Case Study on Underwater pipeline leaks and their impact on the environment because of the leaks.

1. CASE STUDY OF
UNDERWATER PIPELINE
LEAKAGE AND IT’S
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
-AISWARYA KAMESWARAN (16BLA1015)
-G.R.S.S.POOJITHA (16BLA1049)
-V. MADHULIKA (16BLB1030)

2. INTRODUCTION

3. • Submarine pipelines, as arteries for offshore oil and gas transportation, play a particularly important
role in the exploitation of offshore oil and gas resources.
• Since the world’s first submarine pipelines were laid in the Gulf of Mexico, numerous failures have
been caused by pipeline free-spanning.
• These pipelines are buried up to ten feet below the surface, removing vegetation, soil, and bedrock
along the construction right-of-way.
• An extensive network of access roads and staging areas are required. These surface disturbances
impact both surface water and groundwater resources.
• The pipeline integrity management system encompasses all efforts to ensure the pipeline is secured
and safe to operate. This implies adequate inspection and maintenance, ensuring fit-for-service,
operational control and monitoring, adequate repair systems in place should the need arise, trained
personnel, regular audits and risk assessments etc. and more importantly, a management system to
harness these activities. These efforts create an opportunity for the pipeline operator to have full
control over the pipeline life and functionality.
• There is today, evidence of repair-leak-repair cycle involving underwater pipelines in poor visibility
conditions. This is particularly common in pipelines often classified as “old” pipelines.

4. • This is against the object of PIMS and represents a gap. The poor underwater visibility is often
due to inorganic and particulates of organic.
• Substances swept into the open water or sea by tidal actions, rain water, wind, industrial
processes etc. This problem creates room for oil spills with its attendant social, economic and
environmental damages.
• It is also noted that in some developing countries, there is an increasing trend for inspection of
damages on pipelines by joint investigation teams to determine whether a spill is caused
intentionally or not.
• Unfortunately, the joint inspection exercise is a prerequisite requirement for pipeline repairs in
some regions of the world.
• It is therefore desirable that agreement between the stake- holders in the joint investigation team
be resolved as quickly as possible using a suitable close visual inspection or related technique.
• Quick resolution of causes of damages for submerged pipeline causing spills in un- clear/muddy
water may be difficult with the present industry tools

5. OBJECTIVE

6. 1. Identify causes of leakage of
underwater Pipeline and the
environmental impact caused.
2. Case study of recent Gas Leak
incidents:
i. Alaska Leak, 2017
ii. Gulf of Mexico Leak, 2021
3. Analyse Best Management
Practices including Leak inspection
and Repair Management carried
out
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7. METHODOLOGY

8. • The methodology adopted is “Analytical and Descriptive”.
• The data for this is gathered from primary sources like journals and secondary data
that includes articles, research papers, websites, news articles, committee reports
etc.
Identifying existing
problem at hand
and the
environmental
impact caused.
Consolidate data
and information
collected from
Primary Secondary
Sources
Identify and
Analyse Case
studies relating to
Subject Matter
Provide Conclusive
Idea and
Recommendation
for the issue.

9. REVIEW OF
LITERATURE

10. TITLE
The impact of laying and maintenance of offshore
pipelines on the marine environment and the North Sea
fisheries
AUTHORS S.J.de Groot
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 1982
INFERENCES
• Reviews the impact of the laying and maintenance of
offshore pipelines on the marine environment of the
North Sea, with an emphasis on the interaction between
the offshore oil and gas industry and the fishing industry.
• Fishery damage attributed to offshore activities, fishing
activity in relation with pipelines, improvements of fishing
gear to reduce the impact on pipelines and the biological
effect of introducing structures on the bottom.
• Suggested to base the requirements for each new
projected pipeline on a combination of considerations
and to assess these requirements case by case instead
of applying standard requirements on e.g. burial depth,
trenching, etc.

11. TITLE Pipeline Location Decisions
AUTHORS Oleg I. LarichevDavid L. Olson
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2001
INFERENCES
• Pipeline location problems have many ofthe features
common to other location decisions.
• They involve safety and security issues, because there is
a long history of pipeline accidents. These accidents
sometimes involve undesirable waste in the form of
spills, but also have involved explosions with loss of life.
• There are a number of criteria over which alternative
sites can be evaluated.
• Each pipeline siting is unique, although all pipelines
involve some common features. Therefore, examination
of problems on one pipeline provide valuable information
for the next pipeline, but each project will have a unique
set of problems as well. This creates the need for new
selection decisions.

