Tamar Field Development Project Environmental Impact Assessment Volume II Matan Block Offshore Israel February 2015
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Tamar Field Development Project Environmental Impact Assessment Volume II Matan Block Offshore Israel February 2015 Prepared for: Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd Ackerstein Towers, Building D 12 Abba Eben Boulevard Herzliya Pituach, Israel 46725 Prepared by: CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. 8502 SW Kansas Avenue Stuart, Florida 34997 TAMAR FIELD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, VOLUME II MATAN BLOCK OFFSHORE ISRAEL DOCUMENT NO. CSA-NOBLE-FL-15-2650-08-REP-01-FIN-REV01 VERSION DATE DESCRIPTION PREPARED BY: REVIEWED BY: APPROVED BY: 01 8/15/2014 Initial draft for review LR BB, NP, NK LR 02 08/20/2014 Revised draft LR CKe, NK CKe 03 11/10/2014 Final draft LR NK LR FIN 01/14/2015 Revised final LR NK LR Revisions following FIN-REV01 02/24/2015 LR CKe, NK CKe client comments The electronic PDF version of this document is the Controlled Master Copy at all times. A printed copy is considered to be uncontrolled and it is the holder’s responsibility to ensure that they have the current revision. Controlled copies are available on the Management System network site or on request from the Document Production team. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd (Noble Energy) has prepared this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Tamar Field Development Project, which includes the drilling of three wells and the installation of subsea infrastructure (i.e., umbilical lines, utility lines, pipelines). Noble Energy has been active in the Tamar Field since 2006 with initial drilling activities starting in 2008. To date, seven wells have been drilled in the field (Tamar-1 through Tamar-6 and Tamar SW-1). Of these, five wells, Tamar-2 through Tamar-6, are currently producing. A gas production and transportation system composed of subsea trees, infield flowlines and umbilicals, and a pipeline currently links the Tamar Field to the Tamar Offshore Receiving and Processing Platform (Tamar Platform), located approximately 149 km south-southeast of the field (Figure ES-1). The proposed Tamar Field Development Project includes the completion of the Tamar SW-1 well, the drilling of three additional wells in the Tamar Reservoir (Tamar-7, Tamar-8, and Tamar-9), and the installation of the infrastructure to tie these wells into the existing Tamar subsea equipment. The umbilical line, utility lines, and pipelines proposed for the Tamar Field Development Project are shown in Figure ES-2 along with the existing infrastructure and the Tamar Reservoir. The Tamar Field is located in License 309 in the Matan Block, which is approximately 90 km west of Haifa in the Levantine Basin. The Matan Block covers 318 km2, of which the Tamar Field covers 250 km2. The proposed Tamar Field Development Project Application Area is located in the Tamar Field, which is at a depth of 1,600 to 1,700 m and includes the Tamar SW-1 well area in the Tamar SW Reservoir, the area around the three wells to be drilled in the Tamar Reservoir, and the infrastructure (pipelines, umbilicals, fiber optic cables) from these wells to the existing infrastructure. This EIA examines activities and potential impacts within these areas of influence, including areas within 2 km of the proposed activities, as well as other areas that may be environmentally affected as a result of the potential transport of discharges or emissions. This EIA presents a summary of the regional environment, including environmental studies that have been performed for the Tamar Field, and assesses the potential impacts that could result from the proposed Tamar Field Development Project. To present the most complete review of the conditions in the field and the potential impacts, the activities and studies completed in the Tamar Field to date are reviewed and the results of completed monitoring throughout the field are presented. The data provide the appropriate characterization of the environment to assess field-wide impacts that may occur as a result of the proposed completion, drilling, and installation activities. Mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate potential impacts are presented in this analysis. Two surveys performed for Noble Energy provide important data regarding background conditions. These are referred to in this report as the Tamar Field Background Monitoring Survey performed in February 2014 and the Tamar Field and Pipeline Survey performed in March of 2013. The surveys provide background information on physicochemical conditions and the benthic community. The EIA was prepared and organized in accordance with the Ministry of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources (MNIEWR) and the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MoEP, formerly the Ministry