IAGC

2008 APPEA Environment Conference

noemail@iagc.org — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) is pleased to announce that registration has now opened for APPEA’s 2008 Environment Conference. The Conference will run from 7 - 9 October 2008 at the Hyatt Regency in Coolum, Queensland.

Keynote addresses and special guests that we have confirmed include:
- Queensland Minister for the Environment, Mr. Andrew McNamara
- The Director of Conservation of WWF Australia, Mr. Ray Nias

- Commissioner of the Productivity Commission, Mr. Phillip Weickhardt

- Former Head of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) and Current Executive Director of Concept Economics, Dr. Brian Fisher, AO PSM

- Executive Director of Seafood Industry Victoria, Mr. Ross McGowan; and

- APPEA Chief Executive, Ms. Belinda Robinson.

In addition, the Conference will include sessions focused on greenhouse, exploration and access issues, new science, new technologies, regulatory approvals, and a dedicated session releasing new science and understanding on sound in the marine environment. The Conference will present a great opportunity to share information and find out about what is happening in the industry, with many studies demonstrating the industry's ongoing commitment to environmental excellence. It will also provide an opportunity to network with others in the industry, government representatives, research centres and non-government organisations.

This year APPEA has set up a new online registration, so please use the link below to access registration, the conference program and information about getting to and staying at the venue.

The web address is:www.appeaenvironmentconference.com.au

22-Aug-08 9:00 AM

Recent release - Proposed Rule to Amend ESA Regulations Governing Interagency Cooperation

noemail@iagc.org — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:00:00 GMT

On 15 August 2008, the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a joint proposed rule to amend regulations governing interagency cooperation under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The proposed rule is intended to update a portion of the ESA regulations governing the endangered species responsibilities of federal agencies (section 7). Each federal agency is responsible under Section 7 regulations to consult with the FWS and NOAA before they undertake an action that may affect an endangered species. The purpose of these proposed changes is to clarify this process, replace ambiguous definitions, explain when formal consultation is applicable, and improve the informal consultation process. Under the proposed rule, agency actions that could cause an adverse impact to listed species are still subject to the consultation requirement. Also, the proposal adds timelines to help limit the duration of informal consultation and lend greater certainty to the process. Finally, FWS and NOAA propose these regulatory changes in response to new challenges with regard to global warming and climate change. The agencies propose “common sense modifications to the section 7 regulations to provide greater clarity and certainty to the consultation process.”

Comments on this proposed rule are due 15 September 2008.

15-Aug-08 11:00 AM

REGISTER NOW! For the Annual IAGC Sporting Clays Tournament

noemail@iagc.org — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Annual IAGC Sporting Clays Tournament

“Tournament Sponsor – WesternGeco”

Where: Westside Sporting Grounds – Katy, Texas

When: Friday, October 17^th, 2008

From 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Who: Leaders in the Geophysical and E&P Industries

Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring this event. Any proceeds will benefit IAGC’s educational and advocacy programs. Please click here to download sponsorship information and forms

Click Here to go to the IAGC Website to Register!

15-Aug-08 8:00 AM

Department of the Interior Initiates New 5 Year Leasing Program

noemail@iagc.org — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:00:00 GMT

In a press statement released on Wednesday July 30, 2008, Interior Secretary Kempthorne announced that he has instructed the Minerals Management Service to begin developing a new oil and natural gas leasing program for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

“When our current five-year program for Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing was launched in July 2007, oil was selling for $64 a barrel, “ Kempthorne said. “Today a barrel of oil costs more that $120, almost double the price a year ago. Clearly, today’s escalating energy prices and the widening gap between U.S. energy consumption and supply have changed the fundamental assumptions on which many of our decisions were based.”

“Areas that were considered too expensive to develop a year ago are no longer necessarily out of reach based on improvements to technology and safety, “ Kempthorne noted.“ “The American people and the President want action and this initiative can accelerate an offshore exploration and development program that can increase production from additional domestic energy resources”

Because of the current energy situation and the President’s recent action of lifting the Executive Withdrawal of most of the OCS, Secretary Kempthorne has directed the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to begin the initial steps for developing a new five-year program (2010 through 2015) that accurately reflects the nation’s needs. The multi-year process starts with a call for information from all parties on what a new five-year program should consider. MMS is also requesting comments to ensure that all interests and concerns are considered regarding oil and gas leasing and exploration and development resulting from a five-year program. The governors of all 50 states will be specifically asked for their comments, particularly on issues unique to each state.

The current 5-year program runs from 2007 through 2012 and includes lease sales in 8 of the 26 OCS planning areas in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and the Atlantic (offshore Virginia). The new program, depending on public comment, can consider any area although any leasing in a banned area would need congressional action – i.e. lifting of Congressional moratoria.

