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US Atlantic OCS - IAGC submitted comments on NOI PEIS for G&G Activities

Sarah Tsoflias — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:00:00 GMT

As reported in a previous newsletter article, in early 2010 the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced that it would proceed with the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Geological and Geophysical Exploration (G&G) on the Mid- and South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). On 2 April 2010, MMS published in the Federal Register a notice reopening the comment period for the Atlantic G&G PEIS. Through the public scoping and comment process, all interested parties have the opportunity to assist MMS in determining the significant resources, issues, and alternatives for analysis in the PEIS. In particular, MMS requested information on the geographic location, type and number of geophysical surveys estimated to be conducted on the Atlantic OCS in the near future. On 17 May 2010, on behalf of its members, IAGC submitted comments on the Notice to MMS. The IAGC letter provided information regarding the location, type, and estimated number of geophysical surveys IAGC members anticipate conducting on the Atlantic OCS over the next several years. In addition, IAGC reminded MMS of the value of geophysical data to government and Industry, the role of the non-exclusive data business model and its importance in providing the necessary seismic data for exploration and production. Lastly, the comment letter emphasized that with proper mitigations, geophysical surveys do not result in adverse impacts to populations of marine mammals, and that existing scientific information and not speculation should be used when analyzing potential environmental effects of seismic surveys. The full IAGC comment letter is available here.

IAGC staff would like to thank all the members who participated in the development of the IAGC comment letter by providing information and reviewing the Draft letter. The efforts of IAGC members ensured that the IAGC comment letter was comprehensive, informative and timely.

Additional information on the Atlantic G&G PEIS is available on the MMS website and on the IAGC website.

16-Jul-10 4:00 PM

IAGC Submits Comments on Proposed 2012-2017 US OCS 5 Year Leasing Program

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:30:00 GMT

As reported in a previous article, on March 31, 2010, President Obama and Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar, unveiled the Administration’s plan for offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development. As part of that announcement, on April 1, 2010, the Department of the Interior (MMS) published in the Federal Register (FR) aNotice of Intent to Prepare and Scope an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. The MMS requested comments on the notice to be submitted by June 30, 2010.

The scoping of the environmental impact statement (EIS) and subsequent environmental analysis will provide critical information to the federal government to further inform and support decisions on areas to include in the 2010-2017 5-Year Lease Plan. In summary, the IAGC submitted the following comments:

IAGC strongly supports the inclusion of all or portions of eight OCS planning areas that were included in the FR notice: Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Cook Inlet, which are offshore Alaska; Western, Central and Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the latter focusing on the southwestern third of the planning area rather than the entire area contemplated in the Draft Proposed Program (DPP); and South and Mid-Atlantic.
IAGC urges MMS to expand the potential lease sale areas to include all areas of the OCS, in particular the North Atlantic Planning Area, where there is reasonable potential for meaningful natural gas and oil accumulation, discovery and extraction.
IAGC strongly recommends that the final 5-Year Program clearly provide for and facilitate new seismic data acquisition and subsequent analysis of the hydrocarbon production potential of the OCS.
In developing the EIS, IAGC encouraged MMS to recognize the importance of existing scientific research and utilize this vast store of knowledge in the EIS.
We urged MMS to make the new 5-Year Plan as flexible as possible by including all areas of the OCS in the environmental analysis performed as part of the EIS.

A copy of the comment letter submitted by IAGC can viewed on the IAGC website.

16-Jul-10 3:30 PM

eNGO Files Notice of Intent to sue US Government for noncompliance with MMPA and ESA

Sarah Tsoflias — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:30:00 GMT

On 14 May 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a formal notice of intentto sue the US Department of Interior (DOI) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) for noncompliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when approving offshore drilling operations and other operations such as seismic surveys in the US Gulf of Mexico. In its notification letterto DOI and MMS, CBD stated, "...the Secretary of Interior has taken and continues to take actions approving offshore oil and gas lease sales, exploration plans, drilling plans, and seismic exploration permits - which result in harm, harassments and other forms of take of marine mammals, including marine mammals listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA - without authorization pursuant to the MMPA and ESA."

