SEA Blog

World Ocean Council Partners on Sustainable Shipping and Offshore Oil Decommissioning Conferences

Below is a recent press release on some exciting and important developments from our colleagues at the World Ocean Council.  I encourage you to click on some of the links below and find out more about what I am sure will be very interesting events.  Please also note the 9 December 2009 SEA Blog post on the WOC ocean summit meeting in Belfast this June.

NEWS RELEASE 

World Ocean Council Partners on Sustainable Shipping and Offshore Oil Decommissioning Conferences

Important industry conferences address key marine environmental challenges:

Environmental Vigilance: Taking the Lead in Environmental Protection (Abu Dhabi, March 1-3)

Environmental Intelligence in Shipping (San Francisco, March 9)

Decommissioning and Abandonment Summit, Gulf of Mexico (Houston, March 29-30)

25 February 2010 –

The World Ocean Council (WOC) - the international business alliance on ocean sustainability - is proud to be a partner in important ocean industry conferences tackling the important environmental challenges facing the major economic uses of ocean space and resources.

ENVIRONMENTAL VIGILANCE: TAKING THE LEAD IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (Abu Dhabi, March 1-3)

The National Transport Authority of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has teamed up with the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) to organize this environmental maritime event as part of “The United Arab Emirates in the 21^st Century: Working Together for a Greener Maritime World”  The National Transport Authority hosting of the event underscores the UAE commitment to sustainable shipping. The UAE is a leader in environmental initiatives and will extend this leadership into the maritime arena. The summit will engage the maritime stakeholders in a collaborative approach to secure that environmental issues remain a high priority for the maritime community and its many constituencies.

The goals for “Environmental Vigilance” include recognizing the critical environmental issues facing the global maritime community and how they are being addressed on the regulatory, enforcement, industry, flag and NGO front to bring these issues to public awareness; examining how innovations in ship design and practices are facilitating the goals of environmental vigilance; reinforcing the need for environmental vigilance in a challenging market and economic environment; and promoting the work that is being done to ensure environmental compliance. The March 3rd workshop will develop a program for furthering the awareness of environmental compliance, identify next steps and action needs to implement the program.

For more information: www.nta.gov.ae/forms/en/NTA%20Conference%20Brochure.pdf

ENVIRONMENTAL INTELLIGENCE IN SHIPPING (San Francisco, March 9)

NAMEPA debuts it’s Seminars with a targeted event on “Environmental Intelligence in Shipping”.  The NAMEPA Seminars bring together stakeholders in the marine community to discuss concerns and actions on marine environment protection.  The goal of the Seminar Series is to create greater awareness of the issues and the work that is being undertaken to mitigate potential problems, and to foster collaboration amongst the stakeholders.

The March 9 Seminar will focus on three high priority areas of concern to the marine community, both the commercial maritime industry and conservationists: a) Air Emissions:  Challenges and Issues; b) Wreck Waste Removal Programs; and c) Noise Emissions from Maritime Activities

For more information: www.namepa.net/events.htm

DECOMMISSIONING AND ABANDONMENT SUMMIT, GULF OF MEXICO (Houston, March 29-30)

The Decommissioning and Abandonment Summit has been developed as the leading meeting point for the decommissioning community in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Working with the Operators Decommissioning Group, the organizers have pulled together a focused agenda that tackles the challenges most important to successful decommissioning of offshore oil and gas facilities. 

The conference brings together senior level decision makers, engineers, project managers and buyers from oil and gas industry operators with decommissioning needs as well as contractors with decommissioning services or technologies.

Conference sessions address the planning and execution of cost effective, time efficient, environmentally sound decommissioning projects in the GOM:

Inside Track On Regulations: Providing updates on the latest regulatory developments direct from the MMS and how they will impact decommissioning portfolios and planning.

Operator Case Studies: Creating understanding of the decommissioning strategies of leading Major and Independent GOM operators through real examples of recent projects and their implementation.

Understand Insurance & Risk Mitigation: Addressing the significant impact rising insurance premiums have had on GOM operators and how to mitigate these and other financial risks.

Cutting Edge Technology Update: Informing on new and innovative technology and the challenges of well plugging and abandonment, cutting technology and sub-sea decommissioning to ensure effective toolboxes.

Deepwater Futures: Developing insight into the MMS Deepwater Decommissioning report and why to prepare for the challenges of deepwater decommissioning now.

For more information:

www.eyeforenergy.com/gom/index.shtml   or   http://www.eyeforenergy.com/gom/mailshot1209/index.htm

The World Ocean Council is the international, cross-sectoral industry alliance for private sector leadership and collaboration in ocean stewardship. Companies and associations worldwide are distinguishing themselves as sustainability leaders by joining the WOC as Founding Members in 2009/2010.

Contact:  Paul Holthus +1 (808) 277-9008   paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org

Two recent articles on new technologies: Sperm whale cooperative feeding; Acoustic Smog

Two recent popular articles are available on interesting biological phenomena, as revealed through new and emerging technologies and ways of thinking.  Both focus on the work of several colleagues of mine who are doing interesting work in different parts of the world, Dr. Bruce Mate of Oregon State University and Dr. Chris Clark from Cornell University.  The first of these articles discusses some of the results of some new marine mammal tagging technologies and what they are revealing about the foraging behavior and sociobiology of deep-diving sperm whales.

