was also re-entered but mechanical problems were
encountered which resulted in the well being suspended during September. At the
time of writing, the Ocean Valiant was in the process of completing P2.
(b) Catcher Drilling
Drilling operations in the Catcher Field commenced during 2015 using the Ensco 100
jack-up drilling rig. Two wells were completed and tested successfully.
Figure 2.13 – Ensco 100 Drilling Rig Figure 2.14 – Location of Catcher wells
(c) Other Drilling Operations
The Ptarmigan well abandonment (severing and recovering the wellhead) operation
was also undertaken in 2015. The work was completed by the Skandi Constructor
Light Well Intervention Vessel (LWIV), operated by Helix Well Ops.
Figure 2.15 – Skandi Constructor Figure 2.16 – Location of Ptarmigan well
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3.0 HSE & SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
‘Premier is focused on protecting the environment in line with our stated commitment
to reduce our impact to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. This involves
ongoing assessment, monitoring and reporting on environmental impacts of all our
operations.’
The Premier Oil Health, Safety, Environment and Security Management System
(HSES-MS) exists to provide a systematic approach to the management of HSES
issues in order to protect people and the environment and comply with UK legislation.
Premier considers that health, safety, environment and security have equal status
with other primary business objectives and are of strategic importance to Premier.
Safe working practices and due consideration of environmental impact are vital to the
overall efficiency and continued success of the business. The HSES policy forms the
basis for the HSES-MS and is presented below.
Figure 3.1 Premier HSES Policy
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The HSES-MS has a hierarchical document structure as illustrated in figure 3.2. It is
based on the industry model prepared by the International Association of Oil and Gas
Producers (IOGP) and embraces the principles of quality management as found in
the ISO 14001 and Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS)
18001 international standards.
Figure 3.2 shows the structure of the HSES-MS, which is comprised of;
• Premier’s HSES Policy;
• The Premier Corporate Expectations. These are owned by the CEO and
issued by the Group HSES manager. The corporate expectations apply to all
Premier Business Units;
• The tools to allow for implementation of the Corporate Expectations i.e.
Business Unit and Asset Specific procedures, contractor procedures and
bridging documents.
Figure 3.2 - HSES-MS Structure
The Premier HSES Management System has 10 individual Elements. Each Element
contains a set of concise expectations that are mandatory for implementation and
maintenance within all the constituent parts of the Premier Oil group of companies
(the Group). They define ‘what’ is expected by the Group in order to manage HSES
risk during execution of work activities.
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Figure 3.3 below shows the ten elements that make up the Premier Oil HSES
Management System.
Figure 3.3 - HSES-MS Framework
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4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
Environmental performance for all operating assets is detailed below. Comparison
against 2014 data has been made where like for like comparisons are feasible due to
consistent and comparable operations being undertaken at the respective site.
4.1 Oil in Produced Water
During normal production, water is produced when extracting hydrocarbons from the
reservoir. On the Balmoral FPV, bulk separation of produced water is achieved in the
1st Stage Separator, 2nd Stage Separator and Test Separator vessels. The
separated produced water is routed to the hydro-cyclones and the tilted plate
separator for further removal of entrained oil. The treated produced water is then
discharged to sea via a dedicated caisson.
Despite treatment, produced water still contains traces of oil, and as such, produced
water discharge is controlled via a permitting system managed by the UK regulatory
authority, DECC.
The 2015 Oil Discharge Permit held by Premier for Balmoral allows the installation to
discharge produced water, provided the hydrocarbon concentration is within the limit
set out in the permit (a monthly average of 30 milligrams per litre).
(a) Balmoral FPV – Total Volume of Produced Water
Figure 4.1 shows the cumulative produced water discharges from Balmoral FPV
during 2015. The total volume of produced water discharged to sea from the Balmoral
FPV was 2,639,730m3 against the permitted volume of 3,122,145m3. This equates to
a discharge of 84.5% of the Balmoral FPV permit produced water volume limit and is
an increase in the total amount discharged as compared with 2014 (2,489,361m3).
