Dan Sharpe: Under-Publicised Oil Spills

Dan Sharpe's latest column for the GfGD blog looks at the problems that come from poorly reported oil spills in the developing world, and how geoscientists can address this.

In September 2008, the lives of 69,000 people living in and around Bodo, Nigeria, began to change permanently. It was rumoured that oil was first spotted in the marshes around the region in August, but Shell contested that the leak officially occurred in September that year. I mentioned this oil spill in passing as part of my blog “Oil in Society- Exploring for Sustainability” and felt this story deserved its own report.

“We could smell the oil long before we saw it – the stench of garage forecourts and rotting vegetation hanging thickly in the air” explained John Vidal - environmental editor for The Observer - in his article on this subject. The leak occurred on a section of the 50 year-old trans-Niger pipeline that transports up to 120,000 barrels of oil every day. At the height of the crisis Shell admitted that as much as 2,000 barrels per day was leaking directly into the water system. Of course nobody questioned this at the time, after-all no news crews or NGOs were there investigating this incident. A later assessment by the independent oil spill consultancy company Accufacts suggested that as much as 311,000 barrels may have been leaked into the creaks near Bodo.

The spill continued right through to mid-November that year when the leak was fixed, however just a month later another leak was discovered along the pipeline this time above an area of marsh. The second leak did not start to be fixed or even evaluated until late February the next year, but this is just a part of the issue I am aiming to convey here.

Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico
(Source: NASA/GSFC)

I am guessing all who read this will be fully aware of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, but how many have heard of the Bodo spill? Hidden away in Africa, news teams fleetingly visited the site of the crisis but this was not front page news; at least not for long. And how many know there has been another spill more recently? I certainly did not.

This latest incident has leaked as much as 2 million gallons of oil into the ocean just off the coast of Nigeria in an incident that has capped over 50 years of spoilage from the hydrocarbons industry. So why is it that nobody hears of the oil spills here? 13 out of the top 17 oil fields are in the Middle East and yet no news is told of the environmental consequences of the hydrocarbons industry here. Six of the top ten oil spills have occurred in the Middle East, however it is those in the North Sea and east coast of the States that we hear about.

This lack of news coverage is a problem, and geoscientists must determine what they can do to publicise and address these problems. The first stage should involve independent consultancy companies assessing these spills and monitoring companies working in more remote locations. This should go hand-in-hand with geoscientists encouraging science journalists to publicise and report their findings, in partnership with the more formal reports released by oil companies. These actions will help to raise public awareness and put pressure on the oil companies and local governments to tighten up on the frequency, size and recovery of leaks. Further work may involve geological engineering to produce new equipment, or the use of further independent consultancies to give guidance on how to better manage the equipment already being used. 

Who will pay for all this? Well it is no secret that the oil industry is lucrative business, and in times of increasing ‘green’ awareness the public opinion of large oil producing firms is becoming more and more important. It is surely the responsibility of the oil companies to curb the size and number of leaks that occur throughout the developing world, and geoscientists play a fundamental role in all stages of doing this. Together these efforts can improve the efficiency of the oil industry, and improve the quality of life of people living in and around producing oil fields.

Further Reading:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/09/nigeria-oil-disaster-silence

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/apr/23/shell-nigeria-oil-spill-bigger

Dan Sharpe: Recent News - The Indigenous People of the Ecuadorian Amazon Stand up to the Government’s New Mining Deal

GfGD's latest University Ambassador (at the University of Leeds), is Dan Sharpe, our regular GfGD columnist. Over the past couple of weeks he has written about natural hazards and oil, today he looks at a recent story from Ecuador.

"As you may have seen, plastered over most major environment sections of websites such as the BBC is the news that the indigenous people of Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest have stood up and protested against mining plans in their area. Several hundred protestors set off on a march in protest of the newly accepted plans to develop a large open pit copper mine proposed by Ecuacorriente, a large mining company based in China.

It will not only displace numerous local communities but could well contaminate their water supply, claim Ecuador's main indigenous organisation; Conaie. In contrast, President Rafael Correa has accused the group of trying to destabilise the country, explaining that the agreement was made with Ecuacorriente in the aim of increased development as a result of new investment. Indeed there has been much disagreement within this nation over the deal, with indigenous residents taking to their feet and marching a 700km route to the capital, Quito. Aiming to pick up people along the way, they will undoubtedly gain support but may also find opposition protestors in their way. One thing for sure is they will certainly find that when they reach Quito, where thousands of the President’s supporters have gathered in a rival protest.

