ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT OF THE TAMBAREDJO NORTH-WEST OIL FIELD IN SURINAME Prepared for: Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname N.V. by: Dirk Noordam with contributions of: Armand Amatali Marieke Heemskerk Menno Marrenga Jan Mol Otte Ottema Bing Tan Pieter Teunissen Final report April 1, 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................2 1.1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................ 2 1.3 THE TAMBAREDJO NW PROJECT AND STUDY AREA ................................................ 3 1.4 EIA OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................ 4 1.5 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 5 2 LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS .............................6 2.1 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION AND GUIDELINES ................................. 6 2.1.1 The Hindrance Act ........................................................................................... 6 2.1.2 Mining Decree, E-58 ............................................................................................. 6 2.1.3 Petroleum Act ....................................................................................................... 7 2.1.4 Nature Conservation Act ...................................................................................... 7 2.1.5 Resolution Establishment North Saramacca MUMA ....................................... 8 2.1.6 Resolution Land Allocation in Coastal Zone Management Areas ................... 9 2.2 LEGISLATION DRAFTED BY NIMOS ........................................................................ 11 2.2.1 Draft Environmental Act ................................................................................... 11 2.2.2 Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines ................................................ 12 2.3 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND TREATIES ..................................................... 13 2.3.1 The Convention on Biological Diversity ...................................................... 13 2.3.2 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance ................................... 13 2.3.3 Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network .......................................... 14 2.4 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS ..................... 15 2.4.1 Oil Concession Conditions ................................................................................. 15 2.4.2 International requirements ................................................................................ 15 2.4.2.1 ARPEL ........................................................................................................... 15 2.4.2.2 International Association of Oil and Gas Producers .................................. 16 2.4.2.3 World Bank Group ........................................................................................ 16 2.4.2.4 The Ramsar Convention ............................................................................. 17 2.4.3 Environmental Standards and Guidelines .................................................. 18 2.4.3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 18 2.4.3.2 Ambient air quality...................................................................................... 18 2.4.3.3 Noise ............................................................................................................ 18 2.4.3.4 Wastewater .................................................................................................. 18 2.4.3.5 Soil ............................................................................................................... 19 2.4.4 Staatsolie Policy .............................................................................................. 20 2.4.5 Permitting process ......................................................................................... 21 2.4.5.1 Permit for study activities in the Coppename-monding Nature Reserve .. 21 2.4.5.2 Notification for oil field activities in the North Saramacca MUMA......... 21 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPACTED ENVIRONMENT .................................22 3.1 CLIMATE .................................................................................................................. 22 3.1.1 Methodology ................................................................................................... 22 3.1.2 General climate conditions ............................................................................ 22 3.1.3 Specific conditions for the study area and the study period ...................... 23 3.2 AIR QUALITY ............................................................................................................ 25 3.2.1 Methodology ................................................................................................... 25 3.2.2 Air quality in the study area ......................................................................... 26 D. Noordam Staatolie Maatschappij Suriname N.V. Noordam Environmental Consultancy EIA Tambaredjo NW Production Development 3.3 NOISE AND ASSOCIATED EFFECTS ........................................................................... 26 3.3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Methodology ................................................................................................... 27 3.3.3 Baseline conditions in the Tambaredjo NW area ....................................... 27 3.4 GEOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 30 3.4.1 Methodology ................................................................................................... 30 3.4.2 Geology of the study area .............................................................................. 30 3.5 GEO-HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................... 31 3.5.1 Methodology ................................................................................................... 31 3.5.2 Geohydrology of the study area .................................................................... 31 3.6 GEOMORPHOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................................................ 32 3.6.1 Methodology ................................................................................................... 32 3.6.2 General ............................................................................................................ 32 3.6.3 Landscape and soil conditions in the project area ...................................... 33 3.6.4 Soil properties................................................................................................. 34 3.6.5 Soil suitability ................................................................................................. 35 3.7 HYDROLOGY ............................................................................................................ 36 3.7.1 Baseline description hydrology ..................................................................... 36 3.7.1.1 General ........................................................................................................ 36 3.7.1.2 Hydrology of the Buru Swamp ................................................................... 37 3.8 WATER QUALITY ..................................................................................................... 40 3.8.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 40 3.8.2 Water quality of the project area ................................................................. 41 3.8.3 The Calcutta oil field ..................................................................................... 42 3.9 VEGETATION ........................................................................................................... 43 3.9.1 Vegetation records ................................................................................................ 43 3.9.2 Vegetation types and mapping ........................................................................... 43 3.9.3 Vegetation succession .......................................................................................... 47 3.9.4 Grass and peat fires ............................................................................................ 48 3.9.5 Unique vegetation........................................................................................... 49 3.10 FLORA ...................................................................................................................... 50 3.10.1 Methods .............................................................................................................. 50 3.10.2 Results ................................................................................................................ 50 3.10.3 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 50 3.10.4 Goods and services