Sierra Leone Offshore seismic survey will aid oil and gas explorations

Business

On Friday 26 July 2019, the Petroleum Directorate unveiled their Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) on a proposed seismic survey in the offshore waters of Sierra Leone. The survey is to generate data about oil and gas exploration. The Director of the Petroleum Directorate, Timothy Kabba, said the petroleum licenses, which were revoked, have been re-launched. Unfortunately, little data exists on oil and gas reserves. A UK-based geophysical company, Geo Partners, won the bid to do the survey. Geo Partners hired a local consulting firm, Integem, who conducted the assessment and produced the report. Kabba said seismic surveys produce detailed information on petroleum and other natural resources. “Offshore drilling is very expensive and often unsuccessful due to lack of capacity. We want to be competitive and relevant, and our ultra-deep water will be surveyed and the data used to get support for exploration of our natural resources.” Kabba said if they receive permission from EPA, the survey should commence in August 2019. “This research is concerned with the identification of the areas where the natural resource is based and precedes the drilling for offshore oil and gas exploitation and production.”

Kabba went on to say that seismic surveys produce detailed images/information about the various rock types and their location beneath. The acquired information is used to determine the size of oil and gas reservoirs. He said, “This information will eventually be used to accurately plan exploratory well locations, reducing the need for further exploration and thereby minimizing environmental impact. It is expected that the data will provide the information that oil and gas companies require to design their respective work programs.” Kabba said the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) still has to license the project. The EPA representative, Ramatu B. Massaquoi, said the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be observed and ensure negative environmental impact is reduced and mitigated. “We must ensure that the right instruments are used in the survey and the environment is not damaged and any harm done is adequately compensated,” she stressed. The Consultant of Integem, Mansa Musa Kamara, who presented the Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA), said, “This is not the first time that the oceans of Sierra Leone will be studied. We used the data from the previous studies and built on it to conduct our own.” He said the impact assessment and mitigation were top of their priorities to ensure that little damage is done to the marine biology. “We visited the coastal fishing communities of Bonthe, Tombo, Yeli Boya, Mamma Beach, Mahera and Yeli to discern the kind of fishing done and to inform them of what petroleum exploration will entail. The report was compiled and submitted to EPA in June 2019,” he explained. Kamara said they followed national and international conventions, treaties and agreements such as the Environmental Protection Act 2010, UN Convention on Biological Diversity 1992, Convention on Life at Sea 1974 and international industry practices, amongst others, to guide them. “The survey will be undertaken in the Atlantic Ocean. The risk assessments ranged from negligible, minor, moderate, or high, and, based on our projections, there will be reduced sea accidents and environmental pollution, there will also be moderate impact on the marine biodiversity,” he promised.

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