.

Societ~f PetroleumEngineers
I

SPE 29694

Seafloor Monitoring for Synthetic-Based Mud

Discharged in the Western Gulf of Mexico

John E. Candler, Sam Hoskin, ● Marc Churan, Cui Wei Lai, and Michael Freeman, M-1 Drilling Fluids L.L.C.

● SPE Member
Copyright 1995, .%ciety of Petroleum Engineers, Inc.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/EPA Exploration & Production Environmental Conference held in Houston, TX, U.S. A., 27.29 March 1995,

Th6 papsr was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of reformation contained m an abatracl submitted by the author(s). Contents of the papar,
ac presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petrolem Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(a). The material, aa presented, dcas not necessarily reflect any
pOSiliOn Of the !3Cciety of Petroleum Engineers. Its oflicers, or mem~rs. papers prRSenIe.j a! ~PE- m,aetinos
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of Patroleum Engineers. Permission to copy IS restricted to an abatract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abatract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment
of where and by whom the paper is presentsd. Write Librarian, SPE, P. C). Box 833636, Richardson, TX 75083 -3S36, U.S. A., Telex, 16324.5 SP EI.JT,

ABSTRACT Two years after discharges ofs ynthetic-based cuttings

were completed, an area within 50 m of the discharge
Synthetic-based muds have been used to simultaneously point continued to exhibit alterations in the benthic
improve drilling and environmental performance. The community not normally associated with water-based
fate and effects ofs ynthetic-based mud discharges in mud discharges. However, the study indicates that
the marine environment have been issues of concern polyalphaolefin synthetic-based mud exhibits significant
with the drilling industry and governmental agencies. improvements over oil-based mud in terms of removal of
Most of the environmental data ons ynthetic-based muds organic contamination and minimization of adverse
have been generated under laboratory conditions. This effects on the benthic community.
study uses field-collected data to investigate the fate and
effects of a polyalphaolefins ynthetic-based drilling fluid. INTRODUCTION

The first well drilled in the Gulf of Mexico usings ynthet- The discharge of drilling muds and drilled cuttings into
ic-based mud was completed in June 1992. Approxi- aquatic environments is a growing issue of environmental
----
mateiy 44 f bbi of cuttings and 354 bbl of synthetlc- concern worldwide. Regulations allow water-based
based mud were discharged over a 9-day period. Three muds (WBMS) that meet permit limitations to be dis-
sampling trips have been made to the discharge location charged in OCS waters of the USA. Oil-based muds
to collect sediment samples for chemical and biological (OBMS) and cuttings discharges have been prohibited in
analysis over a 2-year period. The sediment samples the Gulf of Mexico for some time. However, discharge
were analyzed for content of organic compounds and of OBMS has continued to be permitted in the North Sea
barium. On the third trip, in faunal samples were also under increasingly strict regulations. As part -of the
taken. regulatory process, North Sea operators have been
required to perform detailed chemical and biological site
Information collected from the chemical and biological assessments of locations that use OBM. In 1985, the
analysis is documented and compared to similar field Paris Commission Working Group on Oil Pollution consid-
studies performed on oil-based and water-based muds. ered the environmental data available and compiled a list
Sampling techniques and analytical protocols are de- of “agreed facts” which described the scale of contami-
scribed to facilitate futures tudies. nation from OBM, and the extent of the biological effects
of OBM discharges. The main pointsl of the “agreed
Tables and figures at end of the paper. facts” are summarized below.