The Department of the Interior will publish in the Federal Register on August 1, 2008 a “Request for Comments on the Preparation of a 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program”. Interested parties will have 45 days from that date to provide MMS their comments. IAGC staff will begin preparing comments to be submitted to MMS on behalf of the IAGC membership. If you have any comments or suggestions that you want considered for inclusion in those comments or would like to assist in developing the comments, please contact Walt Rosenbusch – IAGC VP, Projects & Issues.

31-Jul-08 8:00 AM

September 2008 Global HSE & Security Forum

noemail@iagc.org — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Joint IAGC / OGP Global HSE & Security Forum

Tuesday, September 23rd &

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

The IAGC/OGP announces its fall 2008 Joint Global HSE & Security Forum, organized to address current issues in the Global Seismic Industry.

Where: CGGVeritas, Houston, Texas USA

10300 Town Park Drive

Houston, Texas 77072

USA

Main Switchboard - +1 832-351-8300

When: Tuesday, 23 September 2008

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

(On Both Days: 9:15 AM registration opens; 10:00 AM Forum begins)

What: Semi-annual meeting for the Joint IAGC/OGP Global HSE Forum:

• Provides an opportunity for the seismic community to interact and share information/updates on specific HSE topics;

• Provides updates and progress on issues worked both separately and collaboratively;

• Provides opportunity to identify and prioritize new and current issues;

• Provides processes for advancing the priorities.

Topics to include: Land & Marine Step Change in Safety, Marine Environment Update, HSE Statistics, Land and Marine Security Issues, Land and Marine Seismic Safety Manual Updates, Aide Memoir for Geophysical Risk Assessors, Aviation Report Update, OGP 317 Update.

Hi Potential Incidents – presented by Operations Managers!

External Speakers: To Be Determined

Who: IAGC and OGP members, E&P companies, subcontractors, and service suppliers who have an active interest in the current HSE issues affecting the geophysical industry and its performance; and who are interested in working cooperatively in identifying and solving these issues. Those attending will be up to date with all major issues in seismic HSE and Security, and will have had the opportunityt to present new ideas for discussion and/or action by the Steering Committee.

How: The Forum will be organized and presented by IAGC/OGP. Delegates will not be charged for attendance to the meetings but will be responsible for their own accommodation and travel costs.

IAGC and OGP will provide lunch and refreshments on both days and invites all participants to a “Cocktail Hour” at the end of the first day’s proceeding.

Accommodations: View list of lodging close to meeting.

Registration: On-line registration is now open on the IAGC website.

Space is limited to 70 participants so be sure to register early!

21-Jul-08 10:00 AM

IAGC MEMBER ALERT! - Lifting of US OCS Moratoria

noemail@iagc.org — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:00:00 GMT

IAGC MEMBER ALERT

President Lifts Executive Ban on OCS Exploration

IAGC is pleased to announce that President Bush, in a speech today, has stated he intends to lift the executive order that prohibits offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production on the vast majority of the nation's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The President’s action will rescind18 years of Executive Branch moratoria that has restricted access to OCS acreage.

Over the past weeks the issue of lifting the moratoria on OCS exploration has been addressed by both Senator John McCain and the President. The President has stated that he would rescind the executive order barring access to OCS acreage but only after Congress had lifted its own legislative appropriations bans. The President’s action today is a major change in U.S. energy policy and will certainly put the exploration of the OCS as an important issue in the upcoming Presidential campaign.

However despite the President’s action today, until Congress votes to remove the moratoria they have placed on OCS access, no exploration can occur. Each year, the Congress uses the appropriations process to ban any expenditure by the government for permitting oil and natural gas exploration and production on 85 percent of the OCS. At present, appropriations bills are stalled in the Congress because of battles over the twenty-six year old moratoria.
(14 July, 2008)

Chip Gill - President

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14-Jul-08 5:00 PM

IAGC & OGP Global HSE & Security Forum - 23-24 Sept. 2008

noemail@iagc.org — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:00:00 GMT

International Association of Geophysical Contractors
&
International Association of Oil & Gas Producers

SAVE THE DATE

International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC)

International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP)

Announce their semi-annual Global HSE conference
to be held in Houston, Texas (USA)

Tuesday, 23rd & Wednesday 24th September, 2008

(Location to announced later.)

The Forum is open to: IAGC and OGP members, E&P companies, subcontractors, and service suppliers who have an active interest in the current HSE & Security issues affecting the geophysical industry and its performance; and who are interested in working cooperatively in identifying and solving these issues.