When a comparison is made between daily average produced water values for 2014
and 2015, there has been average daily increase of 6%. However, as wells mature,
the percentage of water cut from the reservoir fluids naturally increases. It is
therefore expected that the produced water quantity will increase on an annual
ongoing basis.
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Figure 4.1 - Total Volume of Produced Water Discharged
(b) Balmoral FPV – Total Mass of Oil Discharged to Sea
Figure 4.2 shows the total mass of oil in produced water discharged to sea from the
Balmoral FPV in 2015 was 21.336 tonnes. This is 20.3% greater than the 17.74
tonnes discharged in 2014, but within the permitted volume of 28.099 tonnes for the
year.
This is in line with the increase in the total quantity of produced water discharged
(Figure 4.1). As wells mature, the percentage of water cut from the reservoir fluids
naturally increases. It is therefore expected that the produced water quantity will
increase annually.
Figure 4.2 - Total Tonnage of Oil Discharged in Produced Water
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000
3500000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Pro
du
ced
Wa
ter
Vo
lum
e (
m3)
Cumulative Discharge Cumulative Permit Limit
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Oil
Dis
ch
arg
e V
olu
me
(to
nn
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Cumulative Oil Discharge Cumulative Permit Limit
2015 Environmental Statement
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(c) Balmoral FPV – Average Oil in Produced Water Concentration
The yearly average concentration of oil discharged in produced water for Balmoral in
2015 was 8.1 mg/l. This compares favourably with the regulatory permitted monthly
average of 30 mg/l.
Whilst the 2015 average is 18.5% higher than in 2014, it is still significantly below the
permitted monthly average.
This continued good performance is down to the optimised management of the
produced water treatment equipment and the highly efficient chemicals used to
remove oil from the produced water before discharge.
Techniques used on Balmoral towards both lowering the concentration of oil in
produced water and reducing the amount of oil passed to sea continue to be
particularly effective.
Figure 4.3 presents the rolling monthly average oil in water concentration for Balmoral
in 2015.
Figure 4.3 – Average Oil in Water Concentration in Produced Water
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Oil
in
Wa
ter
Co
nce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/l)
Average Oil in Water Concentration Permit Limit
2015 Environmental Statement
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4.2 Chemical Use and Discharge
Various chemicals are used offshore in drilling and production operations.
During production operations, chemicals such as scale dissolvers, corrosion
inhibitors, demulsifiers and biocides are used to assist with the separation of oil and
water, prevent damage to infrastructure such as pipelines, and to prevent ‘souring’ of
the reservoir.
In drilling operations these chemicals include fluids known as ‘drilling muds’, which
lubricate and cool the drilling bit, maintain downhole pressure and bring the drill
cuttings to the surface.
Any chemical used offshore must, in line with the Offshore Chemical Regulations
2002, first be approved by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences (CEFAS). The chemicals are subject to robust environmental risk
assessment and once approved their use is controlled and monitored through a
permit granted by DECC.
Under the Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme (OCNS), chemicals are ranked
according to the assessed hazard to the environment and are given a lettered
heading E, D, C, B or A, with E representing the lowest and A the highest hazard
category.
Using the Chemical Hazard and Risk Management (CHARM) model, a colouring
band is used to show which chemicals pose the highest hazard. These bands are
Gold, Silver, White, Blue, Orange or Purple with Gold representing the lowest hazard
and Purple the highest.
Some chemicals are regarded as PLONOR (PLO), which means that they have been
determined to pose little or no risk to the environment.
Any chemicals which have been identified as posing potential environmental risks
(such as bioaccumulation or slow biodegradation) are subject to controls under which
their use must first be approved by DECC. This is backed up by a detailed
justification for use of the chemical. Such chemicals carry a ‘substitution warning’
(SUB) which aims to encourage the phase out of the use of these chemicals.
Premier Oil, its contractors and its chemical suppliers work on a continuous basis to
find suitable alternatives to replace the products with SUB warnings.
2015 Environmental Statement
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(a) Balmoral FPV – Chemical Use and Discharge
A total of 5 chemicals with substitution warnings (SUB) were permitted for use on
Balmoral in 2015. These chemicals are detailed in Table 4.1. During 2015 however, 2
of these chemicals were replaced by products with better environmental credentials
i.e. without SUB warnings.