51
2 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthetic.Basad Mud Discharged in tha Wastern Gulf of Mexico
1. Discharges of cuttings from WBMS or OBMS can have
an adverse effect on the seabed biological communi-
ty. The extent of biological effect of OBM cuttings is
-. .L. -+--.:-II.. LICZll Y ~lCa
~UU=LCIll
a.-m+c.. +ha-
LG1 LIIO1l
... i+h \A/Qhfl -, ,++imme
VVIL1l VVW*VI UULLlllya.
2, The major deleterious biological effects from OBMS
are confined to within 500 m of the discharge point.
3. Surrounding the area of major impact is a transition
zone with lesser biological effects which normally
extands 200 — 1000 m from the discharge point.
F,–..–L–> L.. J–– —-.L-— ------ .--A:---
4. EIWWXJ nyCIrC)CarDOn COIWf511Lrt ILlUIlS
OBMS have been observed beyond the areas of
biological effect as far as 4000 m in the direction of
the prevailing current.
Since 1985, monitoring and research of OBMS have
continued in the North Sea. Davies et a/.’ concluded in
1988 that additional research supported the “agreed
facts” from the 1985 Paris Convention. Reiersen2
concluded in 1988 that additional research indicated the
biological effects from OBMS could extend out to 5,000
m and hydrocarbon contamination could extend out
12,000 mm In response to continuing environmental
concerns about OBM discharges, synthetic-based muds
(SBMS) were developed to provide the drilling perfor-
mance of OBMS without the adverse biological effects.
Improved environmental and drilling performance provid-
ed by SBMS have resulted in a high level of interest in
this new technology. As SBMS have been developed,
seafloor recovery rate in terms of removal of organic load
and recovery of the benthic community have been key
concerns.
The first well drilled in the Gulf of Mexico using a SBM
was completed in June 1992 at North Padre Island Block
895 (NPI-895). The water depth was 131 ft (39 m).
Water-based mud was used to drill to 3400 ft. SBM was
used to drill from 3400 to 8050 ft with a 9.875-inch bit;
441 bbl of cuttings and 354 bbl of mud were discharged
through a shunt line. Subsequent to the drilling of this
well, three sampling cruises have been made to the
location to take samples for chemical and biological
analyses. On the third cruise, infaunal samples were
also taken. The cruises occurred at 9 days (June 17,
1992), 8 months (February 10, 1993), and 24 months
(June 17, 1994) after discharges were completed. This
paper presents the data collected from the three sam-
pling cruises taken to the NPI-895 site.
Laboratory studies3’4 on polyalphaolefin (PAO) SBM have
indicated low levels of toxicity, and moderate rates of
biodegradation. This NPI-895 field study was designed
as a preliminary investigation to measure the deposition,
SPE29694
fate, and biological effects of a PAO SBM for a single
exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico. It compares the
deposition and fate of SBM to WBM discharged in the
C,
w“, ,If, “,
nf Mnvi-n
,. ,”-,”” and -
“.. f)RM
----- ~~~~h~~g~~ ~~ ~h~ NQ~~h ~~~=
Effects on the benthic community and rates of recovery
for the benthic community are compared for SBM, OBM,
and WBM.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
Sampling for Chemical Analysis
-**.: L.. *- L1- &- e---b... -:--! -...4 Cll
C...,;.----”*” I lwcma:uii
Qaea=.#-.h Uluup
C*-*, - ,,,3=
tJLLIIUUltIUlfS LU uGuull Gllllual allu VI IUlllll Gll Lal Vvucl
contracted to perform sampling. Box core samples
(O. 1 m2) were taken at twenty sample locations. A sub-
sample of the top two cm of sediment was removed and
placed in a glass jar with a Teflon seal. Samples were
frozen until analyzed. A differential global positioning
system (GPS) was used to locate the sampling locations.
A buoy was used as a reference point for “close-in”
samples. Samples were taken on north–south and
east–west transects at 25 m, 50 m, 100 m, 200 m and
2000 m from the discharge point as shown in Fig. 1.
The 2000-m locations were used as background sam-
ples.
Sampling for Biological Analysis
During the third cruise, two 0.1 -m* box cores were taken
for biological analysis. If either of the two box cores
taken per site were unusable for the infaunal samples,
the box core was used for chemical analysis samples. In
several cases the box core was too disturbed and
tumbled to be used and the sample was discarded and a
new sample was taken. Upon removal from the box
core, the top 25 cm of the sample was sieved. Below
the top 25 cm was a clay layer which contained no
macrobenthos and was discarded.
Chemical Analysis for O&G, TPH, and GC/MS
Because each sample container had different amounts of
water, the total sample as received was homogenized
before taking a representative amount for testing. At the
same time, a second representative amount was taken
for gravimetric determination of the percent solids.
Blanks were run and subtracted from the raw data.
Selected duplicates were run for each set of samples to
demonstrate reproducibility. All results were reported on
a dry-weight basis.
Each extraction for Oil and Grease (O&G) was performed
by weighing into a beaker a sample of the wet sludge for
which the dry-solids content has been determined. The
sample was acidified to a pH of 2.0, and MgS04@Hz0
52
SPE29694 John E Candlec Sem Hoskin, Marc Churan, Cui Wei Lai end Michael Freemen
was added to dry the sample. The sample was stirred to
a smooth paste and spread on the sides of the beaker to
facilitate subsequent removal. The sample was allowed
to stand until dried. The solids were removed, ground to
a powder in a porcelain mortar, added to a paper extrac-
tion thimble, and extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus, using
trichlorotrifluoroethane, at a rate of 20 cycles/hr for 4 hr.
The volume of total solvent was reduced and then added
to a 100-mL volumetric flask and brought to volume.
In order to determine O&G using infrared techniques,5 a
..”” - ~Q!~~~~p, ~f the ~efe~en~e aYmm
ctmnk ‘“n t ‘l-Ll~
‘a+;a f!uid was
prepared. Using volumetric techniques,
standards over the range of interest were prepared. A
near infrared silica cell was selected, A background scan
... --A
was ~aiwm with triciiiorotrifiuoroetiiane in the ceii. The
~arnpie~ were ““”cesnnari
.,.,”.. ant-i” ~~~
“,, ahcnrhaneinc
““””, “u, ,“, ”” maacl
at 2930 cm”l. The absorbance of the unknown samples
were compared to a curve of the absorbancies of the
standards. A Perkin Elmer 1600 FTIR was used for the
. . . ...1.....-
allalyaia.
The fatty acids are selectively removed from the solu-
tion. Silica gel has the ability to absorb polar materials if
a solution of hydrocarbons and fatty materials in tri-
chlorotrifluoroethane is mixed with silica gel. The
materials not eliminated by silica gel absorption are
designated Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) by this
test.5
TPH was determined for the extract from the O&G
Soxhlet extraction. Three g of 2 “A deactivated silica gel
was added to the volumetric flask containing the oil and
grease extract. The solution was stirred for 5 min and
then allowed to settle completely. The remaining extract
was analyzed for TPH by infrared spectroscopy using the
same technique as oil and grease.5
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) scans
were run on the O&G extract because it showed the
composition of all organics extracted. A sample for a
GC/MS fingerprint scan was prepared by placing an
aliquot of the extract in a clean 15-mL vial and evaporat-
ing to 100 #L. Five UL was injected into the instrument.
The analysis was made using a Hewlett Packard 5890
GC/5970 Mass Detector equipped with a DB5 30 m X
0.32 mm capillary column (from J&W Scientific) operat-
ed at a temperature program of 50°C (5 min ISO) to
~~~oe “ Ion -;- I,s0)
,=” !1!1,, at 5ochirl.
Barium Analysis
Barium in the sediments was determined using energy-
dispersive x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Sediment samples
were oven-dried 24 hr at 105°C, ground into powder,
3
and pressed into briquettes. The briquettes were
irradiated using a Kevex model 770 XRF instrument
operating in source-tuned mode. A Rh primary x-ray
tube, operated at 60 kV and 0.8 or 1 mA was used to
irradiate a Gd target, which in turn irradiated the sampla.