The Forum will be organized and presented by IAGC and OGP. Registrants will not be charged for attendance to the meeting.

Formal announcement and tentative agenda

will be sent at the end of July 2008

Comments or questions should be forwarded to

Lucy Hidden (OGP) or Walt Rosenbusch (IAGC)

Stay up to date with our RSS feeds.

8-Jul-08 2:00 PM

Canada - Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board incorporates Statement of Practice

noemail@iagc.org — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

On 28 May 2008, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) issued a letter to all offshore oil and gas operators under the jurisdiction of the CNSOPB and other interested parties, including IAGC. The letter stated that Canadian “federal and provincial governments recently released a Statement of Canadian Practice with respect to the Mitigation of Seismic Sound in the Marine Environment” and informed operators under CNSOPB jurisdiction to comply with the mitigative measures as described in the Statement. The Statement has been publicly available on the DFO website since 2005 and the mitigative measures have commonly been applied to offshore seismic surveys since that time. Now, the minimum standards contained in the Statement are formally enacted through existing regulatory authorities. For oil and gas seismic activities, Natural Resources Canada and Indian Affairs and Northern development, the provinces of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and their related boards, the National Energy Board, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, will give effect to the Statement under their respective regulatory instruments. For more information, please refer to article on Canadian Scientific Review Workshop.

30-Jun-08 5:00 PM

IAGC invited to participate on Ireland’s IOSEA-3 Steering Group

noemail@iagc.org — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Irish Offshore Strategic Environmental Assessments (IOSEA) assist in providing a high level of environmental protection and promote sustainable development by the early integration of environmental considerations into the planned licensing rounds, and subsequent offers of Frontier Exploration Licences. The IOSEA are commissioned by the Petroleum Affairs Division (PAD), with the agreement of the Department of Communications, Energy, and Natural Resources. An Environmental Consultancy is contracted to undertake the appropriate research, lead the public consultation process, and produce an SEA report in compliance with the SEA Directive. ERT (Scotland) Ltd have been appointed to conduct the assessment including the data gathering, analysis and preparation of the Environmental Report for IOSEA-3. The progress of the IOSEA initiative is overseen by the Steering Group, a group of technical experts from a broad spectrum of backgrounds. On 6 May 2008, PAD invited IAGC to participate on the IOSEA-3 Steering Group and IAGC readily accepted the invitation. The Steering Group will publish an environmental report. A six week public consultation process will then take place, after which a final report will be published, taking account of the issues raised during the public consultation phase. The most recent meeting of the IOSEA-3 Steering Group was 26 June 2008. At the meeting, a Draft of the section on Identification of potential impacts and concerns of the Environmental Report was circulated and discussed.

29-Jun-08 3:00 PM

US FWS issues Final incidental take regulations for polar bears and walruses in Chukchi Sea

noemail@iagc.org — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

On 11 June 2008, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a final rule in the Federal Register “that authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) during oil and gas industry exploration activities (geophysical seismic surveys, exploratory drilling, and associated support activities) in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of Alaska.” The rule is effective 11 June 2008 through 11 June 2013. Each individual or company conducting Industry-related activity in the area must apply for a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to cover nonlethal take associated with specified exploration activities under these regulations. The Final regulations also specify the minimum stipulations and mitigation measures which will be applied to all exploration activities in the Chukchi Lease Sale Planning Area and the geographic region of the incidental take regulations. Subsequently, on 8 July 2008, the environmental non-governmental organization, Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a lawsuit alleging “the failure of US Secretary of the Interior and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to comply with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in promulgating regulations authorizing the ‘incidental take’ of otherwise protected polar bears and Pacific walrus from oil and gas exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea.”

27-Jun-08 3:00 PM

EarthJustice files lawsuit to stop seismic surveys offshore Alaska

noemail@iagc.org — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:00:00 GMT

On 5 May 2008, the non-governmental organization EarthJustice filed a lawsuit and motion for a preliminary injuction against Minerals Management Service (MMS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in an effort to stop marine seismic surveys from occuring in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in the summer and fall 2008. The plaintiffs include the Native Village of Point Hope, Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL), the Alaska Wilderness League, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Pacific Environment. The Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, and the Secretary of Commerce, Carlos Gutierrez, were named as defendants in addition to MMS and NMFS. The lawsuit alleges that MMS has violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by issuing multiple permits for marine seismic surveys in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas for 2008 prior to the completion of a programmatic EIS. Also, the complaint alleges NMFS has violated NEPA by issuing Incidental Harassment Authorizations (IHA) for the 'take' of marine mammals incidental to seismic operations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

26-Jun-08 3:00 PM