Current understanding and research needs for ecological risk assessments of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in subsea oil and gas pipelines

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dc.contributor.authorKoppel, DJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKho, Fen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHastings, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCrouch, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorMacIntosh, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorCresswell, Ten_AU
dc.contributor.authorHiggins, Sen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-12-17T03:18:36Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-12-17T03:18:36Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2022-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-12-01en_AU
dc.description.abstractThousands of offshore oil and gas facilities are coming to the end of their life in jurisdictions worldwide and will require decommissioning. In-situ decommissioning, where the subsea components of that infrastructure are left in the marine environment following the end of its productive life, has been proposed as an option that delivers net benefits, including from: ecological benefits from the establishment of artificial reefs, economic benefits from associated fisheries, reduced costs and improved human safety outcomes for operators. However, potential negative impacts, such as the ecological risk of residual contaminants, are not well understood. Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) are a class of contaminants found in some oil and gas infrastructure (e.g. pipelines) and includes radionuclides of uranium, thorium, radium, radon, lead, and polonium. NORM are ubiquitous in oil and gas reservoirs around the world and may form contamination products including scales and sludges in subsea infrastructure due to their chemistries and the physical processes of oil and gas extraction. The risk that NORM from these sources pose to marine ecosystems is not yet understood meaning that decisions made about decommissioning may not deliver the best outcomes for environments. In this review, we consider the life of NORM-contamination products in oil and gas systems, their expected exposure pathways in the marine environment, and possible ecological impacts following release. These are accompanied by the key research priorities that need to better describe risk associated with decommissioning options. © 2021 Elsevier Ltden_AU
dc.description.sponsorshipThis research was funded by the Australian Government's Industry Growth Centre National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) through a National Decommissioning Research Initiative (NDRI) grant to Curtin University. The NDRI project was funded by eight industry partners including Shell Australia, Esso Australia, Chevron Australia, BHP Petroleum, Woodside Energy, Santos Limited, ConocoPhillips Pipeline Australia, and Vermilion Oil and Gas Australia. AH is funded by the University of Aberdeen.en_AU
dc.identifier.articlenumber106774en_AU
dc.identifier.citationKoppel, D. J., Kho, F., Hastings, A., Crouch, D., MacIntosh, A., Cresswell, T., & Higgins, S. (2022). Current understanding and research needs for ecological risk assessments of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in subsea oil and gas pipelines. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 241, 106774. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106774en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0265-931Xen_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Environmental Radioactivityen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106774en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/12542en_AU
dc.identifier.volume241en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectNaturally occurring radioactive materialsen_AU
dc.subjectInformation needsen_AU
dc.subjectEcologyen_AU
dc.subjectPipelinesen_AU
dc.subjectEnvironmental impact statementsen_AU
dc.subjectDecommissioningen_AU
dc.subjectMarine disposalen_AU
dc.subjectOffshore platformsen_AU
dc.titleCurrent understanding and research needs for ecological risk assessments of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in subsea oil and gas pipelinesen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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