The CBD stated that “An appropriate remedy that would prevent litigation would be for the Secretary to initiate the process to authorize the take of marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico pursuant to Section 101(a)(5) of the MMPA by a date certain. Meanwhile, the Secretary must stop approving lease sales, exploration and development plans, and seismic exploration permits in the Gulf of Mexico until and unless it obtains the required authorizations under the MMPA and ESA.”

The CBD notice of intent, a CBD press release, and two media reports on this issue are available on the IAGC website at http://www.iagc.org/GOMlawsuit/.

If the CBD goes forward and files a lawsuit, it may well have far reaching impact on the geophysical industry's GOM data acquisition business. IAGC staff is n consultation with members and legal counsel to determine what action, if any, might be appropriate for the geophysical industry in response to this planned lawsuit. IAGC will provide more information onany geophysical industry response as soon as it is appropriate. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Chip Gill – IAGC (chipgill@iagc.org; +1 713.957.8080).

16-Jul-10 2:30 PM

IAGC participates in EAGE Executive Session on Corporate Responsibility

Sarah Tsoflias — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:30:00 GMT

The 72^nd European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) Conference & Exhibition was in Barcelona, Spain on 14-17 June 2010. On 15 June 2010, Carl Trowell (President, WesternGeco) chaired an Executive Session on Corporate Responsibility Planning "Managing the Expectations”, which focused on environmental issues and Industry’s responsibilities. In the Executive Session, IAGC Vice President Sarah Tsoflias provided a presentation on “Environmental Issues, Regulations and the Role of Industry”, François Hermal (CGGVeritas) presented “Environment: What does it take to go one step further?” and James Martin (WesternGeco) discussed “Mitigating the environmental impact of geophysical exploration through technology.” The information provided in the presentations and following discussion demonstrated the numerous ways the geophysical industry already minimizes its impact on the environment but also encouraged industry to exceed environmental expectations and emerge as leaders in addressing environmental issues.

16-Jul-10 1:30 PM

Summary International Whaling Commission Meeting

Sarah Tsoflias — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:15:00 GMT

The 62^nd Meetingof the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was in Agadir, Morocco, 30 May – 25 June 2010. The IWCwas established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, whose purpose is to provide for the proper conservation and management of whale stocks.

In recent years, the IWC Scientific Committee Meeting has included an agenda item on ‘anthropogenic sound’ under its Environmental Concerns Committee. There were two reports of ‘behavioural changes’ in fin and humpback whales as a result of seismic airgun activity. In each case, the whales stopped singing/vocalising (this has been noted previously), but there also appeared to be a substantial and sustained displacement of animals as a result of survey activity. The majority of the discussion this year focused on the question of masking associated with shipping noise. Next year’s topic of concern will be ‘pile driving’ and it will be important for representatives of the oil and gas industry to attend the meeting and participate in the discussion.

The Scientific Committee spent a good deal of time discussing the implications of the current oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The scientists present at the meeting expressed concern that marine mammal populations will be impacted by the continuing release of oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident. The Scientific Committee Report recommends a broad swathe of monitoring activity, but also recommends that more detailed pre-project assessment on marine mammals be carried out globally. Overall there was concern that the Industry worldwide was ill-equipped to respond to events of such magnitude.

On a positive note, the Scientific Committee was pleased with the announcement of the JIP-funded Behavioural Response Study (BRS) with Australian humpback whales and seismic sources. Also, Industry representatives who attended the meeting report that due to their efforts over the past several years, the JIP is now generally recognised by the Scientific Committee as a highly credible effort that has much to contribute to the environmental debate.

A large portion of this year’s Annual IWC Meeting was the discussion of the future of IWC. According to the IWC Chair, discussions arising out of the very different views on whales and whaling of member countries have dominated the IWC time and resources for almost a quarter of a century to the detriment of its effectiveness. During the meeting, the IWC discussed possibilities for a consensus solution to the problems it faces so that the IWC can be a relevant, credible, effective conservation and management body. The Chair and Vice Chair of the IWC developed a Draft Proposed Consensus Decision to Improve the Conservation of Whales to provide a basis for the discussion.