12. TITLE
Cause Analysis and Countermeasure for Submarine
Pipeline Failure
AUTHORS JIN Wei-liang,ZHANG En-yong,SHAO Jian-wen,LIU De-hua
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2004
INFERENCES
• The submarine pipeline is playing an important role in
marine oil development as the lifeline of the maritime oil
and natural gas fields.
• But submarine pipeline often loses its function under
abominable working conditions because of
corrosion,scour,mechanical damage etc.
• The security of submarine pipeline has been the
question that people have paid close attention to all the
time.
• The main cause that makes submarine pipeline failure is
analyzed in this paper, countermeasures of preventing
from submarine pipeline failure are put forward, and
inspection ways for submarine pipeline are introduced
simply.

13. TITLE Corrosion Problems Of Pipeline And Asolution
AUTHORS
Toshio Yoshida; Shigetomo Matsui; Toshio Atsuta; Koyu
Itoga
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2007
INFERENCES
• Corrosion problems of pipelines and their control
measures are discussed. As one of the economical
solutions to these problems, stainless steel lined pipes
are proposed.
• Since metals are produced from their ores -limited
resources by applying vast amount of energy, it is
important from the point of view of conservation of
energy and resources to prevent metals from being lost
by corrosion.
• One of the problems to which a solution is urgently
needed is the corrosion of pipelines which transport
crude oil or natural gas.
• In some areas, leakage of oil, gas and included salt
water is becoming a public hazard. The development of
reliable and economical corrosion resistant pipe is
therefore of great importance.

14. TITLE
Overview of the Design, Construction, and Operation of
Interstate Liquid Petroleum Pipelines
AUTHORS T.C. Pharris and R.L. Kolpa
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2007
INFERENCES
• U.S. pipelines are located in coastal plains, deserts,
Arctic tundra, mountains, and more than a mile beneath
the water’s surface of the Gulf of Mexico (Rabinow 2004;
AOPL 2006). The network of crude oil pipelines in the
United States is extensive.
• There are approximately 55,000 miles of crude oil trunk
lines (usually 8 to 24 inches in diameter) in the United
States that connect regional markets.
• The United States also has an estimated 30,000 to
40,000 miles of small gathering lines There are
approximately 95,000 miles of refined products pipelines
nationwide. Refined products pipelines are found in
almost every state in the United States, with the
exception of some New England states.
• . The overview of pipeline design, installation, and
operation provided

15. TITLE Pipeline Corrosion
AUTHORS Baker, Michael Baker Jr., Inc. & Raymond R. Fessler
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2008
INFERENCES
• During the 20-year period from 1988 to 2007, corrosion
has been responsible for 18 percent of the significant
incidents in pipelines carrying natural gas or hazardous
liquids.
• On average, there have been 52 significant corrosion
incidents per year on pipelines in the United States.
• Sixty-three percent of the incidents involved onshore
hazardous liquid pipelines and 15 percent involved
onshore gas transmission pipelines.
• The remaining incidents occurred on offshore gas
transmission pipelines, gas distribution lines, gas
gathering lines, and offshore liquid lines.
• On average, those incidents resulted in 1.4 fatalities and
5.2 injuries per year, and caused about $25 million of
property damage per year.
• In comparison with gas pipelines, liquid pipelines
experienced more incidents and caused more property
damage but resulted in fewer fatalities and injuries.

16. TITLE
Rights of states regarding underwater cables and
pipelines
AUTHORS Miso MUDRIC
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2010
INFERENCES
• The article explores the rights and duties of States
regarding the laying and operation of the
underwater/submarine cables and pipelines.
• It discusses the legal nature and public law aspects of
cross-border land and submarine cables and pipelines,
together with the relevant provision of the Energy
Charter Treaty and the United Nations Convention for the
Law of the Sea.
• As the territorial sea of each Coastal State falls under the
full State’s jurisdiction, the submarine cables and
pipelines in that zone are governed by the same legal
regime applicable for land cables and pipelines.
• Usually, participating States and companies sign special
international treaties and agreements, defining
contractual terms, conditions and the applicable law.

17. TITLE
Sensor Network Architectures for Monitoring
Underwater Pipelines
AUTHORS
Nader Mohamed, Imad Jawhar, Jameela Al-Jaroodi & Liren
Zhang
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2011
INFERENCES
• This paper develops and compares different sensor
network architecture designs that can be used for
monitoring underwater pipeline infrastructures.
• These architectures are underwater wired sensor
networks, underwater acoustic wireless sensor networks,
RF (Radio Frequency) wireless sensor networks,
integrated wired/acoustic wireless sensor networks, and
integrated wired/RF wireless sensor networks.
• The reliability challenges and enhancement approaches
for these network architectures.

