Download Effects of oil and gas exploration in the Albertine

Effects of oil and gas exploration in
the Albertine Rift region on
biodiversity
Louise Johnson 2007 Assessing the Impacts
of Energy Developments and
Developing Appropriate Mitigation
in the Uganda portion of the Albertine Rift
Status of Oil Exploration in Uganda
• first attempts at drilling were in late 1930’s at
Buitaba Waki-B1 well
• current oil reserves variously estimated (range
from as low as 3.5 to as high as 700 million bbl)
• production potential is about 200,000 b/d once
the country's known fields are developed
• bulk of the oil exploration activities so far
concentrated in Exploration areas 1, 2 and 3 with
several productive wells successfully drilled
Louise Johnson 2007 Assessing the Impacts
of Energy Developments and
Developing Appropriate Mitigation
in the Uganda portion of the Albertine Rift
Status of Oil Exploration ctd
• Prospecting for oil in Uganda’s Albertine Rift
restarted in 2003 - 04
• government has licensed five exploration areas
(EAs) out of a total of nine, both onshore and
offshore in Lake Albert.
• Key of the licensed blocks are EAs 1, 2 and 3A,
respectively in the Pakwach, Northern Lake Albert
and Southern Lake Albert/Semliki Basins.
• By 2009 Tullow and Heritage had drilled 27 oil
wells, of which 25 were confirmed to contain
commercially viable hydrocarbons
Status of Oil Exploration ctd
• Several productive wells drilled in Kabwoya,
Bugungu WRs, MF National Park and Tonya
CWA
• An additional good number in intermediate
unprotected areas (in Bulisa area)
• Exploration prospects in the QENP area,
Semliki WR & West Nile
Status of Oil Exploration ctd
• Additional seismic survey, further exploratory
drilling, the longer-term production stage,
pipelines, decommissioning plans and audits
are envisaged to continue in the Albertine Rift
area in general and in the Protected Areas
within it in particular
• Variety of
ecosystems in the
AR area
• Largely account for
the rich
biodiversity area is
known for
Plumptre 2002Extent and Status of the Forests in the
Ugandan Albertine Rift
• Fragile systems with loose soils easily erodible
• Low lying flat areas not so dense vegetation
• With scattered trees
• Areas with quite deep erosion
surfaces and gullies.
• Largely bare of vegetation cover
• Areas of dense bush/thickets
Biodiversity of the Albertine Rift area
area is currently recognized globally as a
biodiversity hotspot
contains over 50% of birds, 39% of
mammals, 19% of amphibians, and 14% of
reptiles of the African continent, a large
number of endemics
large number of protected areas, ranging from
forest reserves, community wildlife reserves,
wildlife reserves to fully -protected national
parks
Source:
Environmental
Sensitivity
Atlas
for the
Albertine
Graben
Plumptre 2002Extent and Status of
the Forests in the
Ugandan Albertine Rift
• Most vulnerable of the biodiversity
Not just oil!
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Proposed Ayago hydropower dam in MFNP
Karuma Hydropower dam and associated facilities
Upgrading the Hoima-Kaiso Road
Upgrading of the Bulisa- Hoima road
Hydro-power dam on River Wambabya
Proposed Gas Pipeline from Nzizi well sites in
Kabwoya WR
Geothermal Exploration and Development
Oil processing facility(????)
Connecting pipelines etc etc
ASSOCIATED POPULATION GROWTH
Impacts on biodiversity
• Ecosystem and environmental compromise
from the oil sector - different points at
exploration, extraction, processing and
transportation
• the associated socio-economic developments
• increased pressure at the PA boundaries from
population buildup due to the socio-economic
developments
• Population trends various species of
Mammals in MFCA, 1973-2006
• exploration and developing the oil product could result
into variety of direct and indirect impacts to
biodiversity
• Fragmentation of populations and/or their
habitats
• Disruption and/or blockage of dispersal and/or
foraging routes (Case of elephants)
• Habitat destruction due to restricted movement
of animals and forcing them to over use of one
area
• Increased poaching and other illegal activities
• Off set gone bad?????
Seismic survey designs
Semliki basin showing the seismic grid (source
Kashambuzi and Mugisha (undated)
• Extending the edge into natural habitats in areas
traversed by the seismic lines
• Destruction of critical habitats that may be crossed
by the lines (eg. Lekking grounds, breeding grounds
for amphibians and other ground nesting animals,
etc)
• Water channel destruction and siltation if the lines
crossed such channels - this would have
consequences for aquatic biota
• Behavioral disruption for wildlife in areas that are
actively being worked for data acquisition.
• Potential for actual killing of slow moving animals by
the trucks
Drill Pad and Workers Camp construction
• Drill pad area 100*100m - drilling phase
• Restored to leave 10*10m(?) around well
head after drilling
• Typical drill pad area
– Cleared of veg, fenced, modified by heaping and compacting marrum etc
Drill waste pits with unflared oil
potential death traps
• Direct animal impacts
• Oil Spills and poisoning
Thanks for your attention
• 2 D seismic
• 3 D seismic
THE VALUE OF 3D SEISMIC IN TODAY'S EXPLORATION ENVIRONMENT IN CANADA AND
AROUND THE WORLD
Cooper, N.M.
Mustagh Resources Ltd., Calgary, 400 604 -- 1st Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 1M7, e:mail:
[email protected]