of the Environment) “Framework Guidelines for the Preparation of Environmental Document Accompanying License for Exploration Purposes”. Tamar Field Development Project EIA ES-1 Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd February 2015 CSA-Noble-FL-15-2650-08-REP-01-FIN-REV01 Figure ES-1. Tamar Field Development components. Water depth is in meters. Tamar Field Development Project EIA ES-2 Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd February 2015 CSA-Noble-FL-15-2650-08-REP-01-FIN-REV01 Figure ES-2. Locations of existing and proposed wells and infrastructure in the Tamar Field Development. Tamar Field Development Project EIA ES-3 Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd February 2015 CSA-Noble-FL-15-2650-08-REP-01-FIN-REV01 BASELINE ENVIRONMENT The EIA presents detailed information on each proposed well location as well as for the region, based on survey data and other available references. Seafloor depth at the proposed Tamar-7 well location is 1,665 m below the sea surface. The well location is on the crest of a northwest-to-southeast trending, low-relief seafloor ridge. The relief of the seafloor ridge increases to the southeast and is the result of compression in the underlying evaporite section. A northeast-to-southwest trending seafloor strike-slip fault is located approximately 500 m west of the proposed location. Seafloor depth at the proposed Tamar-8 well location is 1,670 m below the sea surface. The seafloor slopes less than 0.4° and is essentially horizontal. The well location is on a featureless, undulating abyssal plain, 1.0 km east of a meandering channel and 1.6 km southwest of a low-relief ridge. Seafloor depth at the proposed Tamar-9 well location is 1,690 m below the sea surface. Like the Tamar-8 location, the seafloor slopes less than 0.4°. The well location is on a featureless, undulating abyssal plain. Seafloor sediments are expected to comprise clays and silts, becoming firmer with depth. Seismic Activity There has been one recorded earthquake within 25 km of the Tamar SW-1 drillsite since 1979; the magnitude of the earthquake was 4.0. There have been no strong (magnitude 5.6 or greater on the Richter scale) regional earthquakes recorded within 200 km of the Tamar SW-1 drillsite since 1983. The data suggest that historic earthquakes within the Tamar Field are extremely rare events; when they occur, their magnitude has been moderate to low (i.e., less than 5.6 on the Richter scale). Winds Based on National Center for Environmental Predictions data, the wind regime is characterized by predominant westerly winds throughout most of the year (January through October) and varied winds in November and December. Winds generally are moderate in speed, with average monthly speeds of approximately 5 m/s. Overall, strong seasonal variability is not evident in the wind data. Winter winds (December through February) have higher maximum speeds than the rest of the year; however, average winds are relatively comparable throughout the year. Waves Nearly all of the waves in the region are less than 1.5 m in height, and wave direction is nearly always due eastward at this location (mean of 116°T, standard deviation of 53°) because of the strong westerly winds. Oceanographic Currents The upper water column currents at the current meter location were dominated by episodes of strong flows, particularly in the winter. At 25 m depth, the maximum recorded current speed was 53.6 cm/s, measured in January 2011. Mean current speeds at this depth were estimated to be as fast as 25 cm/s. At 73 m depth, the maximum current speed was 49.1 cm/s, measured in April 2011. Mean current speeds at this depth were estimated to be as fast as 22 cm/s. At 121 m depth, the maximum current speed was 41.5 cm/s. Mean currents were estimated to be as fast as 17 cm/s. At 233 m depth, the maximum current speed was 25.8 cm/s, measured in January 2011. The dominant flow direction at the near-surface was towards the south and west. Near-bottom currents do not appear to have a significant seasonal trend, with a maximum speed of only 8.7 cm/s. Tamar Field Development Project EIA ES-4 Noble Energy Mediterranean Ltd February 2015 CSA-Noble-FL-15-2650-08-REP-01-FIN-REV01 Hydrographic Information Surveys determined that surface waters were cool and isothermal (approximately 17°C to 18°C, depending on the season) to a depth of 100 m, then decreased to 15°C through the thermocline, and gradually stabilized to 14°C through the remainder of the water column to the seafloor. Salinity was recorded near the surface between 38.7 and 39.3 and gradually stabilized with increasing water depth to 38.8 at the seafloor. Turbidity was low (0.10 to 0.15 nephelometric turbidity units [NTU]) throughout the water column. The water column was well oxygenated at the surface (7.4 to 7.5 mg/L) and gradually stabilized to between 5.7 and 6.0 mg/L throughout the water column to the seafloor.