18. TITLE
Research on Leakage Detection and Analysis of
Leakage Point in the Gas Pipeline System.
AUTHORS Zhao Yang, Mingliang Liu, Min Shao, Yingjie Ji
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2011
INFERENCES
• The leakage caused by holes on gas pipelines generates
economic losses to gas companies and causes risks to
the environment and sometimes accidents. In order to
detect and locate pipeline rupture immediately, the
leakage detection method plays a key role in the overall
integrity management in the pipeline system.

19. TITLE
Stress analysis of underwater pipeline for irregular
seabed topography
AUTHORS Nurul alia binti mohd anuar
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2012
INFERENCES
• The pipeline was be examined on various conditions
according to the geometry of the seabed.
• The input or load cases of the pipeline system are ocean
current and wave.
• The analyses are carried out for both the fully fixed and
simply supported pipes, which form the two extreme
conditions of pipelines under service conditions.
• Result is that the stress of the pipelines should not
exceed the maximum allowable stress set by the
regulations.

20. TITLE
Effectiveness of using fibre-reinforced polymer
composites for underwater steel pipeline repairs
AUTHORS
Md Shamsuddoha, Md Mainul Islam, Thiru Aravinthan, Allan
Manalo, Kin-tak Lau
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2013
INFERENCES
• Metal pipelines are the most efficient and safe ways for
oil and gas transportation over a long distance.
• At present, almost all pipelines are made by ferrous steel
which is sensitive to corrosion at harsh working
environments, particularly in the presence of salty water
and sulphur ingress media.
• For years, the most traditionally-credible solution for a
damaged steel pipe is to remove the pipe entirely or just
a localized damaged section and then replace it by a
new one or cover with a steel patch through welding,
respectively.
• Numerous literatures have shown that fibre-reinforced
polymer-based composites can be effectively used for
steel pipe repairs. Considerable research has been
carried out on the repair of corroded and gouged pipes
incorporating with fibre-reinforced composite wraps

21. TITLE
Underwater Pipeline Repair in Difficult Seabed
Conditions: Problems and Solution
AUTHORS B. A. Jones & N. Wright
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2015
INFERENCES
• This paper examines the application of innovative
technology to significantly reduce the time for a major
repair to a 36 inch diameter buried submarine pipeline.
• The actual repair is achieved by cutting out the damaged
section and inserting a replacement spool-piece.
• Such operations would be based upon hyperbaric
welding which is performed in a dry habitat chamber and
is a relatively controlled and straightforward operation.
• Therefore the research effort was directed towards
saving time on the auxiliary tasks such as: seabed
excavation, the use of a protective cofferdam, seabed
surveying, pipeline weight coating removal and pipeline
isolation.
• It is anticipated that a 40% reduction in the overall repair
time is possible with the application of the equipment and
methods described in this paper

22. TITLE
Subsea Pipeline Corrosion Estimation by Restoring and
Enhancing Degraded Underwater Images
AUTHORS Amjad Khan
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2018
INFERENCES
• Subsea pipeline corrosion is considered as a severe
problem in offshore oil and gas industry. It directly affects
the integrity of the pipeline which further leads to cracks
and leakages.
• At present, subsea visual inspection and monitoring is
performed by trained human divers; however, offshore
infrastructures are moving from shallow to deep waters
due to exhaustion of fossil fuels.
• Therefore, inhospitable underwater environmental
conditions for human diver demand imaging based
robotic solution as an alternate for visual inspection and
monitoring of subsea pipelines.
• This paper presents a new method for subsea pipeline
corrosion estimation by using colour information of
corroded pipe.

23. TITLE
Metallography of an Underground Oil Pipeline.
AUTHORS Francisco Casanova-del-Angel, Alejandra Cordova-Castillo
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2018
INFERENCES
• The study was based on a 45 cm long pipe sample,
visibly and entirely corroded, with a fish-mouth crack
along its length.
• The work contributes to finding new ways to prevent
structural failure, which has high-impact consequences
from the point of view of production, damage to property,
pollution, and risks to human live.
• Through this analysis the knowledge on behavior of
failures in terrestrial ducts has been extended.

