ENGI 9625
Assignment 1
(Environmental Impacts of Offshore Oil & Gas Operations)
Due date: Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Fall 2019
1. Answer the following questions:
a. Distinguish between hazardous and nonhazardous wastes.
b. Describe how the pollutants enter the marine environment
c. What are other factors to consider when estimating the hazard of different pollutants?
d. Describe an EPA Program that supports the identification and characterization of health
hazards of chemicals.
2. An oil tank stores 55 ft3 volume of crude oil with sulfur contents of 2.2% and totally weighs
4,400 lbs. We know that the net weight of the tank is 1,100 lbs and the average boiling point
of this crude oil is 162 oF. If the ambient temperature is 60 oF.
a. Calculate the API gravity and define the crude oil
b. Classify the oil using API, Kw and CI methods.
3. Answer the following questions:
a. Describe drilling fluid and state its functions in drilling
b. Describe the classification of drilling fluids.
c. Why drilling fluids are always considered to be toxic? Is it possible to stop using it
directly?
4. A seismic survey is required before an oil exploration in the Terry Nova oil field.
a. What kind of potential environmental impacts could occur?
b. Give an example of Canadian law(s) implemented to regulate the seismic survey
activities.
c. How would you plan for a Seismic survey?
d. Describe how the potential environmental impacts identified in (a) can be minimized.
5. Answer the following questions:
a. Please describe different drilling activities during offshore oil and gas operations, and
also provide brief descriptions of drilling wastes and their discharge methods.
b. What are the potential consequences of releasing drilling discharges into the marine
environment?
c.
Identify and describe the Canadian ocean laws that regulate these types of discharge?