Don’t get me wrong, there are clearly issues surrounding this deal but it is obvious that there are huge positives too. The Ecuadorian Government stated that Ecuacorriente are set to invest US$1.4 billion into their new mine in the first five years of the twenty-five year contract, receiving approximately US$4.5 billion over the whole deal. The company have also promised to set aside US$100 million for the development of neighbouring communities. “We cannot be beggars sitting on a sack of gold” said the president recently, exclaiming that this is a new era for the small South American nation. Try telling that to the communities who have just lost their homes, businesses and entire way of life however.



President Correa
(courtesy of Roosewelt Pinheiro/Abr)



It is clearly a difficult situation and one that has no ideal outcome. I shall leave you to your own opinion on the agreement, but I cannot help but consider it on two different scales. Locally there are going to be tales of hurt and poverty and breaches of human rights, invariably there always is, but you have to sympathise with President Correa. This is a huge amount of income for Ecuador and a big deal to make for a country where the state owns a 52 percent share of mining income (compared to Chile at 36 percent and Peru at 33 percent). Correa is clearly after ‘The Greater Good’, but then when was the last time you heard that phrase?"

Dan Sharpe: Oil in Society - Exploring for Sustainability

Dan Sharpe, a second year geology student at the University of Leeds, is our new columnist. A couple of weeks ago he wrote about the contrast between earthquakes in Haiti and New Zealand, and this week he shares some thoughts on one of the things most associated with geoscience - oil. 

In an increasingly populated world the quest for natural resources is reaching unprecedented levels. New technologies and increasing prices have lead to a more efficient extraction of oil and the United States alone consumed nearly 20 million barrels of oil every day in 2009.

As a result of this frenzied exploration, companies have to be more acutely aware of the damage that may occur to the human population of an exploration area. With oil being actively extracted from developing countries such as China, Venezuela and the majority of the middle-east it is obligatory that the major companies ‘give back’ to the areas they are working in. Many only view the bad side of the extractive industries, but with stricter regulations and an increase in moral concern for oil producing countries, much better news is now coming out of this industry.

By no means am I saying there are no downsides however. Headlines were battered with stories from the Gulf of Mexico when BP’s offshore rig leaked in 2010 on an immense scale with up to 5 million barrels estimated to have escaped the pipe. Historical incidents include the 1989 disaster involving the tanker Exxon Valdez or the 2002 Prestige catastrophe involving a Greek ship, but in developing countries spills have been known to slip under the news coverage slightly more smoothly. In 2009, Amnesty International released a statement requesting that the CEO of Shell sort out spills in the Niger Delta claiming that the people in the area are forced to drink contaminated water, catch fish that smell of crude oil and breathe air rich in oil and gas fumes. The full press release can be found here.

It is clear that extraction companies such as Shell, British Petroleum and ExxonMobil have an obligation in modern society to ensure they leave areas the same as they were when they arrived, if not better. Today, most major oil companies have projects in place to do exactly this, and the good that these schemes do is very rarely publicised. Shell have their foundation for example, which is focussed on poverty and environmental issues. Hess has their PRODEGE scheme which aims to develop the education schemes in areas of Equatorial Guinea, Africa. This $40 million program aims to improve schools in the country and, working with the local government, Hess has managed to establish 40 model schools of which 39 are now fully operating. As a side project, the partnership has built latrines and drilled water wells to ensure that students now have safe, drinkable water and proper sanitation.

As we all progress into a ‘greener’ world it is important for oil companies to follow. Contrary to this Shell cut all funding for wind, solar and hydro-electric developments in 2009, explaining that the money would be invested into biofuels instead, an energy source that drives up food prices and increases deforestation say environmental groups.

In a statement released in 2010 however, Chevron announced that over $2 billion would be invested in developing renewable technologies over the next three years, showing that some major companies do still value renewable solutions as a true alternative to fossil fuels. Whether this is true is yet to be seen, but the use of solar panels in remote locations, hydro-electric plants for local sustainability and wind farms both off and onshore could well be viable alternatives for those unable to afford fossil fuel powered luxuries such as cars. With profits of over $6 billion per year these major companies are not short on cash and perhaps, with a little investment, the developing renewable solutions could make be viable alternatives for small, remote, and often underdeveloped communities.

These are clear examples of how an oil company can, and should treat local communities, especially in developing nations. The extractive industries are littered with tortured tales of an old-fashioned past and as we move into another decade of poverty, drought and a lack of literacy or numeracy, it is now the chance for companies to prove that the industry has escaped the wasteful techniques of years ago.

