Environmental concerns and future oil and gas developments in Coastal Wetlands of Louisiana
- Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge, LA (United States)
Recent studies have confirmed that much oil and natural gas have been overlooked and increases in future recoverable reserves will come from drilling in these areas. Increased production will result from identifying unexploited compartmentalized reservoirs, new infield reservoirs, and bypassed reservoirs, and by using enhanced recovery technologies for hydrocarbon recovery in incompletely drained reservoirs previously left unproduced for economic reasons. Most of southern Louisiana's hydrocarbon reserves underlie coastal wetland areas of the state. Major environmental concerns associated with the future development of existing reserves are canal dredging and destruction of wildlife habitat, use and disposal of oil-based muds, mitigation for wetland damage, and the recent emerging issue of surface contamination by naturally occurring radioactive materials with potential liabilities and future remedial regulation. To reduce wetland environmental damage caused by access canals to drilling sites, the Coastal Management Division of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources instituted a geologic reviews program to review drilling permit application in the coastal wetlands. This process provides a mechanism for state and federal agencies to comment on the requested drilling permit. As a result of this process, the total average wetland disturbed area has been reduced from 767 ac per year in 1982 to approximately 76 ac per year in 1991. Average lengths of access canals also have been reduced by approximately 78% during the period. Oil and gas companies are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental consequences of drilling in wetlands and are considering them in planning for development activities. In the current climate of increasing public consciousness about the environment, addressing environmental concerns in the planning state will go a long way in helping alleviate future environmental problems.
- OSTI ID:
- 7133208
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9310237-; CODEN: AABUD2
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 77:9; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) mid-continent section meeting, Amarillo, TX (United States), 10-12 Oct 1993; ISSN 0149-1423
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
HYDROCARBONS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
LOUISIANA
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
WELL DRILLING
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
REVIEWS
WETLANDS
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
CONTAMINATION
DAMAGE
DREDGING
HABITAT
MITIGATION
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RESERVES
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DOCUMENT TYPES
DRILLING
ECOSYSTEMS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
USA
021000* - Petroleum- Legislation & Regulations
031000 - Natural Gas- Legislation & Regulations
020900 - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
030800 - Natural Gas- Environmental Aspects