Fluorescent x-rays were observed using a cryogenic
Si(Li) detector. IXRF software running on a microcomput-
er was used to collect and quantitate the fluorescence
spectra. Calibration standards were gravimetrically pre-
pared using Aldrich gold label barium sulfate and calcium
montmorillonite. Barium content of the montmorillonite
‘Was df3t~iiil~ild uS~ri~ St=ilCkid ddkkJiiS$ C~iCXJiAO~S.
a series of Spot samples were checked by emission spectroscopy.
Biological Analysis
,,, ””.2”, Irarl
u“
~~if Pmaet
UUCliDL
Raea.rfih
1lGa Gal bl 1
I -h-..-+-
atury. . ‘W=5 ~(lilii~dd iG
~auul
evaluate samples of the benthic community taken during
the June 1994 sampling cruise. To analyze the benthic
organisms recovered from the sampling cruise, the
organisms were completely sorted from the sediment,
placed into general taxonomic groups, and preserved in
70’% ethanol. Once sorted, the organisms were identi-
fied to the lowest possible taxonom-ic level and enumer-
ated for each sample location. The data were entered
into database files and checked for accuracy with a
standardized procedure.
Community Analysis Systemg was used to summarize
and analyze the macrobenthic data. Variations in the
macrobenthic assemblage structure were identified using
species richness (S), the total number of organisms per
site, diversity (H’)(natural log scale), and evenness
(H’/H~.X). In this study, a taxon was regarded as the
lowest practical level that could be attributed to a
particular benthic organism. Evenness expressed how
equally the total number of organisms was distributed
among the recognized taxa. Diversity identified the
interaction of species richness and evenness. The total
number of organisms is expressed on a per unit area of
0.2 m2. The common rnacrobenthic indices were
calculated for this study as follows:
s = # taxa per 0.20 mz
Total Number = Z # organisms per 0.20 m2
u,
n = Z Pi in pi, where pi = proportion Of
organisms in taxonomic category, i
H max = max diversity index for a given
number of taxa (used to calculate
evenness)
53
4 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthetic-Based Mud Discharged in the Western Gulf of Maxico
RESULTS
Physical Processes
The dominant features of the Gulf of Mexico were
discussed by Rabalais and Boesche in 1987. A net
southwesterly flow along the shelf characterizes the
predominant conditions from Fall to early Spring along
the continental shelf near Texas. A counterclockwise
gyre observed off South Texas during the winter mi-
grates north during the Spring and Summer. The gyre
may cause upwelling of cooler water onto the shelf
during the summer. Surface waters undergo seasonal
temperature fluctuations from 20 – 28° C and may have
reduced salinity as a result of river discharges. Rabalais
and BoeschG reported bottom waters on the outer half of
the shelf have salinities greater than 34 ppt (parts per
thousand) and are very homothermal 20–24°C from 50
to 100 m and 15 – 17°C at the shelf break.
Temperature and salinity profiles were taken at three
locations during the June 1992 sampling cruise. Water
temperatures ranged from 27° C on the surface to
21 .5°C at 39 m. Salinity ranged from 35.2 ppt on the
surface to 36 ppt at 39 m.
Geology
Geology of the study area was also discussed by
Rabalais and Boesch.e From the Mississippi River Delta
to the Rio Grande, the continental shelf is gently sloping
and wide. The sediments of the South Texas shelf
include a wide range of textures from muddy sands to
silty clays with a decrease in abundance of sand-sized
sediments seaward. Silt is the predominant sediment
constituent in this area with clay restricted to areas off
Port Aransas and Matagorda Island. The sediment grain
size analysis listed in Table 1 for composite NPI-895
sediment samples were taken during the cruises so that
they could be compared to other discharge environ-
ments.
TPH, O&G, and Barium Results
Results from TPH, O&G, and barium tests conducted on
samples taken during the three cruises are listed in
Table 2. The correlations among TPH, O&G, and barium
were strong for each set of samples. The samples taken
in 1992 are good examples of the correlation between
TPH and barium (Fig. 2) and TPH and O&G (Fig. 3).
Since TPH is the best indicator of the presence of SBM
it will be used to discuss the fate of the hydrocarbons
associated with the PAO SBM,
Tests for O&G and TPH measure the level of organic
54
SPE 29694
compounds in a sample. The names of these two tests
are misleading because organic compounds which are
not oil or grease can be extracted in the O&G test. Also
compounds which do not have a petroleum hydrocarbon
origin can be measured in the TPH test. A more appro-
priate identification of materials extracted in the O&G
tests would be compounds that can be extracted with
trichlorotrifluoroethane. A more appropriate identifica-
tion of materials extracted in the TPH test would be
non-polar compounds that can be extracted with tri-
chlorotrifluoroethane. TPH results are usually lower than
O&G results because the polar compounds do not
contribute to the results. Polar compounds frequently
represent fatty matter from animal and vegetable sourc-
es. Consequently, TPH results indicate the presence of
the base synthetic compound while O&G results indicate
the presence of the base synthetic compound as well as
increases in biomass and partially biodegraded synthetic
compounds.
The initial deposition and subsequent biodegradation and
dispersion of drilling fluids have traditionally been tracked
using TPH, O&G, and barium analyses.1’2 Barium sulfate
(barite) is a major constituent of drilling fluid. While
barium is used to track drilling fluid discharges, the
barium is in the form of barium sulfate which is insoluble
and environmentally benign.
As can be seen in Table 2, the initial distribution of
hydrocarbons was primarily along the north–south tran-
sect with the highest levels of TPH found 100 m north
(39,470 mg/kg) and 50 m south (1 34,428 mg/kg) of the
discharge point. Levels of TPH above 1000 mg/kg were
found at 50, 100, and 200 m to the north, 50 and 100
m to the south, 25 and 50 m to the west, and 25 m to
the east.
Fig. 4 shows that eight months after the discharge was
completed, significant changes had occurred in the con-
centration and distribution of TPH in the study area. The
average levels of TPH were significantly reduced in the
50-m and 100-m radial samples while the average 25-m
samples showed an increase. The two highest TPH
results were at 25 m to the west (25,747 mg/kg) and 25
m to the south (7283 mg/kg). Levels of TPH above
1000 were found at 50 m to the north and 25 m to the
west and south. While the initial deposition of sediment
appeared to be on a north —south transect, the drift of
sediment appeared to be to the southwest.
Two years after the discharge was completed, the
location continued to show steady decreases in the
levels of hydrocarbons at the 25-m sites. The highest
concentrations of TPH were found at 25 m south
(19, 110 mg/kg) and 25 m west (8330 mg/kg). Levels of
SPE29694 John E. Candlar, Sam Hoskin, Marc Churan, Cui Wei La& and Michaal Fraeman 5

TPH above 1000 were found at 25 and 50 m to the the reference sites between 2.49 and 2.86.
south and west. The sediment appeared to continue on
a southwest drift pattern. Evenness showed an inverse relationship to the other
indices with the affected sites having values of 0.73,
n 04
Macrobenthic Assembiagas Resuits U.o 1, d ~~~~~~s~
0.92. va~!~~ ~rneng ~!! 20 S@3S

between 0.65 and 0.92. The reference sites ranged

According to Rabalais and Boesch,G on the South Texas between 0.73 and 0.82.
coast polycheates are the dominant taxa comprising
about 60°A of the species with crustaceans accounting DISCUSSION
for i 570 and moiiusks 1 2%. Deii$ity d niWiGb~ilWH
on the mid shelf (40— 90 m) averaged 3300 individuals Comparison of WBM discharges to SBM discharges
per m2. On the outer shelf (1 00– 135 m) the density
averaged 2300 individuals per m2. Boothe and PresleyG characterized the behavior of water-
based drilling fluids and cuttings. Samples were taken
Results of biological testing are listed in Table 3. In the from six drilling locations in the NW Gulf of Mexico. The