24. TITLE The Value of Subsea Pipelines to Marine Biodiversity
AUTHORS T. Bond; J. Prince; J. C. Partridge; D. White; D. L. McLean
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2018
INFERENCES
• As offshore oil and gas infrastructure reaches the end of
its operational life, owners and regulators will question
the best options available to decommission it, with
decisions requiring information about the potential
ecological value of these structures and the
environmental impact of their removal.
• Pipeline spans had high fish abundance, with fish
appearing to utilise these spans as refuges. These
results, together with allied assessments of marine
growth on pipelines, suggest over the course of their
operating lives, pipelines gain ecological and fishery
value, enhancing the diversity and abundance of fish
(including important commercial species) which can be
translated to a monetary value for commercial fisheries.

25. TITLE
Investigation on underwater spreading characteristics and
migration law of oil leakage from damaged submarine
pipelines
AUTHORS YuanSun, XuewenCao, FachunLiang
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2019
INFERENCES
• Great threats and damages to natural ecosystem and
marine environment will be caused once oil and gas
leakage occurs. It is crucial to develop a quick response
strategy, including the accurate prediction of oil and gas
migration path, oil droplet size distribution and other
parameters.
• A formula is proposed to predict the oil diffusion distance
at certain time. The results of investigation can offer a
valuable guidance for formulation of emergency
response.

26. TITLE
Hydromechanics of submarine pipelines: design
problems
AUTHORS John B Herbich
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2019
INFERENCES
• The design and construction of pipelines in offshore cold
regions calls for special measures (such as deep burial)
because of seabed scouring caused by ice.
• Offshore pipelines fail in many different ways, and each
mode of failure should be examined individually.
Because of the complexity of the ocean environment it is
quite difficult to evaluate pipeline failures in detail.
• Environmental factors such as hydrodynamic wave
forces and currents, buoyancy forces due to liquefaction
of sediment, and scouring potential are presented.
• Methods for scour protection in shallow and deep water
are described as well as the need for inspection and
maintenance to prevent failures

27. TITLE
Recent Advances in Pipelines Monitoring and Oil 3
Leakage Detection Technologies: Principles and
Approaches
AUTHORS
Mutiu Adesina Adegboye, Wai-Keung Fung and Aditya
Karnik
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2019
INFERENCES
• The state-of-the-art achievements in pipelines leakage
detection 75 technologies and to discuss research gaps
and open issues that required attention in the field of 76
pipelines leakage detection technology. The input or load
cases of the pipeline system are ocean current and
wave.
• The exterior based leak detection methods and
compares their strengths and weaknesses, The
visual/biological based leak detection methods, presents
the interior based leak detection methods and features
their strengths and weaknesses.

28. TITLE
Inspection and monitoring systems subsea pipelines: A
review paper.
AUTHORS Micheal Ho, Sami El-Borgi, Devendra Patil,
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2019
INFERENCES
• Challenges in inspection and monitoring of subsea
pipelines.
• Possible failure modes of subsea pipelines

29. TITLE
The Influence of Oil leaking rate and Ocean Current
Velocity on the Migration and Diffusion of Underwater
Oil Spill
AUTHORS Hong Ji, Manlin Xu, Weiqiu Huang & Ke Yang
YEAR(s) OF PUBLICATION 2020
INFERENCES
• The gradual depletion of land resources, people have
turned their eyes to the ocean. Submarine pipelines are
the lifelines of offshore oil and gas fields.
• Submarine pipelines are in a harsh environment for a
long time and normally damaged under various
unforeseen risks, which could cause oil spills. In the
event of oil spill, it will cause huge economic losses and
lead to a series of adverse social effects.
• Accurate prediction of the diffusion pattern and behavior
of oil spills is important to the risk assessment of oil
spills, emergency response and control of the pollutants.

30. OBJECTIVE

31. Environmental
Impact
Solution Causes
• The risks associated with hazardous liquid pipelines depend primarily on
the commodity and the characteristics of the surrounding area.
• Some hazardous liquids, such as propane, pose a near-term hazard of fire
or explosion.
• Other releases, such as crude oil, have greater risks for the environment in
both the short and long term.
• Crude oil spills can result in harm to human health and the environment,
including injuries or fatalities to fish and wildlife, and contamination of
drinking water supplies.
•Poor maintenance of pipes, joints, and
valves
•Metal fatigue
•Corrosion
•Mechanical damages, such as dents
•Improper repair welds
•Defective products
•Damage caused by chemicals
•Violations of applicable codes
•Inadequate safety practices
• Require regular integrity testing of
pipelines
• Require better training and oversight
of staff
• Require pipeline companies to provide
pipeline mapping data with the
possible exception of gathering lines
• Require double-walled pipelines
especially in high consequence areas
• Require state of the art leak detection
system and automatic shut off valves
• Require setbacks of at least 1,000 feet
for high-risk area.
• Establish mandatory fines
• Require strict and thorough reporting
1. Causes Of Leakage Of Underwater Pipeline And The Environmental Impact Caused

