FEW 49342

Goal
The goal of this project is to provide new information and support to DOE and the oil and gas industry through three tasks. The tasks are (A) continued work on produced-water discharges to the hypoxic zone, (B) coordination of a program review for DOE and industry through the Petroleum Environmental Research Forum (PERF), and (C) organization and coordination of a workshop with PERF on total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH).

Performer
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Washington, DC

Results
Task A continues ANL’s work relating to produced-water discharges to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. The initial work was funded through FEW49177. Task A provides additional funding. ANL’s detailed study of produced-water characteristics was provided to EPA in August 2005. EPA hired three expert water quality modelers, who used the ANL data as model inputs. The modeling results were submitted to EPA in May 2006. In December 2006, EPA released its draft permit for Gulf of Mexico discharges. The draft permit noted that the produced-water discharges were determined to be having an insignificant impact on the hypoxic zone. Therefore, no additional permit requirements would be imposed on oxygen-demanding materials in produced water. ANL has had conversations with DOE, NETL, and PERF about both the Task B program review and the Task C TPH workshop. In June 2007, EPA issued the final permit for Gulf of Mexico discharges. The permit noted that the produced-water discharges were determined to be having an insignificant impact on the hypoxic zone. Therefore, no additional permit requirements would be imposed on oxygen-demanding materials in produced water.

Benefits
The benefits of Task A are quite significant. The data collected by ANL in its hypoxic zone study were used by EPA to justify a decision that no new permit requirements were needed. This decision avoided a potential cost of many million dollars of additional cost to further treat offshore produced water. The benefits from Tasks B and C relate to the sharing of research and information among DOE, industry, and researchers. The tasks will develop and share information that the industry can use to improve environmental protection and interaction with regulatory agencies.

Background
Each year, DOE receives recommendations for additional research from oil and gas industry representatives through PERF. The three tasks in this project were recommended by PERF for FY06.

Summary
This program includes three unrelated tasks that were recommended as being valuable to the oil and gas industry by PERF. In the first task, ANL will continue to work with EPA and the offshore operators to interpret the hypoxic zone model results and review the future permit conditions developed by EPA.

In the second task, ANL will work with NETL and PERF to coordinate a special research program review at an upcoming PERF meeting to allow for interaction between NETL-funded researchers and industry representatives. The review will involve representatives of oil and gas companies, national laboratories, universities, regulators, and other contractors working on NETL-funded tasks in the chosen topical area. The deliverable for the second task is a report summarizing the discussions held at the review, including recommendations for follow-up research ideas.

In the third task, ANL will assist PERF in organizing a TPH workshop. The workshop will look to update the earlier work of the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Criteria Working Group, which provided technical information needed by regulators, site managers, and risk assessors to implement health risk-based decisions at petroleum-impacted sites. The deliverable for the third task is a written workshop summary.

Current Status (July 2007)
Task A: In June 2007, EPA issued a permit indicating that, based on its review of ANL’s produced-water characterization data, no additional permit requirements relating to the hypoxic zone would be necessary.

Task B: Following discussions with DOE and NETL staff during the fall of 2006, the theme for the program review was selected to be air issues. Tentatively, the program review will be held during the first few months of 2008.

Task C: The TPH workshop had been scheduled for March 2007 but was postponed to a later date.

Funding
This project was awarded under NETL support for PERF.

Project Start: July 1, 2006
Project End: October 1, 2008

Anticipated DOE Contribution: $150,000
Performer Contribution: $0

Contact Information
NETL – Jesse Garcia (jesse.garcia@netl.doe.gov or 918-699-2036)
ANL – John Veil (jveil@anl.gov or 202-488-24500)

Publications
Task A: Numerous presentations were made under the previous project (FEW49177). The following presentations are newer and are funded under this project.

Bierman, V.J., Jr., S.C. Hinz, D. Justic, D. Scavia, J.A. Veil, K. Satterlee, III, M.E. Parker, and S. Wilson, “Predicted Impacts from Offshore Produced-Water Discharges on Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico,” SPE 106814, presented at the 2007 SPE E&P Environmental and Safety Conference held in Galveston, TX, March 5-7, 2007.

Veil, J.A., “Outcome of Produced-Water Sampling Program from Platforms in the Hypoxic Zone,” presented at the 17th Produced-Water Seminar, Houston, TX, January 17-19, 2007.

Veil, J.A., “Characteristics of Produced Water Discharged to the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone,” MMS Information Transfer Meeting, Kenner, LA, January 9–11, 2007.