Environmental
Studies
Research
Funds
ESRF Program
Overview
January 2011
Table of Contents
Legislation………………………………………………….…3
Purpose of Funds……………………………………….….4
Frontier Lands…………………………………………….…5
Funding: Regional Levies…………………………….….6
Administration of Funds……………………………….…8
ESRF Management Board.…………………………..….9
Study Management………………………………………10
ESRF Levy and Invoice Process……………………..13
ESRF Contract Issuance Process……………….…..14
Publications…………………………………………………15
2011 Research Priority Areas...........................16
2011 Research Projects..……………………...........17
2
Legislation
• Originated in 1981, Section 49 of the Canada Oil and Gas Act
(C0GA)
• Currently described in Part VII of the Canada Petroleum
Resources Act (CPRA) assented to 18th November, 1986
• Ministers of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and Indian and
Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) responsible for accounts
• Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and Nova Scotia (NS) Accord
legislation provides for application to Accord areas
• Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board
(C-NLOPB) and Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board
(C-NSOPB) approve levies for their respective areas of
jurisdiction
3
Purpose of Funds
“ To finance environmental and social studies pertaining to the
manner in which, and the terms and conditions under which,
exploration, development and production activities on frontier
lands authorized under this Act or any other Act of Parliament
should be conducted.”
Canada Petroleum Resources Act, s. 76 (2)
4
Frontier Lands
Canada’s Frontier Lands
Non-Accord Area (INAC)
Non-Accord Area (NRCan)
Newfoundland and Labrador Accord Area
Nova Scotia Accord Area
Oil and Gas Projects
#S
Ikhil
Oil
Gas
Norman Wells
#S
# Fort Liard
S
#SCameron Hills
White Rose
Hibernia S
#S#S# Terra Nova
#SSable
Funding: Regional Levies
• 31 ESRF regions
• Unique annual levy in each region on petroleum land
interests (per hectare)
• Overall budget set each calendar year
• Levy in each region depends on:
• Applicability of each proposed study to a region
• Industry activity/interest within a region
• Existence of moratorium/prohibition
6
30
19
20
23
17
25
18
22
29
24
26
27
21
31
16
28
ESRF Regions
5
6
1
7
3
2
8
9
10
15
4
11
12
13
13a
14
7
Administration of Funds
•
12-member Management Board
 Jointly, Ministers appoint 8 members:
 Federal Government (4)
o

National Energy Board (NEB), Environment Canada (EC), Fisheries and
Oceans Canada (DFO) and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
Industry (4)
o
Industry representatives of the Canadian Association of Petroleum
Producers (CAPP)
 Offshore Petroleum Boards (2)
 C-NSOPB
 C-NLOPB
 Public Members (2)
 INAC and NRCan Ministers may appoint one member each to the Board
•
•
•
Chair – Jointly appointed by Ministers from within the Management Board
Administrator – Jointly appointed by Ministers
Secretariat – Administrative support from within NRCan
8
ESRF Board Membership
Paul Barnes (Industry) – Chair
Robert Steedman (NEB)
Patrice Simon (DFO)
Lynne Patenaude (EC)
Vacant* (INAC)
Greg Janes (Industry)
Francine Wight (Industry)
Alan Kennedy (Industry)
Dave Burley (C-NLOPB)
Eric Theriault (C-NSOPB)
Gerard Chidley
(Public Member South)
Norman Snow
(Public Member North)
* Member to be appointed by both Ministers
9
Study Management
•
•
•
Spring:
ESRF Management Board establishes priority areas for
research one year in advance
Summer: Advisory Groups recommend proposals to support
priority areas
Fall:
ESRF Management Board selects the final research proposals and
determines the method of study - contract or Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU)
•
Regional Research Manager (RRM), ESRF Secretariat, and Public Works and Government
Services Canada (PWGSC) develop the Statement of Work (SOW) to be incorporated in the
Request for Proposal (RFP) which is either issued in a contract (posted on federal
contracting site -MERX) by PWGSC or in a MOU by the ESRF Administrator
•
Technical Advisory Group (TAG) provides input in developing the study RFP and reviewing
of the final report
•
ESRF Secretariat and Regional Research Managers administer contracts/MOUs and ensure
overall technical consistency
•
ESRF Management Board approves final report for public release
•
ESRF Secretariat releases report on ESRF web site
10
ESRF Annual Cycle
Step 1:
Annual review of Priority Areas for research in February
