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ADDENDUM TO EDGE 2D HR SEISMIC SURVEY AND SITE SURVEY – SCREENING FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT REPORT RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 23 AUGUST 2019 MGE0741RP0008 Addendum to Edge 2D HR Seismic Survey and Site Survey – Screening for AA Report Response to RFI and Clarifications F01 21 October 2019 rpsgroup.com RESPONSE TO RFI AND CLARIFICATIONS Document status Review Version Purpose of document Authored by Reviewed by Approved by date Response to RFI and Gareth Gareth F01 James Forde 21/10/2019 Clarifications McElhinney McElhinney Approval for issue Gareth McElhinney 21 October 2019 © Copyright RPS Group Limited. All rights reserved. The report has been prepared for the exclusive use of our client and unless otherwise agreed in writing by RPS Group Limited no other party may use, make use of or rely on the contents of this report. The report has been compiled using the resources agreed with the client and in accordance with the scope of work agreed with the client. No liability is accepted by RPS Group Limited for any use of this report, other than the purpose for which it was prepared. RPS Group Limited accepts no responsibility for any documents or information supplied to RPS Group Limited by others and no legal liability arising from the use by others of opinions or data contained in this report. It is expressly stated that no independent verification of any documents or information supplied by others has been made. RPS Group Limited has used reasonable skill, care and diligence in compiling this report and no warranty is provided as to the report’s accuracy. No part of this report may be copied or reproduced, by any means, without the written permission of RPS Group Limited. Prepared by: Prepared for: RPS CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited Dr James Forde Stephen Parker Senior Project Scientist Exploration Manager Ireland Lyrr 2, IDA Business & Technology Park, Prospect House, 97 Oxford Road, Mervue, Galway, Ireland Uxbridge, UK, H91 H9CK UB81LU T +353 (0) 91 400 200 T +44 (0) 1895 237700 E [email protected] E [email protected] MGE0741RP0008 | Addendum to Edge 2D HR Seismic Survey and Site Survey – Screening for AA Report Response to RFI and Clarifications | F01 | 21 October 2019 rpsgroup.com Page i RESPONSE TO RFI AND CLARIFICATIONS Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 2 REQUESTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION/ CLARIFICATIONS ............................................ 2 2.1 Query 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Query 2 .......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Query 3 ........................................................................................................................................11 2.4 Query 4 ........................................................................................................................................12 2.4.1 Response Overview ....................................................................................................................13 2.4.2 Impact Assessment .....................................................................................................................15 2.4.3 Habitats Directive Annex II Marine Mammal Species .................................................................17 2.4.4 Habitats Directive Annex II Migratory Fish Species: ...................................................................21 2.4.5 Habitats Directive Annex I Offshore Geogenic and Biogenic Reef .............................................27 2.4.6 Birds Directive Annex I Seabird Species ....................................................................................30 3 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION REGARDING POTENTIAL IN COMBINATION EFFECTS ....................................................................................................................................44 Tables Table 2.1: Coordinates of provisional survey line start- and end-points .............................................. 7 Table 2.2: Coordinates of survey area node points ...............................................................................10 Table 2.3: Marine mammal QIs of SACs ..................................................................................................14 Table 2.4: Migratory fish QIs of SACs .....................................................................................................14 Table 2.5: Survey aspects associated with proposed activities and unplanned events ...................15 Table 2.6: QIs of SACs and SCIs of SPAs for which no potential pathway for interaction exists with planned survey activities and unplanned events ...............................................................15 Table 2.7: QIs of SACs and SCIs of SPAs for which potential interaction with survey aspects exists ...........................................................................................................................................................16 Table 2.8: SACs designated for Annex II marine mammal species .....................................................17 Table 2.9: Screening assessment of potential effects of the survey aspects to Annex II marine mammal species ...........................................................................................................................18 Table 2.10: SACs designated for Annex II migratory fish species .......................................................22 Table 2.11: Screening assessment of potential effects of the survey aspects to Annex II migratory fish species ..............................................................................................................................23 Table 2.12: SACs designated for Annex I reef habitat ...........................................................................27 Table 2.13: Screening assessment of potential effects of the survey aspects to Annex I reef habitat .........................................................................................................................................................27 Table 2.14: SPAs assessed for potential impacts ..................................................................................30 Table 2.15: Screening assessment of potential effects of the survey aspects to Birds Directive Annex I bird species .................................................................................................................31 Table 2.16: Seabird foraging ranges (summarised from Thaxter et al. 2012 and Wakefield et al. 2017) .......................................................................................................................................................33 Table 2.17: SPAs with qualifying SCI species with foraging ranges potentially overlapping the GWA Seabird foraging ranges (summarised from Thaxter et al. 2012 and Wakefield et al. 2017) ............................................................................................................................................................35 Table 2.18: Risk categories of SCI species with foraging ranges overlapping the GWA .................38 MGE0741RP0008 | Addendum to Edge 2D HR Seismic Survey and Site Survey – Screening for AA Report Response to RFI and Clarifications | F01 | 21 October 2019 rpsgroup.com Page ii RESPONSE TO RFI AND CLARIFICATIONS Table 2.19: Risk categories .....................................................................................................................38 Table 3.1: Other offshore activities and potential for in-combination effect with the proposed Edge Survey ...............................................................................................................................................46 Figures Figure 2.1: Provisional vessel survey lines relative to the proposed greater working area ............... 6 Appendices Appendix A SACs and SPAs MGE0741RP0008 | Addendum to Edge 2D HR Seismic Survey and Site Survey – Screening for AA Report Response to RFI and Clarifications | F01 | 21 October 2019 rpsgroup.com Page iii RESPONSE TO RFI AND CLARIFICATIONS 1 INTRODUCTION On 23 August 2019 the EAU wrote to CNOOC requesting further information and clarifications on the Edge Survey application to enable carrying out a Stage 1 AA Screening Assessment of the application in accordance with the requirements set out in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. The Habitats Directive has been given effect in Irish law by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011-15 as amended. The EAU raised a total of 4 No. requests for further information or clarifications (queries) relating the Screening for Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) report. CNOOC has considered the 4 queries raised by the EAU and presents below a detailed response to each query (see Section 2.1 to Section 2.4). We trust that these responses provide the required additional information and clarity to enable a determination to be made. MGE0741RP0008 | Addendum to Edge 2D HR Seismic Survey and Site Survey – Screening for AA Report Response to RFI and Clarifications | F01 | 21 October 2019 rpsgroup.com Page 1 RESPONSE TO RFI AND CLARIFICATIONS 2 REQUESTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION/ CLARIFICATIONS 2.1 Query 1 Query 1. Clarification