results from the macrobenthic study of NPI-895, Rako- sampling pattern used radii of 30 m, 60 m, 125 m,
cinski et a/.9 identified 106 recognizable taxa. Polychea- 250 m, 500 m, and 3000 m. A total of 36 samples
tes represented 42.5y0, crustaceans 24.50A, mollusks were taken within 500 m of each drilling location using
19.8°A and echinoderms 570. The overall density was a box core from which subcores were taken for analysis.
n A :- A:..:A..a - -A- Tha d~@tiz at the Jipcrmtami - (0–2 cm) sediment samples and core (0–20
Y14 Illulvluuda pcl mz. I,, TJ “Q,, ,., “. . ..” . .V-. . . . . . .. Surface

nated reference sites ranged from 760— 1095 individuals
per m2 indicating the background density at this particu-
lar site was lower than reported in previously published
studies of the area. A variety of seasonal and site
specific factors could be responsible for the overall lower
density.
Rakocinski et a/.9 reported that the macrobenthic indices
showed that three “affected sites” located near the
discharge point were markedly different from the other
17 sites. These sites were 25 m south, 50 m south and
25 m west of the discharge point. These three sites
showed the highest levels of TPH contamination – dry weight depending on sediment texture.
19,110, 8330 and 3620 mg/kg. Higher variance in
mecrobenthic measures also existed among sites close
to the discharge point compared with the reference sites.
Species richness varied between 8 and 38 taxa per
0.2 mz for all 20 sites. The three affected sites had a
species richness of 8, 10, and 22 compared to 26 – 38
recognizable taxa among the other 17 sites. At the
reference sites the species richness varied between 27
and 32 taxa.
cm) samples were analyzed for barium using instrumental
neutron activation analysis (INAA). Boothe and Presley
studied exploration, development, and production drilling
sites. For each type of drilling site both a shallow water
location (about 30 m) and deep water location (about
100 m) were selected. A detailed description of each
well is compared the NPI-895 well in Table 4.
Boothe and Presley determined background levels of
barium by analyzing sediments from 4 control stations
located 3000 m from the discharge point. Background
barium concentrations ranged from < 200 to 700 ppm
Barium
above background levels was identified as excess
barium. A three-dimensional mass balance was deter-
mined for each location. Well records were used to
quantify the amount of barite discharged. Barium results
from core samples were integrated to identify the
concentration of excess barium to determine the
g barium per m2. Excess barium values were plotted for
the stations and contoured. Each contour was integrat-
ed to yield a total excess barium for the entire sediment
column within 500 m.

The total number of species per site varied between 17 Mass balance for barium and TPH were also performed
and 280 individuals per 0.2 m2. The three affected sites on data collected from the NPI-895 (SBM) well. Surface
showed 17, 38, and 141 individuals compared to 152– samples (O— 2 cm) were homogenized at each site and
280 individuals among the other 17 sites. At the used instead of core samples to determine the concen-
reference sites the total number of species varied tration of barium and TPH in the sediment. Background
between 152 and 219. levels were established for each sampling cruise by
averaging results from the four reference sites at 2000
Diversity H’ varied between 1.69 and 3.15 among all 20 m. Background levels of barium ranged from 622 — 869
sites. The three affected sites showed 1.69, 2.12, 2.25 mg/kg. Background levels of TPH ranged from <10 to
compared to 2.32—3. 15 among the other 17 sites. 40 mg/kg, The bias of using surface samples instead of
Diversity varied across a relatively narrow range among core samples is the potential exclusion of barium or TPH

55
6 Seefloor Monitoring for Syntheti@Besed Mud Discharged in the Western &u/f of Mexico SPE29694

below 2 cm. Analysis of the20-cm cores by Boothe and Comparison of SBM to OBM
Presley indicated that most of the barium was retained
in the top 5 cm of sediment. Grahi-Nielsen et a/.7 investigated the five-year fate of
OBM cuttings discharged from a single exploratory well
The results from the homogenized surface samples were in the North Sea. A total of 200 m3 of OBM cuttings
multiplied by the volume of sediment represented by the with a total of 25,000 kg of diesel oil was discharged
sample. Instead of plotting the excess barium concentra- into 60 m of water. Samples were collected yearly with
tions and contouring the sample area, the area of sedi- the first sample being taken one month after discharges
ment represented by each sample was calculated by were completed. Surface samples (O–3 cm) were
dividing the area of the circle represented by each radial taken along four radial transects between 100 and 3000
sampling distance by four after subtracting the area of m from the wellsite. The deposition and degradation of
interior circles. Fig. 5 indicates the sizes and shapes of hydrocarbon contamination were grouped into catego-
the areas generated for each sample. The volume of ries: (1) a heavily polluted area with total petroleum
em+irnnnt
““”!!!.”.!.
rnnrncnntnrl
.“pl”””! l.””
hw
“,
taat. h camnlc+
““”. . ““. .! ~.”
wac
. ...”
ridermind
. . . . . . . . . . . ..-
hv
-, ..hvrirrmarhnns
F ----------- [THC)
, . . .-, oreater
~. __. -. ?h~n 10.000
.-, --- ma/ko.
.--a..-ar
and
—..—.—.
(21

multiplying each area by a depth of two cm. The bias a moderately polluted area with hydrocarbons (THC)
introduced by using radial distances instead of contours between 10,000 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg. The areas of
was not determined and may have added bias of either contamination had an elliptical shape with the longitudi-
overestimating or underestimating the mass of barium nal axis in the direction of the wind-driven current.
and TPH !n ~h~ ~ed!men~. !n the case of TPH, the rnass-
balance calculation probably overestimated the TPH The study concluded that changes during the 5-year
because of the unlikelihood of 100% of the TPH falling study period were small. Concentrations in the inner,
---
within 200 m of the discharge point. heaviiy poiiuted area, with a diameter of 100 m or iess,
showed no significant decreases in hydrocarbons. The
The results of the Boothe and Presley study can be area of moderate pollution remained approximately
compared to the NPI-895 (SBM) well in Table 4. For the 500 m wide during the five-year study period. Gas chro-
nearshore WBM wells, approximately 1 ‘A of the dis- matography analysis was conducted on samples of
charged barium could be detected within 500 m of the recovered hydrocarbons. The ratios between normal
discharge point; while for the wells in deeper water, alkanes and unresolved complex mixtures, between n-C17
10OA of the discharged barium could be found within and pristane, between n-Cl~ and phytane, and between
500 m of the discharge point. Excess barium results in napthalenes and dibenzothiophenes all indicated an
Table 4 indicate that for the SBM a much higher percent- increasing rate of degradation with decreasing concentra-
age of barium discharged was initially deposited near the tions of hydrocarbons.
platform compared to water-based muds. Because
barium is a major constituent of the drilling fluid, this A similar analysis was conducted on the NPI-895 (SBM)
would indicate that a high percentage of the SBM well. The two wells had almost identical characteristics.
cuttings were initially deposited within 200 m of the Both wells generated approximately 25,000 kg of
discharge point. Fifty-four percent of the barium dis- hydrocarbons. The TPH and the THC are different test
charged from the SBM well was deposited within 200 m methods that yield similar results as demonstrated by
of the discharge point. During the second and third analysis of selected samples from the NPI-895 (SBM)
cruises the percentage of discharged barium dropped to well (Table 6). Most of the North Sea data have shown
levels found in the deepwater WBM locations (Table 4 the areas of TPH contamination to be elliptical with the
~~~ ~~g. Q< i~~gi?ud~nei e~i~ in the Airnt+inn
“,,””.,”!, of ~~~ wirddiriuan
... ,,” -,, . ...!