Chemical & OCNS Category Summary of Change Out Review
EC1231A, Nalco Ltd,
Corrosion Inhibitor, Gold, 2015
The chemical supplier and Premier are working to replace this chemical with a SUB free alternative.
EC6152A, Nalco Ltd,
Scale Inhibitor, Gold 2015
The chemical supplier and Premier are working to replace this chemical with a SUB free alternative.
EC6199A, Nalco Ltd,
Biocide, Gold, 2015
This chemical was used to treat the sludge/bilge tanks. This product was substituted with a biocide without a SUB warning during 2015.
FX2134, Nalco Ltd,
Demulsifier, Gold, 2015
Demulsifier breaks down the oil in water emulsions within produced fluids and helps to provide efficient separation to ensure minimal oil is discharged into the environment. FX2134 was substituted with a demulsifier without a SUB warning during 2015.
SCW85649, Baker Hughes Ltd,
Scale Inhibitor, Gold, 2015
This chemical is a scale inhibitor that is continuously injected downhole at the Burghley well. No return is expected and a worst case discharge of 1% has been assumed. These dosages generated RQs <1, indicating that the discharge of this chemical is not expected to pose a significant risk to the surrounding marine environment although review will continue to assess the feasibility of using of a SUB free alternative.
Table 4.1 - SUB Chemicals Permitted for use in Balmoral FPV operations
The change out of these two chemicals resulted in a 47% reduction in SUB chemical
usage during 2015 as compared to 2014, with the use of SUB chemicals equating to
18.6% (61,471 kg) of all chemicals used during the year.
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Figure 4.4 – SUB Chemical Use during Balmoral FPV operations
In figure 4.5 the chemicals used on Balmoral FPV during 2015 have been grouped by
OCNS category. This figure shows that 22% of all the chemicals used and discharged
are rated PLO. Due to the change out of the two SUB labelled chemicals during
2015, the use and discharge of SUB chemicals should also be significantly reduced
during 2016.
Figure 4.5 - Chemical Use and Discharge during operations, by OCNS Category
(b) Solan Drilling – Chemical Use and Discharge
Note: Chemical use and discharge information presented relates to all P2 well
operations undertaken in 2015. W2 well operations were also undertaken in 2015, but
were not completed that year and continued into 2016. The the chemical use and
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discharge data for the now completed W2 well operations will be reported in the 2016
report.
A total of 19 chemicals with SUB warnings were permitted for use during the Solan
P2 re-drill operations in 2015. Only 8 of these (making up 1.5% of total chemicals
use) were actually used and none were discharged.
Two of the chemicals with a SUB warning used during Solan drilling operations were
replaced with non-SUB (least harmful) products during 2015.
Figure 4.6 shows the percentage of SUB chemicals used relative to other chemicals.
Figure 4.6 – SUB Chemical Use during drilling operations
In figure 4.7 the chemicals used during the 2015 Solan P2 re-drill operations have
been grouped by OCNS category. This figure shows that 52% of all the chemicals
used and 92% of those discharged are rated PLO.
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Figure 4.7 - Chemical Use and Discharge during drilling operations
(c) Catcher Drilling – Chemical Use and Discharge
A total of 40 chemicals with SUB warnings were permitted for use during Catcher drilling
operations in 2015.
The amount of SUB Chemicals used fell by 24%, making up 0.38% of total chemical use.
None of these were discharged.
Figure 4.8 shows the percentage of SUB chemicals used relative to other chemicals.
Figure 4.8 – SUB Chemical Use during drilling operations
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In figure 4.9 the chemicals used during Catcher drilling operations have been
grouped by OCNS category. This figure shows that 73.6% of all the chemicals used
and 99.8% of those discharged are rated PLO.
Figure 4.9 - Chemical Use and Discharge during drilling operations by OCNS
4.3 Waste
Waste is generated from offshore operations and is transported onshore for re-use,
recycling, treatment or disposal.
