EPA waives impact study for seven offshore fuel supply vessels to support oil and gas operations

May 16, 2023 News

…public has 30 days to appeal decision

The Coastal Challenger

Kaieteur News – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced on its website, the waiver of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for seven vessels, seeking approval to conduct bunkering services within the Stabroek and Corentyne oil Blocks, offshore Guyana.

Bunkering, for those who may not be familiar with the term, refers to the supply of fuels to ships, similar to what a petrol station does on land. Five Project Summaries were uploaded to the EPA’s website, which specify the project each bunker vessel will support. The Breaux, Saavedra, Aldemir Souza Tide will support the Wei-1 drilling campaign in the Corentyne oil block, while the Gerard Tide will support the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity developments in the Stabroek Block. Both permits are being sought from Tidewater Marine International Inc. – Guyana, a company headquartered in Houston, USA.

The Ella F. Vessel

Meanwhile, Van Oord and Subsea 7- the companies awarded contracts for the pipeline aspect of the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project- are also looking to secure a permit for bunkering services to support the said initiative. Subsea 7 is a UK-based firm and Van Oord is headquartered in the Netherlands. The two companies are seeking authorization for three vessels, namely Coastal Challenger, Ella F, and Sayan Polaris which will store, transport and distribute the fuel in the 26,800 square kilometers Stabroek Block.

In a Public Notice, EPA said it screened the applications for the granting of Environmental Authorization in accordance with section 11(2) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05, Laws of Guyana; and has determined that the projects will not significantly affect the environment. While the operations, according to the regulator do not warrant an impact assessment, each project will be required to submit an Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

The Sayan Polaris

The Agency was keen to note, “Please be advised that this decision is in no way an indication that these projects are approved.” In fact, it advised that any person who may be affected by the proposed projects may lodge an appeal against the Agency’s decision (EIA not required) within thirty (30) days of the publication of the Notice. Appeals against the EPA’s decision should be addressed to: The Chairman, The Environmental Assessment Board or via E-mail: [email protected] or on its website: www.epaguyana.org.

As mandated by the Environmental Protection Act, the regulator shared four reasons for its decision on the waiver of the EIA. The risk of an oil spill during fuel operations was first on the agenda. The Agency explained that while there is a risk for fuel spills to potentially affect water quality and biodiversity, the impacts would not be significant. It said, “…the vessels (are) being equipped with the oil spill and pollution preparedness, prevention, and response mechanisms in conformity with standards established by MARPOL 73\78 and a Hazardous Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) for offshore bunkering activities.” Additionally, EPA outlined that the bunkering activities will be required to adhere to preventative measures such as ensuring that all environmental conditions (weather, tide action, lighting, etc.) are appropriate. It will also be required to implement leak detection mechanism (for example automatic locks on the feeding hose); perform volumetric checks prior to every bunkering activity; and inspecting all transfer hoses, valves and pipeline prior to all bunkering activities.

Secondly, the EPA detailed that the probability of collision is low, as a result of the navigation, monitoring, and communication systems of the vessels being installed. Additionally, the vessels are equipped with double-hull tanks reducing the potential of spills in the unlikely event of a collision. The vessels also ensure that hydrostatic pressure in the tanks remains intact during tidal change.

As its third reason for the waivers, the environmental body noted that air emissions such as CO2, SO2, and NOx will not have a significant impact on the environment.

Fourthly, the EPA pointed out, “The vessels have obtained a permit to operate within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from the Maritime Administrative Department (MARAD).”

• bunker, EIA, fuel, spill, waive