current. Grahl-Nielsen presented graphs representing

Results from Table 5 and Fig. 6 indicate a large percent- areas of moderate contamination ( 1000– 10,000 mg/kg
age of the TPH discharged could be found near the TPH). The area of heavy contamination ( > 10,000
NPI-895 (SBM) drilling location during the first sampling mg/kg) was described as less than 100 m in diameter
cruise. Since the synthetic-based fluid is biodegradable but was not graphically depicted. TPH results from the
and lighter than water, the synthetic material has more NPI-895 well were plotted on an X-Y graph and elliptical
pathways of degradation and dispersion than barium. areas of contamination were identified for heavy contam-
The percentage of TPH discharge that could be found ination and moderate contamination for each sampling
within 200 m of the discharge point fell from 100 to 7 cruise (Figs. 7-9). The changes in the area of moderate
over the two-year observation period. contamination over time for the two different wells were

56
 .
SPE 29694 John E Catrdlac Sam ffoskin, Marc Churan, Cui Wei Lai and Michael Freeman
identified by measuring the short and long axes of the
ellipse from the graphical depictions and calculating
areas for moderate and heavy contamination (Tables 7
and 8).
The OBM discharged in the North Sea did not appear to
change significantly over a five-year period while the
area of moderate contamination from the SBM dis-
charged in the Gulf of Mexico was reduced from 43,984
to 5891 mz or 86% (Table 7). A similar trend was
observed in Table 8 with the areas of heavy OBM
contamination showing no change while the SBM area of
heavy contamination was reduced from 4320 to 589 m2
or 860A. The most significant change in the area of SBM
contamination occurred within the first 8 months.
GC/MS analyses were conducted on samples of recov-
ered hydrocarbons for each sampling cruise. Unlike the
complex mixtures of hydrocarbons found in diesel and
mineral oil, the PAO used in the NPI-895 well was
uniformly composed of C-20 and C-30 isomers.
Throughout the two-year study period the GC/MS
fingerprints of recovered hydrocarbons did not alter
significantly from the baseline scans. Figs. 10-12 are
three representative GC/MS fingerprint scans from the
two-year study period.
Benthic Community Recovery
Three zones of benthic impacts for OBM have been
identified.l An area of major impact, a transition zone
with lesser biological effects, and an area of no adverse
effects. Benthic studies2 on WBM discharges indicate
-+.ein +~--
minor collcallllllac, _ - , h-
u,, ~a, ,Wu,,u lnn
“= fn,8nrl ,Wv tn
.W lnnn
,Wvv m
,,, frnm
,=, ,,
the discharge point, traceable as either increased levels
of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, or as small changes in
the benthic fauna.
Results from the benthic study of the NPI-895 (SBM)
well show a small area of impact, <50 m (Fig. 13), and
an area with no impact. Four measures of macrobenthic
effects were reported for the NPI-895 well. The hydro-
carbon contamination was measured by infrared analysis
and ~~nnrtd
r----- as mo/ka
-- ...=...= TPH on
_ a dry-weight basis. Each
macrobenthic indicator was plotted in relationship to
hydrocarbon contamination and the ranges of the refer-
ence samples were identified by boxes (Figs. 14-1 7).
The concentrations of hydrocarbon contamination that
appeared to significantly affect the macrobenthic indica-
tor were identified and placed in Table 9.
Similar data were taken from two OBM locations in the
North Sea. Four measures of macrobenthic effects were
identified for the Murchison Field and reported by Davies
et al.’ Hydrocarbon data were measured by infrared
57
7
analysis and expressed as pg Brent Crude oil equiva-
lents/g dry sediment. Data were taken in 1982 during
the drilling program and in 1985, 16 months after the
last discharge of OBM. Samples were taken at 100 m,
250 m, 500 m, 1000 m, and 2000 m. The 2000-m
sites were identified as reference sites. Each macro-
benthic indicator was plotted in relationship to hydrocar-
bon contamination and the ranges of the reference
samples were identified by boxes (Figs. 18-21). The
concentrations of hydrocarbon contamination that
appeared to significantly affect the macrobenthic indica-
tor were identified and placed in Table 9.
One measure of macrobenthic effect was identified for
the Statfjord Field and reported by Reiersen. 2 Hydrocar-
bon data was measured by IR in 1984 and GC in 1986
and reported as ppm THC. Samples were taken at 250
m, 500 m, 1000 m, 2500 m and 5000 m. The 5000-m
sites were identified as reference sites. The macro-
benthic indicator was plotted in relationship to hydrocar-
bon contamination and the range of reference samples
was identified by a box (Fig. 22). Reierson identified one
of the 5000 m reference sites as contaminated and used
a smaller range of values as background levels. The
concentrations of hydrocarbon contamination that
appeared to significantly affect the macrobenthic indica-
tor were identified (Table 9).
Table 9 shows that the level of hydrocarbon contamina-
tion required to adversely affect the macrobenthic
indicators was significantly higher for PAO SBM than for
OBM. In terms of the “agreed facts” of the Paris Com-
mission this means that the area of transition zone of
I@ccer
.-” ”-. hinlnrrical
-, -.-=--- . effects
------- would
-- - be Significantly SITIWX for
PAO SBM as compared to the 200 – 1000 m for OBM.
The biological effects on the areas of highest contamina-
tion of SBM would be greatly reduced compared to OBM.
Eight of the biologically unaffected sampling sites from
the NPI-895 study had TPH values ranging from 87 to
1080 mg/kg with an average of 548 mg/kg, These sites
indicate that a macrobenthic structure similar to back-
ground can occur in the presence of PAO up to i 000
mg/kg and before complete degradation occurs.
CONCLUSIONS
When contrasted with water-based mud, synthetic-based
mud has a greater impact on the benthic community
within 50 m of the discharge point two years after
discharges were completed. Compared to oil-based mud
discharged in the North Sea, tha rate of recovery for
SBM of contaminated areas was improved. Specific
conclusions reached from the NPI-895 study are listed
below.
8 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthetic-i?asad Mud Discharged in the Westarn Gulf of Mexico SPE 29694