32. 1. Case Study on Alaska, 2017
Causes
Environmental
Impact
Solution
• The pipeline carries gas from
onshore to four production platforms
owned by Hilcorp Alaska LLC. The
platforms burn natural gas for power.
• In 2017, a rock on the ocean floor
punctured the line and caused the
loss of as much as 310,000 cubic
feet of natural gas a day.
• Ice in the inlet blocked divers and
Hilcorp from repairing the 2017 leak
for three months.
• Hilcorp gas pipeline springs another
leak in 2021 in Cook Inlet, about six
miles offshore from Nikiski.
• The company estimates 310,000 cubic feet of gas
daily is leaking into winter habitat.
• The gas is a threat to beluga whales, sea lions,
humpback whales, sea otters and eiders which are
endangered species.
• A leak of processed natural gas creates a low-
oxygen dead zone threatening marine mammals
and fish.
• Poses a pipeline integrity risk to public safety,
property, and the environment
• A repair plan and to do a
comprehensive safety
inspection of the line.
• Implement Underwater
Leak Detection System.
• Regular assessment of
pipelines and pressure
levels in the pipelines.
• Universal Guidelines for
Operation and
Implementation of
Underwater Pipelines.

33. 2. Case Study on Gulf of Mexico, 2021
Causes
Environmental
Impact
Solution
• A gas leak west of Mexico's Yucatan
Peninsula broke out of an
underwater pipeline, causing bright
flames to appear to boil up to the
Gulf of Mexico's surface.
• Gas started leaking from the pipeline
in the Campeche Sound.
• Lightning storm with heavy rain
affected some of the pipeline
equipment — at the same time that a
gas leak had been detected in the
pipeline.
• As the gas rose to the water's
surface, it was hit with electrical
shocks from the storm, causing the
fire to break out
• 10,000 barrels of gasoline were going through the
pipeline with 20 kilograms of pressure when it
ruptured.
• Damage to marine life due to fire and lack of
oxygen thereof.
• Erosion of pipeline resulting in sediment deposition
in the sea bed.
• Blast impact of pipeline to the sea bed and marine
line thereof.
• Detailed study of the
(environmental) impact
caused by the fire.
• Major reasons for the leak.
• Regular assessment of
pipelines using cutting-edge
technology.
• Re-Evaluate best practices
and management strategies
in line with changing trends of
sea bed environment

34. Proper BMP selection
• BMPs must be properly selected and
sized based on the drainage area.
• A set of practices with specifications that
address large drainage areas should be
followed.
• Construction across ridgetops and
headwaters watersheds poses a
challenge to storm-water control.
• Extra attention to drainage area
calculations during the design phase and
utilization of ESCs specially designed for
these sensitive environments can help
protect water quality in these areas.
• These practices can include, for
example, diversion ditches or dikes on
the uphill side of a construction area that
transport water away from the right-of-
way and help prevent controls from
being overwhelmed
Access road BMPs
• Controls to adequately handle flow
associated with access roads must not
be overlooked.
• Like the pipeline corridor itself, access
roads can channel runoff and sediment,
often directly into streams and
waterbodies, if ESC practices are not in
place for the road surface and
associated ditches and conveyances.
• Large pipeline projects typically have
many miles of access roads
Sufficient company staff
• When company staff are spread across
an extremely large construction site, as
is the case with many of these long
pipelines, it can be difficult to mobilize
and correct BMP failures before
waterways are impacted.
• When staff are responsible for managing
and monitoring very large areas, it can
also take time to notice failures.
• Additionally, management structures
often require that managers who are not
on site make decisions necessary to
quickly remedy failing BMPs or to adjust
construction plans based on on-site
conditions.
• Improving this management structure to
allow for quick adjustments at a
construction site would help prevent
impacts due to failing BMPs or when the
conditions on the ground necessitate
additional controls than are described in
plans.
3. Analyze Best Management Practices including Leak
inspection and Repair Management carried out

