Government and industry cooperating to improve offshore environment
North Sea governments and the oil industry have taken the innovative step of working together on minimizing the impact of their activities on the environment, recognizing the need for pan-European cooperation on environmental issues. The Chemical Hazard Assessment and Risk Management (CHARM) Model is a major step towards cooperation among various North Sea governments, operators, and oil services companies operating in the same area. Initiated in December 1992, CHARM is a mathematical computer model which evaluates the hazard levels of offshore E&P chemicals used in the North Sea area. The environmental characteristics of a chemical product are evaluated and combined with the intended use of the product to establish its potential effects on a particular environmental area. CHARM operates sequentially in four modules: prescreening begins, followed by hazard assessment, risk analysis, risk management. Input and output of data are maintained in a database format. Since CHARM is used as a decision support tool, the user can define the criteria for the use of CHARM and the decisions made based on its results. Some operators have vested so much trust in the CHARM Model, that they use it as a decision making tool. The pumping service companies in the North Sea are working together to offer information from actual operating experience. The result of this work for cementing is currently being discussed and incorporated in the model. Other groups of chemicals like stimulation, completion and workover are currently being documented. Moreover, the significance of industry and regulatory bodies working together to improve the environment is enormous.
- OSTI ID:
- 414802
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960623--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Hazard assessment and risk management of chemicals used in offshore production of oil and gas
Environment risk management of produced water - a demonstration of the CHARM model used for the Ula field in the North Sea