1. Cuttings from the NPI-895 well were initially deposit- REFERENCES

ed along a north—south transect. Mass-balance
calculations indicate that compared to WBM a higher 1, Davies, J. M. et a/.: “The Environmental Effect of Oil-
percentage of cuttings from SBM was deposited on Based Mud Drilling in the North Sea, ” in Dri//ing
the seafloor within 200 m of the discharge point. Wastes edited by F. R. Englehardt, J. P. Ray and A.
H. Gillam; Elsevier Applied Science (1 989) 59.
2. Mass-balance calculations performed for TPH indicate
that shortly after discharges were completed, 100’?40 2. Reiersen, L.-O.: “Monitoring in the Vicinity of Oil and
of the SBM discharged could be measured in the top Gas Platforms: Results from the Norwegian Sector of
two cm of sediment within 200 m of the discharge the North Sea and Recommended Methods for Forth-
--— .—— 11:- n-:lf:-- IA1--*-- -4 :.-4 . . . r.r
point. After two years of degradation arid dispersion, coming SuWeiiianCe, rrl urmirly VVaa-LCa- tm LGU uy
70~ ~f tha
, ,“ “,
QRM ~i=nh=r”a~
.,, ” “.-7, ., .. ,””, .”-----
pn,,l~
------
h~
---
m~a~(lr~~
. ---------
in the
. . . . . .. R. ~.-..-.--,
~nrrleharrit. J= P. R~)/ ~~~ -A: H: ~ill~rn; Elsevier
—---- .—.
top two cm of sediment within 200 m of the dis- Applied Science (1 989) 91.
charge point.
3. Friedheim, J. E. et a/.: “An Environmentally Superior
3. The areas of heavy and moderate TPH contamination replacement of Mineral-Oil Drilling Fluids, ” SPE
assnciatd
-----.- . -- with
. . . . . . svnthetic-~~S~~
. . . . . ------ rn~~ @ ~he NPI-895 23062_—r.
mesented
——— at Offshore Europe Conference held
site were greatly reduced over a two-year period. in Aberdeen September 3-6, 1991.
This is an improvement over results reported in
.- —.- ..
literature for diesel OBM discharged in the North Sea 4. Friedheim, J. E. and Fantermueni, FL M.: “Superior
which indicated that the area of heavy and moderate Performance with Minimal Impact: A Novel Nonaque-
TPH contamination did not change over a five-year ous Drilling Fluid, ” SPE/lADC 25753 presented at the
period. SPE/lADC Drilling Conference held in Amsterdam,
February 23-25, 1993.
4. Two years after the SBM discharges were completed,
three sampling sites within 50 m of the discharge 5. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and
point indicated an adversely affected benthic commu- Wastewater, 17th cd.; American Public Health Asso-
nity. TPH results from the same three sampling sites ciation, (1 989) 5-41 through 5-47.
indicated levels of TPH attributable to SBM of 19,110
mg/kg, 8330 mg/kg, and 3620 mg/kg. 6. Rabalais, Nancy N. and Boesch, Donald F. “Dominant
Features and Processes of the Continental Shelf Envi-
5. The recovery of the benthic community at the ronments of the United States, ” in Long Term Envi-
NPI-895 (SBM) location showed improvement over ronmental Effects of Offshore Oil and Gas Develop-
OBM sites with similar levels of TPH contamination. ment edited by Donald F. Boesch and Nancy N.
The zone of transition of lesser biological effects Rabalais; Elsevier Applied Science (1 987) 71.
described in the “agreed facts” from the Paris Com-
mission was significantly reduced in size. 7. Grahl-Nielsen, O. et a/.: “The Five-year Fate of Sea-
floor Petroleum Hydrocarbons from Discharged Drill
6. Eight of the biologically unaffected sampling sites Cutting s,” in Drilling Wastes edited by F. R. Engle-
from the NPI-895 (SBM) study had TPH values hardt, J, P. Ray and A. H. Gillam; Elsevier Applied
ranging from 87 to 1080 mg/kg with an average of Science (1 989) 667.
548 mg/kg. These sites indicate that a macrobenthic
structure similar to background can occur in the 8. Boothe, P.N. and Presley, B.J.: “Trends in Sediment
------- - UI
-Z nAn 1------
I lab= El--a...+ P.-.-.. -.. +...+;--,. aluullu
. . . . ,.. A QIA
c:” rGLrur=uill
D,..+.fila, ,m
..- .- *nnn -. Ir,.. . . . L.-S- . .
pltxm[we rfiw up LU Ivuu Illylny allu UGIUIG GIslll=lic Gullbcl]uauulm

complete degradation occurs. Drilling Platforms in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexi-

co, ” in Drilling Wastes edited by F. R. Englehardt, J.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS P. Ray and A. H. Giliam; Elsevier Applied Science
(1989) 3.
The authors wish to thank M-1 Drilling Fluids for permis-
sion to publish this paper. A special thanks to personnel 9. Rakocinski, Chet eta/.: “Macrobenthic Assemblages
at Geochemical and Environmental Research Group for at Novadrill Sampling Sites Off Corpus Christi, ” Data
collecting all of the samples, Gulf Coast Research Report Submitted to: Geotechnical & Environmental
, -L—
--L---- 1-- -.. -,. .- L,——-———I-- -r. AL- L--AL:- -- ——. . n-..----k P----- burrtrgtr
*- II--- c..-.:-- T----- L.. -..1s uraa
P----- L
Laboratory Tor evaluaung samples UI me uwlulru wrrrrrru- nestrtrrurr uruup amuurl, I exus uy UUII

nity, and Mary Dimataris for help in preparing this manu- Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs Mississippi
script. (September 1, 1994).

58
SPE29694 John E Candlac Sam Hoskin, Marc Churan, Cui Wai Lai and Michael Freeman

SAMPLE LOCATIONS FOR NPI-895

600
■ 2000 meters
A

500 = 200 meters

t
400 N = 100 meters
= 50 meters
D 25 meters
300 ■ +- m mm mm m -+=
m
m

200 m

100 m

t
■

o
0 50 100 150200250300350400450500550600650700750800
METERS

Fig. 1- Sample locations for NPI-895 SBM well.

TABLE 1
SEDIMENT ANALYSIS FOR NPI-895 SBM WELL

COMPOSITE SAND SILT CLAY

DATE
SAMPLE (weight %) (weight %) (weight %)