Step 2:
Proposals brought forward via Management Board members and/or Regional
Advisory Committees
Step 3:
First look at proposals by Management Board in Spring
Step 4:
Management Board makes final funding decisions in early Fall
Step 5:
Ministerial budget approval in early Fall
Step 6:
Offshore Boards budget approvals by new year
Step 7:
Invoices to interest owners in 1st quarter of year for approved projects
Step 8:
RFPs posted on MERX or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) co-signed
with required Government Department
Step 9:
Technical Advisory Groups established
Step 10: Project proceeds, administered by Secretariat and Regional Research
Manager with technical support from Technical Advisory Group
11
December
January
November
February
Regional Advisory
Committees
Research Priorities
Recommendations
Meeting
October
Regional Advisory
Committees
Research
Proposals and
Discussions
Management Board
Research Priorities
setting meeting for
funding in following
year
March
ESRF
Annual Cycle
September
Management
Board final
review of
and funding
decisions for
final projects
April
Regional Advisory
Committees Draft
Research Proposals
Review &
Recommendations
Meeting
August
May
July
June
Management
Board Draft
Proposals
review meeting
12
*Fall - Secretariat
confirms land holdings with
regulators
*Draft administrative budget
prepared for annual meeting
ESRF Levy and
Invoice Process
*ESRF Management Board
approves draft admin budget
*Secretariat prepares final
study and admin budgets
and distributes for
Chair, CAPP and Offshore Boards’
approval
*Secretariat prepares levy
package for approval by
Ministers of NRCan and INAC
*Upon approval, levy notices
sent to Offshore Boards for
approval
*Winter - Secretariat
receives approvals from
Offshore Boards and then
confirms land holdings with
all regulators
*Secretariat prepares and
issues levy notices to all
interest owners
*Levies collected and
adjustments made to
budgets
13
ESRF Contract Issuance Process
*ESRF MB approves study
and recommends RFP
process (MOU or Contract)
*RRM and TAG prepare draft
Statement of Work (SOW)
*RRM forwards SOW to
Secretariat
*Secretariat drafts SOW and
Evaluation Grid for either:
-PWGSC R&D contract
-NRCan Service contract
-MOU
PWGSC R&D
Contract
NRCan Service
Contract
*PWGSC reviews contract
with Secretariat and posts
on MERX for minimum
15 days
*Secretariat updates RFP
notification on web site
*NRCan reviews contract
with Secretariat and posts
on MERX for minimum
40 days
*Secretariat updates RFP
notification on web site
*Secretariat establishes
Evaluation Team
*PWGSC forwards all
responses for review by
Evaluation Team
*Secretariat establishes
Evaluation Team
*NRCan forwards all
responses for review by
Evaluation Team
*Evaluation Team selects
potential winning bid
*Secretariat convenes
consensus meeting with
PWGSC and Evaluation
Team
*Evaluation Team selects
potential winning bid
*Secretariat convenes
consensus meeting with
NRCan and Evaluation
Team
*PWGSC reviews
Evaluation team decision
and if in agreement,
notifies successful bidder
*Contract issued
*NRCan reviews
Evaluation Team decision
and if in agreement,
notifies successful bidder
*Contract issued
Memorandum of
Understanding
*Secretariat drafts MOU and
forwards to Participant
*Participant reviews, signs
and returns MOU to
Secretariat
*MOU reviewed by NRCan
Legal Services
*MOU initiated
14
Publication of ESRF Studies
• All research studies are published in the continuing ESRF
reports series
• Approximately 179 published to date
• Reports, at no cost, are only available on the ESRF web site
(www.esrfunds.org)
• All publications are listed in both the ESRF Annual Report
and Study Publications section on ESRF web site
15
2012 Research Priorities
Northern
• Oil Spill Preparedness, Fate and Effects
• Regional Effects Management
East Coast
• Oil Spill Preparedness, Fate and Effects
• Seismic
16
2011 Projects: North
• Arctic Coastal Ecosystems – Beaufort Sea/Mackenzie
Delta Mapping
• Improving the accuracy of short-term ice and ocean
forecasts in the Beaufort Sea
• Strategic Plan for Beaufort Spill Prevention and
Management
17
2011 Projects: East Coast
• Assessment of the Potential for Impacts on Early
Life Stages of Fish and Zooplankton around
Petroleum Development Sites on the Grand Banks
• Data Display and Source Apportionment of Volatile
Organic Compounds and Particulate Matter on Sable
Island
• Seismic Sound and Fish Behaviour Workshop
18