On the Balmoral FPV and drilling installations, waste is segregated into categories
before back-loading. As much waste as possible is sent for recycling. This includes
wood, scrap metals, paper/cardboard, glass and plastics.
Waste that cannot be recycled is sent to landfill. Certain types of waste that are
harmful to the environment (Special Waste) are sent ashore to be processed and
disposed of by licensed handlers in accordance with the relevant legislation.
(a) Balmoral FPV Waste
A total of 165 tonnes of waste was disposed of from the Balmoral FPV in 2015
compared to 306 tonnes in 2014. Contributing to this 44% reduction in waste in 2015
was that there were no major shutdowns – work-scopes during shutdowns can
produce a lot of work related waste.
Balmoral recycled just under 59% of its waste during the year. The majority of non-
recycled waste was sent to landfill.
Figure 4.10 below shows the fate of waste produced from the Balmoral FPV.
2015 Environmental Statement
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Figure 4.10 - Waste Disposal Routes
Premier continues to target areas where the amount of waste generated can be
further reduced. Initiatives such as reusing packaging and replacing bottled water
with water fountains together with continued staff awareness programmes have
contributed to a reduction in the amount of general waste being produced on the
Balmoral FPV.
(b) Solan Drilling Operations Waste
A total of 2471.2 tonnes of waste was disposed of from Solan drilling operations (P2
re-drill and W2 re-drill) in 2015. Of this figure, 2293.8 tonnes (92.8%) was drilling
waste (e.g. drill cuttings) and 177.4 tonnes (7.2%) operational waste (e.g. general
waste generated on the rig, scrap metal, wood etc.). About 24% of the drilling waste
(drill cuttings) was reused and 76% was sent to landfill. 49.6% of the operational
waste was recycled and 50.17% sent to landfill.
Figure 4.11 shows Operational Waste from the Drilling Rig working for Solan drilling
operations.
Recycling 58.98%
Waste to Energy 0.40%
Incinerated 4.91%
Landfill 31.41%
Other 4.30%
2015 Environmental Statement
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Figure 4.11 - Operational Waste Disposal Routes
Recycling
49.60%
Landfill
50.17%
Other
0.23%
2015 Environmental Statement
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Figure 4.12 below shows the Drilling Waste from the Drilling Rig used for Solan
drilling operations.
Figure 4.12 - Drilling Waste Disposal Routes
(c) Catcher Drilling Operations Waste
A total of 2,658.4 tonnes of waste was disposed of from Catcher drilling operations in
2015. Of this figure, 2,445.5 tonnes (92.4%) was drilling waste (e.g. drill cuttings) and
202.9 tonnes (7.6%) was operational (e.g. general waste generated on the rig, scrap
metal, wood etc.). 20.21% of the drilling waste (drill cuttings) was reused and 79.79%
was sent to landfill. 56.45% of the operational waste was recycled, 37.22% sent to
landfill, 6.01% converted to energy and less than 1% incinerated.
Figure 4.13 shows the Operational Waste from the Drilling Rig used for Catcher
drilling operations.
Re-use
23.99%
Landfill
76.01%
2015 Environmental Statement
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Figure 4.13 - Operational Waste Disposal Routes
Figure 4.14 shows the Drilling Waste from the Drilling Rig used for Catcher drilling
operations.
Figure 4.14 - Drilling Waste Disposal Routes
Recycling
56.45%
Waste to Energy
6.01%
Incinerated
0.32%
Landfill
37.22%
Re-use
20.21%
Landfill
79.79%
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4.4 Atmospherics
Atmospheric emissions arise during offshore drilling and production operations
predominantly as a result of fuel combustion for power generation and gas flaring
activities.
There were some changes to reporting requirements for atmospheric emissions in
2015 (emissions factors changed). This mean that a comparison between 2014 and
2015 data is not like for like. The figures for 2015 are given in the following three
pages.
(a) Balmoral FPV Atmospheric Emissions
The Balmoral FPV is regulated under the Pollution, Prevention and Control (PPC)
Regulations as a large combustion installation. As such, the installation has set limits
on atmospheric emissions of nitrous oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), carbon
monoxide (CO), methane (CH4) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Figure 4.15 below shows the combustion emissions (excluding CO2) for 2015.