June 92 25 m 3.38 42.06 54.55

June 92 50 m 6.07 38.95 54.98

June 92 100m 9.07 40.67 48.89

June 92 2000 m 3.48 29.25 67.28

I
~~~~~~~y ~~ 76
-“ m
,,, 9 92
-.-” ‘al
“..”, 27 RR
““.-r”All

February 93 50 m 3.49 35.66 60.85

February 93 100m 2.73 33.30 63.99

February 93 2000 m 2.69 31.36 65.95

June 94 25 m 6.1 30.2 63.7

June 94 50 m 2.3 30.8 66.9

June 94 100m 1.6 29.5 68,9

June 94 2000 m 1.4 31.0 67.6

 TALBLE2
OIL & GREASE, TOTAL PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS, AND BARIUM FOR NPI-895 SBM WELL

-
O&G (mghg) TPH (mg/kg) BARIUM (mg/l@
—
DIRECTION
DI~ANCE (m) JuNE 94
JUNE 92 FEB 93 JUNE 94 JUNE 92 FIIB 93 JUNE94 JUNE 92 FEB 93
—
25 N 1047 753 1551 256 158 822 586 1181 2478
—
25 E 1437 762 771 1020 197 560 540 1679 2771
—
25 s 762 8018 194191 203 7283 19110 803 8230 17993
—
25 w 3657 25848 84101 2827 25747 8330 4256 14670 32634
—
50 N 2367 3168 1601 1855 2850 450 1925 4521 1603
—
50 E 406 726 4121 62 190 ND 466 1791 1796
—
50 s 135937 1268 3881 134428 727 3620 47437 2700 8415
—
50 w 3717 1138 1571 2610 498 1080 1887 3652 4024
—
m
o 100 N 39937 714 1:!61 39470 187 383 39608 1413 1884
—
100 E 699 481 :)01 153 95 55 1118 1285 1461
—
100 s 2247 1058 1091 201OI 562 720 4618 2483 3227
—
100 w 1387 515 261 494 108 60 1929 12% 1373
—
2m N 2217 667 ’720 14601 297 87 5641 2693 1392
—
200 E 801 354 361 84, ND 20 766 600 990
—
200 s 746 828 561 3781 270 280 1282 2005 1720
—
200 w 640 360 231 8CI 24 20 542 848 1081
—
2000 N 836 542 361 76 ND ND 681 644 901
—
2000 E 578 355 151 241 ND ND 569 559 822
—
2000 s 466 373 261 26 ND ND 642 639 883
—
2000 w 762 568 281 34 ND 46 594 808 871
=

ND = Not Detected( c 10 mglkg)

 .

SPE29694 John E Candlec Sam Hoskin, Marc Churan, Cui Wai Lai and Michaal Fraeman 11

TPH VS BARIUM
JUNE 1992
1000000

100000

m
10000
<

E’ m m
m
I
n 1000 m
1- -m

-m
m
100 #-

a
to
100 1000 10000 100000
BARIUM mg/kg

Fig. 2- Correlation of TPH and Barium for NPI-895 SBM well in June 1992.

TPH VS O&G
JUNE 1992
1000000

100000

<
10000
?’
E 1000
ma”
1-

100 --
--
10
100 1000 10000 100000 1000000
O&G mg/kg

Fig. 3- Correlation of TPH and O&G for NPI-895 SBM well in June 1992.

61
12 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthetis-Basad Mud Discharged in tha Wastarn Gulf of bfaxico SPE 29694

AVERAGE TPH VALUES FOR SBIVI

JUNE 1992, FEBRUARY 1993, JUNE 1994
35

30

n
u
25 50 100 200 2000
METERS FROM DISCHARGE POINT

wJuN92 _FEB93 R+ JuN94

Fig. 4- Average TPH Values for NPI-895 SBM well.

TABLE 3
MACROBENTHIC ASSEMBLAGES FOR NPI-895 SBM WELL AS OF JUNE 1994

DI~ANCE (m) DIRECTION TAXA INDIVIDUALS DIVERSITY EVENNESS

25 N 34 260 2.45 0.69

25 E 35 216 2.81 0.79

25 s 8 38 1.69 0.81

25 w 10 17 2.12 0.92

50 N 31 225 2.47 0.78

50 E 35 222 2.32 0.65

50 s 22 141 2.25 0.73

50 w 35 280 2.71 0.76

100 N 37 217 2.68 0.74

100 E 27 162 2.59 0.78

100 s 38 217 3.07 0.84

100 w 38 168 3.15 0.87

200 N 37 201 3.03 0.84

200 E 26 168 2.38 0.73

200 s 36 221 2.48 0.69

200 w 31 209 2.33 0.68

2000 N 32 152 2.86 0.82

2000 E 27 170 2.55 0.77

2000 s 30 152 2.55 0.75

2000 w 31 219 2.49 0.73

62
 TABLE 4
WBM VS SBM WELL COMPARISON
BARIUM MASS-BALANCE CALCULATIONS

LOCAT=E+ ‘E=
“w: ‘:5 “~$~ ‘“is:r
WITHIN
sot) m WITHIN 500 m
—
WEST CAMERON Exploration 13 1110 0 2414 20.3 0.84
—
VERMILION 381 Exploration 102 590 0 229 22.0 9.6
—
MATAGORDA Development 29 3130 0 2334 21.6 0.93
—
0)
CAl 76
HIGH ISLAND Development 3000 0.48 1518 136.0 9.0
—
BRAZOS Production 34 1370 7.6 1041 15.1 1.5
—
VERMILION 321 Production 79 9780 5.5 4964 596.0 12.0
E —
WITHIN 2(IOm WITHIN 200 m
—
WBM Exploration 39 130 0
NP1-895
46 25.31! 54.80
JUNE 92
SBM Exploration 39 70 0
—
WBM Exploration 39 130 0.58
NPI-895
46 6.92! 14.98
FEB 93
SBM Exploration 39 70 0.58
—
WBM Exploration 39 130 2
NPI-895
46 5.804 12.57
JUNE 94
SBM Exultation 39 70 2
 .

C~F 7~fiJld
u-----
14 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthatis-Basad Mud Dischergad in the Westam GUIYfit A%?xicc

CENTFKATIONOf SAMPLEARE4S FCR MASS BALANCCCALCIIATION,W-.S95

\\ ,/-
.,
600
Percentage of TPH and Barium Discharged
measured within 200 meter radius
500

~. NPI 895 Jun 94

IF
400

M!O)
3’

300 tW 895 Feb93

‘5 14 ~: 12 P

7
200
/’ , ‘“ NPI e95 Jun92

100 L
o 20 40 60 80 100 120
Percentage of TPH cmd Barium Oischorged

0
0 50 100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800
isITLQS
~TPH -BARIUM

Fig. 5 - Identification of sample areas for mass-balance Fig. 6- Percentage of TPH and Barium discharged measured
cd-culations, NPI-895SBM well: wi-tiin a 200-m radius, NPI-895 SBM well.

TABLE 5
PERCENTAGE OF TPH DISCHARGED
MEASURED WITHIN 200-m RADIUS OF NPI-895 SBM WELL

TOTAL TPH ‘ TOTAL EXCESS PERCENT OF

Location DISCHARGED TPH EXCESS TPH
(1000 kg) (1000 kg)

wIT’HIN200nl wITHIN2001n

NPI-895
JUNE-92 I 25.91 26.02 100.42

NPI-895
FEB-93 I 25.91
I 2.15 8.32

NPI-895 25.91 1.88 7.28

JUNE-94

TABLE 6
COMPARISON OF TPH VS THC RESULTS
THREE SEDIMENT SAMPLES FROM NPI-895 SBM WELL

TPH THc
SAMPLE
(mg/kg dry weight) (mg/kg dry weight)

25 m North, 1994 822 759

200 m South, 1994 280 267

25 m West . 1994 8330 9901

64
SPE29694 John E C8ndle~ Sam Hoskin, Marc Churan, Cui Wei Lal and Michael Freeman 15

600
JUNE 1992 TPH RESULTS

500 A

400

300 . . .

200

