Oil & Gas UK Education Information Leaflets Fact Sheet 6 - North Sea Oil - Oil and gas in the Atlantic Margin Where is the Atlantic Margin? The Atlantic Margin is the area of water to the west of Shetland and the north of the Hebrides. How much oil is there? To date, about 1.5 billion barrels of oil or its equivalent in gas has been found. This is equal to 5% of all UK oil discoveries so far. When did exploration begin in this region? Exploration began in the early 1970's and since then almost over 170 exploration and appraisal wells have been drilled. Most oil industry activity is still in the exploration phase, although two fields are now in production: Foinaven started to produce oil in November 1997; and Schiehallion in July 1998. What are the physical conditions like? The Atlantic Margin is one of the harshest open ocean environments in the world. Water, Wind and waves The water depth ranges from 150 to 1500 metres, which is some of the deepest in the UK. Below around 500m, waters formed in the Arctic flow towards the south-west, with temperatures below zero degrees C. Above 500m much warmer waters from the Atlantic flow in the opposite direction towards the north-east. Between these two water masses another water mass, termed "Icelandic Intermediate Water" is often found. These different water masses, together with their distinctive temperature and flow patterns, create varied and powerful currents. This region, like mainland UK, is often affected by storms tracking across the Atlantic from west to east. During their passage they can generate winds up to 70mph or 80mph with gusts over 100mph. These winds in turn develop large waves which can reach heights of 75 ft, on a yearly basis, and occasionally over 100ft. Seabed Extensive surveys of the seabed have revealed an area much influenced by the last Ice Age. It varies significantly with different characteristics at different depths. These range from cobble pavement to soupy mud. Between 200 and 500 metres depth the seafloor shows iceberg ploughmarks, caused by icebergs gouging and scarring the ground when the sea level was 100 metres less than it is today. As ice sheets on land and glaciers melted, they created channels and gullies, and dropped large amounts of sediment into the sea leaving sand and gravel. In one area, small carbonate mounds, called Darwin mounds, and pockmarked areas were found on the seabed. Another feature is giant sandwaves up to 30 metres high, believed to be created by strong currents that flowed to the northeast many centuries ago. Why should we explore in the Atlantic Margin? Economy In 1998 96% of Britain's entire energy requirements were satisfied by the UK oil and gas production industry. This gives us reliable sources of energy. As reserves of oil and gas in the North Sea are finite, developing the Atlantic Margin is important if we are to replace them and maintain this reliability of supply. Other benefits the oil and gas industry brings to the economy include: Jobs 300,000 people throughout the UK are employed by the oil and gas industry with half of these jobs in England and Wales. In Scotland, industry jobs represent some 7.1% of total employment. Government Revenue £160 billion has been paid in direct tax since 1970, making a significant contribution to healthcare, education, and social welfare. Environment Currently our society functions using oil and gas. Products as diverse as fuel, medicines, plastic, ink, credit cards, CDs, computers and phones, all use oil derivatives. As it will take time and much research to develop new sources of energy and substitute raw materials, especially on a large scale, we will still depend on oil and gas for many years to come. Even when renewable energy sources are established they cannot guarantee a continuous supply of energy and will have to be supplemented with fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. Oil and gas is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the UK. If we don't produce oil and gas here, we will have to obtain it from another country where it may not be produced as cleanly. The industry is working with organisations such as the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Southampton Oceanography Centre and other top research units around the country to ensure that the Atlantic Margin offshore activities have minimum impact and that the environment is properly monitored to ensure that situation is maintained. Analysing AFEN Research in the laboratories. What is being done for the environment? In the Atlantic Margin, oil industry operators and government saw the opportunity to take a co-ordinated, strategic approach to environmental management. Operators, the Department of Trade and Industry, The Scottish Office (now the Scottish Executive) and the JNCC came together to form AFEN with the purpose of: Describing and understanding the existing environment; Identifying key sensitivities; Monitoring and developing protection measures. What have they done? AFEN has invested £5 million into studying the area's flora and fauna, coastline and the seabed whilst operators have undertaken even more detailed localised studies of the areas where activity might be undertaken. These studies, outlined below, are used by operators to assess where to explore, perform seabed operations and route pipelines, in order to take steps to protect the environment. Where is the information and how is it communicated? A consultative group was formed to ensure that the results of the studies are communicated and that matters of importance to local communities are considered. Known as the Atlantic Frontier Environmental Forum (AFEF), it has an independent Chairman and representatives from local authorities, wildlife and other conservation