Report for the Purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening
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Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Report for the purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening 253993-00-REP-14 | 14 June 2018 Inch Terminal Kinsale Head Gas Field 1978 Ballycotton Gas Field ALPHA 1991 BRAVO A-Sand Greensand Gas Field 2003 Seven Heads Southwest Kinsale Gas Field Gas Field 2003 2001 A-Sand B-Sand B-Sand Note: This figure is for diagrammatic purposes only. PSE Kinsale Energy Limited Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Report for the Purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening Contents Page Glossary of Terms i 1 Introduction and Background 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Consent Application Process 4 1.3 Report Structure 4 2 Legislative Background, Guidance and Data Sources 6 2.1 Article 6 of the Habitats Directive 6 2.2 Article 12 of the Habitats Directive 7 2.3 Legislative Guidance and Data Sources 8 3 Description of the Project 10 3.1 Introduction 10 3.2 Project Background 10 3.3 Description of Existing Facilities 13 3.4 Approach to Decommissioning 16 3.5 Summary, Activity Timing and Phasing 29 4 Identification of Relevant Natura 2000 Sites 31 4.1 Overview 31 4.2 Definition of the Zone of Influence (ZoI) of the proposed project 31 4.3 Designated sites within the Zone of Influence of the Proposed Project 32 4.4 Assessment Criteria 38 5 AA Screening for likely significant effects 39 5.1 Identification of Potential Sources of Effects 39 5.2 Consideration of Potential Effects 40 5.3 Consideration of Potential In-Combination Effects 61 6 AA Screening Statement and Conclusion 64 7 Annex IV Species Screening for likely effects 65 7.1 Introduction 65 7.2 Species 65 7.3 Screening for Effects on Annex IV Species 70 7.4 Consideration of Potential Effects 70 7.5 Consideration of Potential In-Combination Effects with Other Plans and Projects in the Area 73 8 Annex IV Species Screening Conclusions 74 9 References 75 253993-00-REP-14 | Issue 1 | 14 June 2018 PSE Kinsale Energy Limited Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Report for the Purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening Tables Page Table 3.1: Summary of Development History for the Kinsale Area Fields 11 Table 3.2: Inch Terminal Detail 15 Table 3.3: Summary of proposed decommissioning options for the KADP infrastructure 17 Table 3.4: Overview of topside cleaning waste generated 19 Table 3.5: Estimated rock placement requirements for in situ decommissioning options 25 Table 3.6: Proposed methodology for demolition of Inch Terminal 28 Table 4.1: Relevant SACs and SPAs within the potential ZOI, their features and the closest distance to any Kinsale Area facilities 33 Table 5.1: Source of Potential Effects and Receptors 41 Table 5.2: Sources of noise and vibration 49 Table 5.3: Summary of indicative noise sources associated with the KADP 52 Table 5.4: Relevant qualifying interests of relevant sites and their auditory capabilities 53 Table 5.5: Potential discharges 54 Table 5.6: Potential sources of accidental events 59 Table 7.1: Relevant Annex IV species 65 Table 7.2: Seasonal occurrence of cetaceans in the Kinsale Area 67 Table 7.3: Relevant Annex IV species and their auditory capabilities 71 Figures Figure 1.1: Location of the Kinsale Area fields and facilities 3 Figure 3.1: The Kinsale Area gas fields and facilities 12 Figure 3.2: Kinsale Alpha 13 Figure 3.3: Aerial Photo of Inch Terminal 15 Figure 3.4: Indicative Project Schedule 30 Figure 4.1: Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas 37 Appendices Appendix A Natura 2000 Site Synopsis Reports 253993-00-REP-14 | Issue 1 | 14 June 2018 Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Glossary of Terms PSE Kinsale Energy Limited Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Report for the Purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening Glossary of Terms Term Explanation AA Appropriate Assessment AA Screening This Appropriate Assessment Screening Report Report Bathymetry Measurement of depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes Benthic sampling Sampling taken from ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake, including the sediment surface and some sub- surface layers Biotope Region of a habitat associated with a particular ecological community Buoyancy Enclosed air-filled tanks designed to keep the vessel/equipment they are cassions attached to afloat and prevent it from sinking CA Comparative Assessment CRU Commission for Regulation of Utilities Water and Energy CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CO Conservation objectives Concrete A series of concrete blocks usually connected by polypropylene ropes mattress resembling a rectangular