100

0
c 50 ioc 15G20C25C <“<no
3C0350K+:R: 4---- ~506QQ 650700750800

INN2RCL8CLES =< 10, 000 mg/kg TPH OUTER CIRCLE =< 1, 000 rng/kg TPH

Fig. 7- Areas of heavy and moderate TPH contamination for NPI-895

SBM well in June 1992.

FEBRUARY 1993 TPH RESULTS

600

500

400

300 .
- !$)--- - -
Q

200 .

100

0
0 50 100 1502002 S030035CI$OJ1450500550600650700750800

NNCR CIRCLE =< 10. 000 rng/kg TPH OUTER CIRCLE =< 1, 000 ring/kg TPH

SBM well in February 1993.

I
JUNE 1994 TPH RESULTS
600

500 .

400 .

300 . .
-Q-- - “
Q
200

100
I
0
0 50 100 150200250300350400450500550600650700750800

NNZR CIRCLE =< 10, 000 rng/kg TPH ‘TiRs c?WER C,RCLC =< 1, 000 rng/kg TPH

Fig. 9- Areas of heavy and moderate TPH contamination for NPI-895

SBM well in June 1994.
16 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthatic-Basad Mud Discharged in tha Wastern Gulf of Mexico SPE 29694

TABLE 7
AREA OF SEDIMENT CONTAMINATED FROM 1000-10,000 mg/kg TPH
FOR NORTH SEA OBM and NPI-895 SBM WELLS

YEARS FROM SHORT AXIS LONG AXIS r4REA

LOCATION
DISCHARGE (m) (m) (m2)

NORTH SEA o 300 400 94251

NORTH SEA 1 250 500 98178

NORTH SEA 2 250 550 107996

NORTH SEA 3 200 500 78542

NORTH SEA 4 250 500 98178

NORTH SEA 5 250 500 98178

NPI-895 o 140 400 43984

JUNE 92

NPI-895 0.58 60 125 5891

FEB 93

NPI-895
JUNE 94 I 2
I
75
I 100
I
5891

TABLE 8
AREA OF SEDIMENT CONTAMINATED WITH >10,000 mg/kg TPH
FOR NORTH SEA OBM and NPI-895 SBM WELLS

I YEARS
I
FROM SHORT AXIS LONG AXIS AREA
LOCATION
DISCHARGE (m) (m) (m2)

NORTH SEA I o 100 100 7854

NORTH SEA I 1 100 100 7854

NORTH SEA I 2 100 100 7854

NORTH SEA I 3 100 100 7854

NORTH SEA I 4 100 100 7854

NORTH SEA I 5 100 100 7854

NPI-895 o 40& 30 100 &50 4320

JUNE 92 I
NPI-895
FEB 93 I 0.58 25 40 785

NPI-895
JUNE 94 I
- 2 589

66
SPE29694 John E. Candla~ Sam Hoskin. Marc Churan, l%i Wai Lai and Michaal Fraaman 17

—J

I
.— —.

-u —.

t— 4 1
—.

—.

1— -

.
** = N
-- “ “ “ m

Fig. 10- GC/MS Scan fingerprint scan for NPI-895 SBM well Fig. 11- GC/MS Scan fingerprint scan for NPI-895 SBM well
in June 1992 at 100 meters South. in February 1993 at 25 meters South,

DISTANCE VS SPECIES RICHNESS, NPI-895

40
:=
35 .-
.

10
.

5
10 100 1000 10000
OISTANCE rnetu-s
●

Fig. 12- GC/MS Scan fingerprint scan for NPI-895 SBM well Fig. 13- Impact on rnacrobenthic richness vs distance from
in June 1994 at 25 meters South. discharge point for NPI-895 SBM well in June 1994.

TPH VS DIVERSITY, NPI–895 TPH VS DIVERSITY, MURCHISON

3,2 6
.
3 5,5 RANCtCf RC~IRfNCESMLCS ~
.
:5
2.8 s .
~ 4,5 .
. - RANGEW Rwmoux S,wi.[s
2,6
~ E4
~ 2.4 f 3.5
. : m
. .
s 3
2.2 z
.
~ 2,5
2 *
E2
.
1.8
1,5
.
1.6 1
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1 10 100 1000 10000
TPH rng/kg THC ug/g

Fig. 14- Impact on rnacrobenthic diversity vs TPH for NPI-895 Fig. 18 - Impact on rnacrobenthic diversity vs THC for
SBM well in June 1994. Murchison Field, North Sea (OBM).

67
18 Seafloor Monitoring for Synthatic-Based Mud Discharged in the Westarn Gulf ef Maxico SPE29694

TPH VS SPECIES RICHNESS, NPI–895 TPH VS RICHNESS, MURCHISON

40 160 R.MGEC+ REFERENCE
S6WLES 1
.
I
-- &
--
35- - --
~ 140
%
. .
RANG<OF REFCRSNCC
SA.PLCS

.
.
20 .
100 1000 10000 100000 1 10 100 1000 10000
TPH MG/KG THC ug/g

Fig. 15- Impact onmacrobenthic richness vsTPH for NPI-895 Fig. 19 - Impact on macrobenthic richness vs THC for
SBM well in June 1994. Murchison Field, North Sea (OBM).

TPH VS NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, NPI–895 TPH VS NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, MURCHISON

- 300 4500
-b k
~
E .
250 4000
: :
“?
.mc w REKENCESAWISS 3500
H %
n. n.
~ 150 ~ 3000
RANGC Cf REFERENCE SAMPLES
2 ~
5
5 100 ~ 2500
z
& &
50 ~ 2000 .
& .
2 . %
so s
1500
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1 10 100 1000 10000
TPH rng/kg THC ug/g

Fig. 16- Impact on number of macrobenthic individuals vs TPH Fig. 20- Impact on number of macrobenthic individuals vs
for NPI-895 SBM well in June 1994. THC for Murchison Field, North Sea (OBM).

TPH VS EVENESS NPI–895 TPH VS EVENESS, MURCHISON

0.95 0,8
0.75 . RAWXCf RCrCRC14CI
SAWL15 I
0.9 .
0.7

0,65 .
0.85
.
06
n
% 0.55
~
0.5
.
0,45

0.4
0.7
-.
0.35
.
0.65- 0.3
10 100 1000 10000 100000 1 10 100 1000 10000
TPH MG/KG THC ug/g

Fig. 17- Impact on macrobenthic evenness vs TPH for NPI-895 Fig. 21 - Impact on macrobenthic evenness vs THC for
SBM well in June 1994. Murchison Field, North Sea (OBM).
SPE29694 John E. Candlar, Sam Hoskin, Marc i%uran, Cui Wai Lai and Michael Fraeman 19

TPH VS DIVERSITY, STATFJORD

6
-m -
- #
m

G’L - - : --:’”’’”:’’’’’’”’’’’”’’”
0 -
54 -
w
m -
23
>
~
!J? F
~,?
m
> =
n -
1 -
-
-
0
1 10 100 1000 10000
THC PPM

Fig. 22 - Impact on macrobenthic diversity vs THC for Statfjord Field, North Sea
(OBM).

TABLE 9
LEVELS OF HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATION THAT AFFECT MACROBENTHIC

NPI-895 MURCHISON STATFJORD

MACROBENTHIC
GULF OF MEXICO NORTH SEA NORTH SEA
INDICATOR
TPH (mg/kg) o~ (14#g) THC (ppm)
~!v~R~!~y lnnn-lnm
.“”” .“, ””” ~oo_lnnnn
.“, ””” loo — ~Q,~

RICHNESS 1000 – 10,OOO 10 – 10,OOO NOT DETERMINED

# OF INDIVIDUALS - looo– 10,OOO - 1000 – 10,OOO NOT DETERMINED ‘-

,, EVENNESS looo-lnrH-)n
-- >--- , IOo-lnm --, --- , NQT DETERM!N~~ ,,

69