Possible impacts of drilling offshore
The Scoping Phase by TotalEnergies is used to identify potentially significant environmental issues for further consideration during the Impact Assessment Phase.
According to TotalEnergies, impacts for the proposed Brulpadda oil and gas project in normal conditions could include:
Impacts on air quality due to air emissions from vessel engines and well testing.
Impacts on sea water quality at drilling sites due to drilling mud and cuttings and cement that will be discharged into the sea during well drilling.
Impacts on sediment quality (bottom contours, grain size and some chemical parameters) from discharge of drilling mud and cuttings and cement and from seafloor sampling.
Impacts on plant and animal life on the sea bottom in areas where wells are drilled, or project infrastructure is installed.
Incineration of individual birds from well stem test flaring at the drillship.
Noise effects on marine life due to sound from construction-related activities, and associated physical and behaviour disturbance.
The potential for collision between project vessels and marine mammals and sea turtles due to well drilling.
Protection from fish pressure of some fishes and invertebrate species attracted to the project infrastructures where the exclusion zone will be applied.
Local disruption to marine traffic to avoid project activities at sea and their exclusion safety zones.
Loss of fishing gear due to project vessel movements in fishing areas.
Loss of small-scale/artisanal fishing grounds due to project infrastructures and their exclusion safety zones.
Risk of collision between project vessels and smallscale fishing boats due to project vessels' movements.
Social unrest in coastal communities due to the perception of negative impacts on fisheries combined with very limited local benefits.