35. Vegetative stabilization specifications
• Specifications regarding
vegetative stabilization in
challenging conditions, such as
steep slopes or shade, should be
developed and followed during
construction.
• Erosion resulting from vegetation
that did not grow was observed on
the MVP
Use of short pipeline sections.
• Large- scale pipelines should be built to
completion in short sections, thereby limiting
the total area disturbed at any one time.
• The pipeline projects described here utilized a
construction method that left very long
stretches of the pipeline route with active
construction areas.
• For example, trees were cleared along most of
the routes, then the trenches were dug along
most of the routes. ESCs were installed as
work progressed, but very large areas were
denuded at one time.
• Typical construction projects must stabilize
open areas before moving to new areas; this
same strategy should be applied to pipeline
projects. This would allow attention to be
given to a smaller disturbed area during
intense storm events by staff and ensure
controls are properly constructed and
maintained. The extremely large construction
sites also pose a challenge for regulatory
agency inspectors.
Sufficient time on design and planning
• Perimeter controls, such as silt
fences and filter socks, can act
as channels when not utilized
correctly.
• To remedy this, more time
should be spent in the design
and planning phase.
• The drainage area must be
properly calculated.
• Additional ESCs—such as J-
hooks, diversions, and outlet
sediment traps—can be used to
accommodate large drainage
areas

36. CAUSES, EFFECT
AND IMPACT TO
ENVIRONMENT

37. Environmental impacts of oil operations may influence species, populations, assemblages, or
ecosystems by modifying a variety of ecological parameters (e.g., biodiversity, biomass,
productivity, etc.).
Potential impacts are generally assessed through some type of formal process, termed an
environmental impact assessment (EIA). These typically involve the identification,
prediction, evaluation, and mitigation of impacts prior to the start of a project.
Activity management is to be done and the AM is the phasing out of drilling muds that used
diesel oil as their base. These drilling fluids biodegrade very slowly, have a high toxicity, and
exposure to them can result in negative environmental consequences. During exploration
activities, activity management may be required for seismic surveys, because the intense
acoustic energy can cause ecological impacts particularly to marine mammals.
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38. Temporal management approaches are intended to reduce impacts on the breeding, feeding, or
migration of fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. Furthermore, seismic operations along marine
mammal migration routes or within known feeding or breeding grounds may be restricted during
aggregation or migration periods in order to reduce the probability of marine mammals being present
in the area during the survey.
Spatial management prohibits particular activities from certain areas, for example where
sensitive species or habitats are present. This can range from implementing exclusion zones
around sensitive areas potentially affected by individual oil and gas operations to establishing
formal marine protected areas through legislative processes where human activities deemed to
cause environmental harm are prohibited.
The use of EIAs as a tool for identifying local spatial restrictions for deep-water oil and gas
operations is widely applied, and specific no-drilling zones (mitigation areas) are defined by the
regulatory authority around sensitive areas known or occurring with high-probability.
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39. Releases of hydrocarbons (oil or gas) into the marine environment have the potential to impact marine
organisms. Dissolution of toxic components into the water column leading to poisoning or irritation of marine
organisms;
Indirect asphyxiation due to microbial consumption of released hydrocarbons, resulting in decreased
dissolved oxygen in the affected area, potentially leading to a “marine dead zone”;
Direct asphyxiation of marine mammals and other marine dwelling air breathing species who rely on
access to the sea surface to breath, formation of an oil slick can prevent these creatures from accessing
the surface, or where they do, may result in irritation or poisoning as a result of contact with toxic
components.
In addition to impacting marine life forms, a release of oil into the marine environment may impact birds
(through coating of feathers), shore based terrestrial species, where oil grounding occurs and industries reliant
on the marine environment (e.g., fishing and tourism). Accidental releases may arise from either a loss of
containment from a hydrocarbon production system or as a result of a vessel-based spill.
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40. Key standard components of an EIA include
1.
• Description of the proposed development,
including information about the size, location,
and duration of the project,
2.
• Baseline description of the environment
3.
• Description of potential impacts on the
environment
4.
• Proposed mitigation of impacts
5
• Identification of knowledge gaps.

41. REMEDIAL AND
CONTROL
MEASURE

42. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

43. Additional
inspections
• Require third-party inspectors or provide funding for additional regulatory agency inspectors, who should
be on site very frequently—especially before and following large storm events. Frequent inspections are
more effective in preventing impacts to water quality than fines assessed by regulatory agencies.
• VDEQ required that pipeline companies fund third-party inspectors for two large pipelines: MVP and the
Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
Site-specific
management
plans
• Site-specific stormwater management plans for all stream and wetland crossings should be a mandatory aspect of the
permitting process.
• These plans ensure that careful consideration is given to uniquely sensitive environments—steep slopes and highly
erodible soils, for example—at all crossing locations, and that planned controls are adequate.
• Site-specific plans also help regulators hold companies accountable for environmental impacts. Virginia required site-
specific stormwater plans for two large-scale pipelines crossing the state.
Full evaluation
of trenchless
stream
crossings
• Companies should be required to fully evaluate the use of trenchless stream crossings, which do not
require disturbing streambeds, and to justify decisions to use other methods.
• When HDD is proposed for stream crossings, thorough site analyses should be conducted, including
geotechnical analyses, boring tests, and fracture trace analyses
CONTROL MEASURES