Figure 4.15 - Combustion Emissions
All emissions were within limits set by DECC in the Balmoral PPC Permit.
Balmoral is also regulated under the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU
ETS) Regulations, which regulate CO2 emissions for combustion sources, such as
turbines and flaring. Balmoral has no gas export route and as a result, produced gas
is used as fuel gas or is flared from the installation.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
NOx N2O SOx CO CH4 VOCs
Co
mb
ust
ion
Em
issi
on
s (t
on
ne
s)
2015 Environmental Statement
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CO2 emissions as a result of combustion sources are presented in figure 4.16 on the
next page.
Figure 4.16 - CO2 Emissions: Combustion and Flaring
During 2015, 84,644 tonnes of CO2 were emitted from combustion and flaring on
Balmoral. Of these emissions, 69.6% were as a result of combustion for power
generation and the remaining 30.4% resulted from the flaring of excess gas.
CO2 emissions decreased by less than 1% compared to 2014 levels - this indicates
the energy efficiency initiatives implemented over the last couple of years have been
maintained by Balmoral. During normal operations, Balmoral FPV runs with one
turbine on fuel gas and one turbine on diesel.
(b) Drilling Operations Atmospheric Emissions
Atmospheric emissions during drilling operations are generated as a result of fuel
combustion for power generation and also during well test operations. There were no
well test operations related to Solan drilling during 2015, however, two well tests were
conducted during 2015 Catcher drilling operations.
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 30 of 34
Combustion emissions from Solan drilling operations (excluding CO2) are shown in
figure 4.17. In addition 8,303 tonnes of CO2 were released during 2015.
Figure 4.17 - Combustion Emissions– Solan drilling operations
Combustion emissions from Catcher drilling operations (excluding CO2) are shown in
Figure 4.18. In addition 8,920.53 tonnes of CO2 were released during 2015.
Figure 4.18 - Combustion Emissions – Catcher drilling operations
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
NOx N2O SOx CO CH4 VOC
Co
mb
ust
ion
Em
issi
on
s (T
on
ne
s)
0
20
40
60
80
100
NOx N2O SOx CO CH4 VOC
Co
mb
ust
ion
Em
issi
on
s (T
on
ne
s)
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 31 of 34
5.0 INCIDENTS
Premier strives to prevent the unplanned release of hydrocarbons and chemicals,
however, on occasion accidental releases do occur. All unplanned releases of
hydrocarbons and chemicals to sea from offshore oil and gas installations and
pipelines, regardless of size, are reported to DECC and other statutory agencies via
the Petroleum Operations Notice 1 (PON1) form. Permitted Discharge Notifications
(PDN’s) are also submitted using PON 1 forms when permitted discharges are in
breach of conditions / limits associated with the installations Oil Discharge Permit.
A number of processes are in place to prevent unplanned releases and these include
planned maintenance of equipment, asset integrity inspections, activity risk
assessment, area inspections, pre-acceptance drill rig and routine audits, procedural
controls and training and competency for individuals interacting with process plant.
Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEPs) approved by DECC are in place covering all
operational assets including third party drilling installations. These plans are
exercised on a regular basis and followed in the event that an unplanned release
does occur, to ensure that the incident is reported in a timely fashion and that
contingency and mitigation measures are in place.
5.1 Unplanned Releases – PON 1
During 2015, there were a total of 12 releases from Premier offshore operations.
Seven of the releases resulted in the loss of a total of 0.76 tonnes of hydrocarbon to
the environment.
The remaining 5 releases resulted in the loss of 31,501 kg (31.5 t) of chemical to the
sea. The majority of this total release (31.42 t) resulted from three separate water
based subsea hydraulic leaks, the sources of which are often difficult to prevent.
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 32 of 34
Figure 5.1 Unplanned releases from Premier Operations during 2015
Two releases from the Balmoral FPV involved the loss of 29.68 tonnes of Pelagic
100, a water based hydraulic fluid with an OCNS category of E (the lowest category
of chemical hazard). The potential environmental impact associated with this release
was identified and assessed, the conclusion being that the potential impact on local
sensitivities including areas of conservation, fish, shellfish, seabirds and mammals
was not expected to be significant.