bodies, government, academia and the oil and gas industry. Photographs were taken of the Atlantic Margin Seafloor using a deep ocean side-scan sonar. What studies have been done? Seabed surveys Two surveys of the seafloor were carried out, the first in 1996 and the second in 1998. Together they covered 30,000 square kilometres, the size of mainland Scotland, and involved samples taken from 200 sites, photographs and a map using a deep ocean side-scan sonar. The aim was to view the shape and texture of the seabed, its animals and plants and the physical processes moulding them. The results of the survey are used to provide a description of the currently existing seabed; data against which any changes in the environment can be measured; and to help form the basis of environmental management controls for the operators. What about seabirds and marine mammals? Seabirds It is important for the oil industry to consider the breeding and feeding habits of seabirds when assessing where it should ultimately operate and how it may affect the environment. AFEN and individual operators have sponsored surveys carried out by the Seabirds at Sea Team of the JNCC, which logs sightings of all seabirds as well as cetaceans and seals. This data is entered into a database which is available to the public. Early results show that more than 10% of the world's population of guillemots, razorbills, puffins, great skuas and gannets, and more than 1% of kittiwakes and black guillemots breed in these areas. Cetaceans - Whales, porpoises and dolphins There are two programmes to identify the existence and movements of marine mammals. One is included within the Seabirds at Sea Team survey mentioned above, and the other involves seabed listening devices which can give records 24 hours a day, all year round, and in a wide range of sea conditions. The US military developed the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (underwater microphones), to track submarines during the cold war period. This equipment is now used to listen for marine mammals, particularly whales, which tells us about the species, their populations and migration routes. Results have found seasonal patterns of the rare blue whale, humpback and fin whales. Seismic Surveying To search for oil and gas we use a technique called Seismic Surveying. This involves underwater air guns, towed behind a survey ship, releasing a 'pop' of compressed air which bounces off the seabed. The reflected echoes are recorded by sound detectors and then analysed. The results are used to create a computer generated image of the earth far below the bottom of the sea. It is important that these surveys don't disturb marine mammals including seals, whales, dolphins and porpoises. Therefore, guidelines have been drawn up by the JNCC that surveyors must follow. They cover the planning stage, the steps to be taken during the seismic survey and the report to be made to the JNCC once the survey is over. Seabed fauna, such as Lophelia grows at great depths. Flora and Fauna The seabed survey looked for plant and animal life, especially signs of coral. Small pockets of Lophelia (a cold water coral) were found although there was no evidence of coral reefs in the area. Lophelia is a seabed coral that usually grows at great depths in the cold and darkness. Lophelia colonies off the coast of Norway span many kilometres and are tens of metres high, but in the Atlantic Margin, the Seabed Survey has identified only scattered colonies no greater than 10 metres in diameter. Analyses of the animals collected in grab and core samples taken throughout the Atlantic Margin area have recorded over 1,000 different species, mostly worms, starfish, shellfish, crabs and shrimps. Dense populations of xenophyophores (giant protozoans) have been photographed on the seafloor - a species first found in the region in the last century but until these observations, believed to be rare. How is the coastline being protected? The Atlantic Margin coastline is rich in flora and fauna and an important site for breeding sea birds and local fish farms. Although it is unlikely an oil spill would reach the coastline, it is essential to have a protection strategy. For this purpose, the entire coastline, stretching from the point of Ardnamurchan and Duncansby Head, together with the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, has been assessed, mapped and incorporated into a Coastal Protection Strategy. This Strategy documents the natural habitats and usage of the coast, and gives practical advice on which sites to prioritise in the event of threatened oil pollution, and how to protect them. The most sensitive areas are the focus of tailor-made shoreline protection, including booms (barricades) and for non-sensitive sites, there is a worked out strategy to contain and recover oil. Oil spill response After several decades of exploration and production in the North Sea, rigorous controls and procedures have been developed which reduce the possibility of an oil spill. However, should there be an incident, operating companies are required to produce an Oil Spill Contingency Plan which must be approved by Government. And in the future? These projects have greatly enhanced understanding of the Atlantic Margin. They provide a firm basis from which to undertake oil and gas exploration and development. Operators will continue to supplement their knowledge of the area by further research. The information already gathered and which will continue to be gathered will be used for environmental protection and is setting a trend for other emerging oil provinces. For more information, please click on one of the following links: AFEN UKOOA 2000 Environment Report Leaflets Index

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