44. Designated
stormwater
manager.
• Each pipeline should have a designated stormwater manager whose focus is solely on environmental impacts.
• This manager should oversee the project and facilitate communication between regulatory agencies and pipeline
companies.
• The stormwater manager could be a position at a regulatory agency or a third-party consultant; ideally this person would
be funded by the pipeline company. Usually, stormwater management is addressed by the pipeline company and its
contractors.
Improved
communications
strategy
• . A communications strategy that allows on-site company staff to quickly act when a problem arises must be in
place prior to construction.
• Management of large-scale pipeline projects is often spread out across pipeline construction management staff,
making it difficult to take quick action when ESCs fail.
• It is often difficult for regulatory agency staff to communicate with appropriate company staff in a timely manner.
Online
mapping
tools.
• Online mapping tools should be designed and maintained by companies to inform agency staff of their daily
construction activities, because it is often difficult for agency regulators to know exactly where work is occurring on
a day-to-day basis on large-scale projects.
CONTROL MEASURES

45. Suitable for
pipeline
construction.
• It should be acknowledged that there are some areas where conditions are not suitable for pipeline construction,
regardless of the BMPs utilized. Steep slopes, highly erodible soil, high-quality streams, and other key environmental
factors should be considered when evaluating pipeline construction plans.
• If BMPs cannot ensure that water quality is protected, the route should be re-assessed.
• As long as the company states that water quality will be protected through implementation of BMPs, any area may be
crossed by a pipeline.
Real-time
water quality
monitoring
stations.
• A network of real-time water quality monitoring stations should be installed upstream and downstream of sensitive stream and river
crossings.
• These monitoring stations should be put in place ahead of construction of the relevant stream crossing and should be installed with
as much time prior to construction as possible to establish baseline conditions and natural variation in stream conditions.
• Monitoring should continue until all vegetation is established in the area, at a minimum, and longer for a complete assessment of
impacts..
Increased
fines and
permit fees.
• Fines and permit fees should be increased.
• The amount of state agency staff time needed to oversee large-scale construction projects is immense, and fines on billion-dollar
projects generally do little to encourage sound construction practices.
CONTROL MEASURES

46. GOVERNING
LEGISLATIONS

47. THE SUBMARINE
PIPELINES REGULATIONS
OF 2014:
• Procedures that's needs
to be followed to establish
a pipeline person shall
have the right to lay,
construct, convert and/or
operate a pipeline in the
Exclusive Economic Zone
and/or the Continental
Shelf of the Republic,
without a license from the
competent authority.
THE CONVENTION FOR THE
PROTECTION OF THE
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
AGAINST POLLUTION and
RELATED PROTOCOLS
(RATIFICATION) LAW OF
1979, as amended or
substituted from time to time :
• The special characteristics
and vulnerability of the
Mediterranean, to achieve
international cooperation for
a coordinated and
comprehensive approach to
the protection and
enhancement of the marine
environment in the
Mediterranean area.
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT ACT,
2004 (NO. 20 OF 2004).:
• An Act to provide for
legal and institutional
framework for
sustainable
management of
environment; to outline
principles for
management, impact
and risk assessments,
prevention and control of
pollution, waste
management,
environmental quality
standards.
ESPOO CONVENTION
(THE CONVENTION ON
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT IN A
TRANSBOUNDARY
CONTEXT).: The Convention,
obligates its Parties to assess
the environmental impacts of
certain activities that may
cause transboundary
environmental harm at an early
stage of planning. The
Convention also obligates
States to notify and consult
with affected States with
respect to certain proposed
projects