mattress, used for the weighting and/or protection of seabed structures including pipelines CoP Cessation of Production: the stage at which, after all economic development opportunities have been pursued, hydrocarbon production ceases. CSV Construction Support Vessel DCCAE Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment DCENR Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources DECC Department of Energy & Climate Change (UK) Decommissioning Planned shut-down or removal of a building, equipment, plant, offshore installation etc.., from operation or usage offshore. Diesel A low viscosity distillate fuel DP Dynamic Positioning: the use of thrusters and real time positional information to maintain the location of a vessel DSV Diving Support Vessel Flowline Pipeline carrying unprocessed oil/gas within the oil or gas field area Freespan A free span on a pipeline is where the seabed sediments have been eroded, or scoured away leaving a void under the pipeline so that the pipeline is no longer supported on the seabed GHG Greenhouse gas Grout Particularly fluid form of concrete used to fill gaps, generally a mixture of water, cement, and sand HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle HLV Heavy-Lift Vessel ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea 253993-00-REP-14 | Issue 1 | 14 June 2018 Page i PSE Kinsale Energy Limited Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Report for the Purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening Term Explanation IMO International Maritime Organisation In situ In the original place. Interconnector Structure which enables energy to flow between networks, refers to international connections between electricity and natural gas networks IOSEA Irish Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessment Jacket The structure comprising the “legs” of the offshore platform connected together by horizontal and diagonal trusses and usually made of welded tubular steel. The jacket is typically secured to the seabed by piles KA Kinsale Alpha platform KADP Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project KB Kinsale Bravo platform Kinsale Energy PSE Kinsale Energy Limitied km Kilometre: 1,000m, equivalent to 0.54 nautical miles LAeq Sound levels that vary over time which results in a single decibel value which takes into account the total sound energy over the period of time of interest LPP Layer polypropylene LWIV Light Well Intervention Vessel Manifold A pipe or chamber branching into several openings. Minister Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment MODU Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Natura 2000 sites Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) designated respectively under the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive. NIS Natura Impact Statement nm Nautical Mile (1852m = 1 minute of latitude = 1/60 degree of latitude) NPWS National Parks and Wildlife Service NUI Normally Unmanned Installation: an installation with minimal facilities which is not permanently crewed and is controlled from a remote location (e.g. other platform or shore) OCNS Offshore Chemical Notification Scheme OSPAR Oslo and Paris Convention P&A Plug and Abandon (wells) Pelagic (fish) Fish which live in the pelagic zone. The pelagic zone is any water in sea or lake which is neither close to the bottom nor near the shore. Piece Medium Method of decommissioning the topside structures which involves the separating of the topsides into a number of medium size pieces for removal with a heavy lift vessel and transported to shore for further dismantling. Also known as ‘reverse installation’. Plankton Small and microscopic organisms drifting or floating in the sea or fresh water PLEM Pipeline End Manifold PLONOR Pose Little or No Risk 253993-00-REP-14 | Issue 1 | 14 June 2018 Page ii PSE Kinsale Energy Limited Kinsale Area Decommissioning Project Report for the Purposes of Appropriate Assessment Screening and Article 12 Assessment Screening Term Explanation PSV Platform supply vessel PUDAC Permit to Use or Discharge Added Chemicals Rigless A well-intervention operation conducted with equipment and support facilities that precludes the requirement for a rig over the wellbore ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle: a small, unmanned submersible used for inspection and the carrying out of some activities such as valve manipulation SAC Special Area of Conservation: established under the Habitats Directive SCANS Small Cetaceans in European Atlantic waters and the North Sea SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment Seafastened Action of fastening/securing cargoes on ship with the aim of preventing them from movement while the ship is in transit Semi-submersible A floating mobile drilling rig supported on a number of pontoons, and typically