A further 1.74 tonnes of water based hydraulic fluid was released from a diverter seal
failure during Catcher drilling operations. This failure of the seal was unforeseeable
but the fluid was unfortunately released via the rig drainage system. A full
investigation was undertaken in to the circumstance of the release which led to the
development of drilling company-wide procedure on how spills should be responded
to and lesson sharing across Premier Oil.
5.2 Permitted Discharge Notifications – PON 1
Two PDN’s were submitted in 2015, these notifications related to produced water
sheens resulting from operational upsets on the Balmoral FPV. The amount of oil
associated with these discharges equated to approximately 0.1 tonnes of
hydrocarbon.
5.3 Regulatory Non-Compliance (NC)
Premier submit notification to DECC in the event of any non-compliance against the
permits and consents in place that cover emissions and discharges. Notifications are
raised for any breaches of permit conditions associated with The Offshore Petroleum
0.00
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
30.00
35.00
Balmoral Solan Drilling Catcher Drilling Total
Ma
ss o
f H
yd
roca
rbo
n /
Ch
em
ica
l
Re
lea
sed
(T
on
ne
s)
Hydrocarbon Mass
Chemical Mass
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 33 of 34
Production and Pipe-Lines (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1999
(EIA), the Offshore Chemicals Regulations 2002 (OCR), the Offshore Petroleum
Activities (Oil Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations 2005 (OPPC), and the
Offshore Combustion Installations (Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations
2013 (PPC).
Table 5.1 Non-compliance notifications submitted during 2015
As shown in Table 5.1, five non-compliances were reported in relation to 2015
operations on Balmoral FPV. These notifications were primarily data administrative
errors, three being due to metering inaccuracies which have since been rectified, and
two relating to tracking and inaccurate reporting of chemical data which was
subsequently updated.
Installation EIA NC OCR NC OPPC NC PPC NC
Balmoral 0 2 3 0
Solan Drilling 0 0 0 0
Catcher Drilling 0 0 0 0
2015 Environmental Statement
Page 34 of 34
6.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE AGAINST TARGETS
Table 6.1 describes progress against UKBU objectives and targets set for 2015.
Objective/Target Progress
Compliance with new
standard / legislation
• UKBU Offshore Safety Directive (OSD) action plan/timeline
developed, implementation ongoing (e.g. Corporate Major
Accident Prevention Policy (CMAPP) Document and
Offshore Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEP) issued in line
with the OSD requirements.
• Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme requirements
completed by the UKBU on behalf of the Corporate
(Balmoral FPV identified as a major contributor)
requirements fulfilled.
• ISO 14001:2015 Transition work on-going.
Improved Environmental
Performance by increasing
environmental workforce
engagement
• Various environmental compliance awareness sessions,
during operations and prior to drilling and subsea
campaigns completed across the assets, involving internal
personnel and third parties.
• Tools to enable E-reps functioning provided to Balmoral
FPV.
Chemical Management • Chemical Management Standard and associated
procedures developed and rolled out across the assets to
ensure improved chemicals compliance process.
Management of Balmoral
Environmentally Critical
Elements (ECE)'s in
conformance with UKBU
Standard
• Balmoral FPV EUETS Performance Standard developed
and ECE’s integrated into the maintenance system.
Decommissioning Guidance
development
• Decommissioning Environmental Compliance Guideline
developed and issued.
Environmental Data
Improvement
• Software and procedural changes implemented to enable
more effective and user friendly tracking of the
environmental data to ensure compliance with the
legislative requirements.
Improve identification and
classification of
environmental incidents and
Balmoral aspects and
Impacts
• This action is deferred to next year to align the improved
identification of environmental aspects and impacts with the
on-going work-scope to fully comply with the OSD
requirements.
Waste Management
Improvement in the new
Aberdeen office
• Internal audit conducted to identify the onshore waste
management improvement opportunities.
Table 6.1 – Premier UKBU Environmental Performance against Targets