48. COMPARISON OF
INDIAN LAW WITH
THE LAW OF USA

49. The Water (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act, 1974
• The Water Prevention and Control of Pollution
Act, 1974 (the "Water Act") has been enacted to
provide for the prevention and control of water
pollution and to maintain or restore
wholesomeness of water in the country.
• The Water Act prohibits the discharge of
pollutants into water bodies beyond a given
standard, and lays down penalties for non-
compliance.
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Cess Act was enacted in 1977 to provide for the
levy and collection of a cess on water consumed
by persons operating and carrying on certain
types of industrial activities.
Clean Water Act, 1972
• The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the
basic structure for regulating discharges of
pollutants into the waters of the United States
and regulating quality standards for surface
waters.
• Under the CWA, EPA has implemented pollution
control programs such as setting wastewater
standards for industry. EPA has also developed
national water quality criteria recommendations
for pollutants in surface waters.
• The CWA made it unlawful to discharge any
pollutant from a point source into navigable
waters, unless a permit was obtained.
• The CWA imposes different fines for different
category of industries in case of non-compliance.
COMPARISON OF INDIAN LAW WITH THE LAW OF US

50. INTERNATIONAL
LAW & LAW OF
THE SEA

51. • UN Convention of the Law of the Sea - UNCLOS
• Law of the Sea concepts involved in the construction of
transboundary pipelines concern territorial waters,
continental shelves, exclusive economic zones, freedom
of the high seas and protection of the environment.
• Under international law the high seas are open to all
states to law underwater pipelines and for various other
types of construction.
• The convention also codified freedom of the sea,
explicitly providing that the oceans are open to all states,
with no state being able to subject any part to its
sovereignty. Consequently, state parties cannot
unilaterally extend their sovereignty beyond their EEZ,
the 200 nautical miles in which that state has exclusive
rights to fisheries, minerals, and sea-floor deposits.
"Innocent passage" is permitted through both territorial
waters and the EEZ, even by military vessels, provided
they do no harm to the country or break any of its laws.
INTERNATIONAL LAW & LAW OF THE SEA

52. CONCLUSIONS

53. Underwater pipelines pose environmental risk because pipelines themselves may become
damaged by ship's anchors, corrosion, tectonic activity, or as a result of defective construction and
materials.
Concerns about the environmental risks of underwater pipelines have been
raised on numerous occasions such as during the Alaska leak and Gulf of
Mexico leak.
The legislations governing the underwater pipeline activities ensure that there
are a set of standards and limitations for such activities and also impose a fine
in case of non-compliance
Old pipelines and their vulnerability to fractures that often lead to ruptures are
discussed. There appears to be a gap in the existing pipeline integrity management
system with respect to inspection and repair of pipelines in unclear water conditions
C
O
N
C
L
U
S
I
O
N

54. For pipelines installed in unclear water condition, a perspective is suggested to extend the capability of existing
remotely operated vehicles to employ the use of clear laminar water system or a related technique to provide
integrity engineers and operators with close visual assess to inspect leaking pipelines and effect adequate
repairs.
We suggest that the use of optical eye as the main tool for examination remains valuable in
managing the challenges in underwater pipeline repairs in unclear water condition.
The Close-Visual Inspection in its original meaning of using the optical human eyes as the
main tool of observation cannot be substituted with any better alternative system.
This gap needs to be filled in order to minimize spills and pollution. Even a close-up photography
will contain more virtual details than any 3-D imaging of any technology as at today.
C
O
N
C
L
U
S
I
O
N

55. In bridging this gap and providing solution to incessant leak-repair-leak cycle due to improper inspection and
repair work in underwater pipelines where poor visibility is common, it is important to explore opportunities in
laminar flow approach or related technique, and in combination with other existing technology, to extend the
innovation to use remotely operated system by using the exiting plume as the tracking medium.
The reasons for the free span of submarine pipelines include the scour of wave flow, the fluctuation of
seabed topography, residual stress, or thermal stress of pipelines, and human activities, among which
the scour caused by waves and currents is the most important. The study of scour initiation and
maximum depth is crucial for the prevention and treatment of scour of submarine pipelines.
Due to the many and complex factors affecting scour, the current research is limited by the research
means, observation, and measuring instruments. We are not yet able to fully consider all the influencing
factors, so only reasonable simplified methods can be adopted for analysis and prediction.
At present, the submarine suspended span pipeline treatment methods mainly include the re-digging trench
burying method, structural support method, bionic water plant method, choke plate self-burying method,
flexible hose bridging method, and heavy ballast method.
C
O
N
C
L
U
S
I
O
N

56. Although many experts and scholars have formulated and implemented many pipeline free-span
management methods, the most effective protection measures have not yet been found.
Current treatment methods generally have disadvantages
such as high cost and a large amount of underwater
operation by divers.
With the exploration of oil and gas resources in deeper waters,
management measures with a high degree of automation and
good economic benefits are required.
C
O
N
C
L
U
S
I
O
N