Sperm whale groups 'may corral deep squid'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8530116.stm

 

The second article discusses a recent presentation Chris Clark made at a AAAS symposium about the rising tide of ambient noise in many regions of our oceans and what this may mean for the acoustic animals who inhabit these areas.  Dr. Clark's seminal work in this field is described briefly in this article, but in much greater depth in the MEPS article he and several other colleagues (including myself) published last year (see 4 December SEA blog post below for link).

Blinded by the Noise

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencebloggers/2010/02/blinded-by-the-noise.html

ORPC unveils the largest ocean energy generator ever deployed in U.S. waters

Below is a recent article describing last week's unveiling of largest ocean energy device yet deployed in the U.S.  The article is from Ocean Power magazine, which is new to me but definitely worth checking out if you are interested in offshore alternative energy issues -- see: http://www.oceanpowermagazine.net/2010/02/13/the-largest-ocean-energy-generator-ever-deployed-in-u-s-waters/

The Largest Ocean Energy Generator Ever Deployed in U.S. Waters

"Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) will unveil the tidal energy company’s underwater electric generator and its Turbine Generator Unit (TGU) support structure in Bangor on Thursday, Feb. 18. The TGU frame, measuring 46 feet wide by 14 feet high, with the 10,000 pound generator mounted at its center, will then be shipped to Eastport, where ORPC’s proprietary hydrokinetic turbines will be installed into the unit prior to deployment in Cobscook Bay in early March.

With a capacity rating of 60 kilowatts, the TGU will be the largest ocean energy device ever deployed in U.S. waters. Christopher Sauer, CEO of ORPC, will present and describe the Turbine Generator Unit at the StillwaterMetalworks facilities, 106 Florida Ave., adjacent to the Bangor Airport, at 1:30 p.m. Representatives of business partners, R&D collaborators, and state and local government will join him for the event. This will be an outdoor event.

The TGU frame is made of a combination of steel and composite material and is 100 percent Mainemade. Stillwater Metalworks fabricated the steel components and assembled the frame and Harbor Technologies manufactured the composite components used. The TGU assembly will be completed next week when the first all-composite hydrokinetic turbines built in the U.S., unveiled 2 weeks ago in Bath, are installed in the TGU frame. Once launched, the company will operate its TGU for at least two months, marking another significant milestone in harnessing clean, reliable renewable energy from Maine’s ocean resources."

Acoustic Ecology Institute Issues New Report on Noise from Wind Farms

The Acoustic Ecology Institute has released it's latest in an ongoing series of comprehensive special reports on key environmental topics.  This one is modeled on AEI’s acclaimed annual reviews of science and policy developments in ocean noise, but focuses for the first time on wind farm noise issues.  The 30-page report covers new research, public concerns, and industry trends over the past year.  To access the report, please go to: http://aeinews.org/archives/695

NOAA to Support Publication of Marine Renewable Energy Information

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, fixed-price basis, with The Oceanography Society, 104 Lynch Street, Rockville, MD to publish a special issue on marine renewable energy, including peer reviewed articles and introductions by the NOAA Administrator and the NOS Assistant Administrator. The special issue will describe the benefits and challenges posed by marine renewable energy and possible steps for moving the technology, markets and associated regulatory policies forward. It will include articles on the role of marine renewable energy in meeting national energy needs, technology development and deployment issues (challenges, lessons learned), regulatory and policy issues (licensing/permitting, environmental impacts), and the international perspective. It will also shall bring experts from many different fields together, disseminate information to a worldwide audience, and raise public awareness of the issues by fostering a dialogue on this timely topic

Notwithstanding the Government's intent to negotiate on a sole source basis, responsible sources may submit a response which, if timely received, will be considered by NOAA.
Responses must be submitted by Tuesday February 9, at 3:00 Eastern Time.

Contracting Office Address:

SSMC4 - Room 7601/OFA61
1305 East West Highway, 7th Floor
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Primary Point of Contact.:

Robert M McNamara

robert.mcnamara@noaa.gov

Phone: 301-713-0820x144

Fax: 301-713-0806

 

For more information, see:

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=495193c255f3f3caf4fc6171b6562247&tab=core&_cview=0

B. Southall speaks at Florida Offshore Energy Symposium

Earlier this week I had the priviledge to participate in and serve as an invited speaker to a symposium on possible offshore energy development in Florida, called "The Florida Symposium on Offshore Energy: Part II: The Inshore Challenges of Offshore Energy Prospects."  This meeting was primarily developed to serve as a forum to discuss the underlying scientific, regulatory, socioeconomic, and industrial developmental aspects of energy development around the FL peninsula.  It was held at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee, the state capital, in part to inform the Florida State Legislature who is currently deliberating these issues.  The meeting was hosted  by the FSU Institute for Energy Systems, Economics, and Sustainability www.ieses.fsu.edu.  Approximately 150 people attended, including elected officials, environmental groups, industry representative, scientists, conservation managers, and journalists.  The meeting was covered on local TV, radio, and in newspapers (e.g., http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20102020310).

For more information, including the agenda, speaker bios, and video of presentations, see the IESES website given above.