Online Petition - Zimbabwe's 'Blood Diamonds'

Recently we posted a blog urging the Government to push for an immediate end to the export of diamonds from the  Marange field of Zimbabwe, while an independent and thorough investigation into alleged crimes against humanity is completed. If you are a UK citizen you can now sign an e-petition calling on Her Majesty's Government to:

(1) Lobby the Kimberley Process (regulating the sale of diamonds) to reverse the decision made earlier this year to allow the export of diamonds from two mines in the Marange region. 

(2) Lobby the Kimberley Process to instigate an urgent, thorough and independent investigation of the allegations of crimes against humanity. 

(3) Act decisively and rapidly on the findings of this investigation, to ensure that profits from the sale of these diamonds does not fuel further conflict in the nation, conflict which pushes people deeper into poverty. Profits must be used to benefit the Zimbabwe's citizens - improving infrastructure, food security, health and education. 

You can find the petition online here, and publicise it using Twitter and Facebook. In the event that this petition reaches 100,000 signatures over the next few months it will be considered for a debate in the House of Commons. Please do forward the link to this petition to anybody you think may be interested.

Geology for Global Development is a UK-based organisation working to raise the profile of international development within the geoscience community. As part of our work we undertake an advocacy programme - aiming to fight poverty and improve the lives of communities around the world through working to shape policy and lobbying Government. You can read more at www.gfgd.org/projects/advocacy.  

Key Themes: Natural Resources

Native Gold

The 'Key Themes' posts are a series of short articles outlining the role that geologists have in various aspects of global development.

Natural resources include things such as precious metals, rare earth metals, base metals, industrial minerals, gemstones, fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and construction materials (aggregate, sand, clay, limestone). These materials are found in various types, proportions and qualities across the globe. The natural resources of a country can contribute significantly to its economic development through increasing production and manufacturing, securing energy supply, increasing export revenues and reducing costs for local businesses and households.  

Chile: Copper Mine

The extraction of natural resources can be done on a number of scales. Large scale mining is heavily mechanised, productive and normally involves a large global consultancy or mining company. Small-scale mining is done by local people, working with limited tools, in difficult conditions and low productivity. Artisinal mining or subsistence mining is done by individuals - panning gold, generating aggregate etc. It is often done in poor conditions, and can be illegal. DFID and the World Bank are involved in a "Collaborative group on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (CASM)" that work to reduce poverty through improving the environmental, social and economic performance of artisinal and small scale mining in developing countries.  

What role do geologists have to play in this sector?

Geologists have a crucial role in locating, extracting, processing and protecting the natural resources that our economies and lifestyles are reliant on. 

Chile: Mapping of calcite veins

Locating: Geologists use a wide range of techniques to identify economic reserves of minerals and fossil fuels. These techniques can include a desk-based review of the geology (predicting possible reserves), geological mapping of surface outcrops, correlation of borehole logs, geophysical techniques, geochemical analysis and remote sensing. 

Extracting: Geologists work on extracting the mineral/fossil fuel through effective planning. Mining and engineering geologists use their skills in rock mechanics, tunneling and slope stability in order to design opencast and deep mines. Hydrogeologists work to ensure mine waste and materials don't contaminate local water supplies. 

Processing: Many materials are extracted in an impure state and need further processing. geologists can be involved in the analysis of material, determination of its quality and the extraction of further materials to be used in the processing of the material.

Protection: Geologists must play a crucial role in ensuring that the extraction of natural resources is done in a safe and sustainable way. Geologists must ensure that groundwater and soils are protected from contamination, employees are working in a safe environment (not at risk of mine collapse, poisonous gases etc) and resources are being used in a sustainable manner. Natural resources are finite, and thus will run out.

Geologists also have a role in protecting the development of the wider community, through standing against corruption at all levels. Those extracting the minerals/fossil fuels will normally pay fees to the host country government, a valuable source of income that should be reinvested into education, healthcare, water and sanitation and infrastructure. Corruption, however, means that sometimes this money ends up in private bank accounts. An open and accountable attitude within the sector would do a lot to improve this state of affairs. If mining companies, for example, declare the fees they pay to the government - local people can hold them to account to make sure they are getting the best deal, and are investing the money wisely. The NGO Tearfund are campaigning for a change in the law to make this declaration of payments compulsory. 

Further Reading

> Design and Pilot Implementation of a Model Scheme of Assistance to Small Scale Miners (Prepared for DFID)

> Artisinal & Small Scale Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo

> Mining & Poverty Reduction