Many thanks to John Campbell (OGP) for providing the information in this article.

16-Jul-10 1:15 PM

Safety Moment - IAGC Office Gets High Safety Marks

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:00:00 GMT

In the January-February 2010 Newsletter, the Safety Moment article addressedRisk Assessment – Protecting your most valuable asset! HSE professionals are keenly aware of the need and value of performing a risk assessment as they are developing a seismic project to identify and manage hazardous or unsafe health and safety conditions for the seismic employee in the field. The article in the previous newsletter was re-enforcing the value and usefulness of performing a similar risk assessment for the office so as to promote a safe and healthy office work environment. As everyone knows, safe and healthy operations provide mutual benefits, not the least of which is lower direct and indirect operating costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses.

As with our member companies, IAGC is committed to ensuring that the work office environment is a safe and healthy place to work. IAGC is pleased to tell everyone that the IAGC offices received high marks in a recent safety audit that was performed by Administaff – an organization that IAGC joined in January 2008 that provides small entities like IAGC benefits that are typically only available to large entities. In the auditor’s letter to IAGC, he noted that no occupational injuries or illnesses have been reported since partnering with the Administaff organization. He concluded his letter stating that he had no formal recommendations regarding our approach and commitment to office safety.

We attribute the very positive audit report to the fact that we are continually identifying, evaluating, and assessing potential risks within our office and remember that safety is a 24/7/365 issue.

9-Jul-10 3:00 PM

IAGC Land Step Change Set to Take Off

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:45:00 GMT

At the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee meeting held on June 9, 2010, Jonathan Miller (CGGVeritas – Executive Vice President, Canada and Western Hemisphere Land Acquisition) Chairman of the IAGC Land Step Change Steering Committee made a presentation outlining his proposal to launch the IAGC Land Step Change for 2010-2011.

Unlike the organizational structure used in the past (Steering Committee, Coordinating Committee and Crew Mangers Network), Jonathan is proposing a streamlined organization and approach. Jonathan will Chair the initiative and will be assisted by Craig Massey (CGGVeritas) and together they will work directly with IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee members and the Crew Managers Network in ensuring global participation from the member companies.

The first meeting of the Crew Managers Network will be held later this year, Q3 or Q4, with at least one to be held in 2011. At least 2 crew managers from each member company represented on the HSE & Security Steering Committee that has land seismic operations will attend. The focus of the initial meetings will be the “Crew Managers’
Role in HSE on the Front Line”. The crew managers meetings will be regional so as to encourage wide participation.

The Global HSE & Security Steering Committee members have endorsed this proposal and have committed to Jonathan that they would support this initiative as it moves forward.

9-Jul-10 2:45 PM

OGP 423 (formerly OGP 291) has been Published

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT

OGP has announced that the Task Force led by Patrick Toutain (Total), which includes Bernard Marley (WesternGeco) and Brain Thorne (PGS), has completed their work on updating and revising OGP 423 (formerly 291) – HSE Management: Guidelines for Working Together in a Contract Environment. The new updated guideline has been officially published and is available through a free download from the OGP website.

To ensure it is understood and used by industry, OGP has also announced that the Task Force will begin working on a program to increase awareness of the updated guidelines.

On behalf of the IAGC membership and the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee, we express our appreciation and thanks to Bernard and Brian for their participation in the update/revision effort.

9-Jul-10 2:00 PM

Order Online - IAGC CD Marine Geophysical Operations: An Overview

Sarah Tsoflias — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:45:00 GMT

As reported in previous IAGC newsletter articles, the IAGC educational CD-ROM, Marine Geophysical Operations: An Overview is now available; order online at http://www.iagc.org/en/cms/?5749. This interactive CD provides an overview of marine geophysical operations using short videos, animations, and narrative explanations. The CD contains general information regarding marine geophysical operations in terms which can be understood by non-technical persons. Topics such as the acquisition of marine seismic data, seismic sources, deployment of equipment, and the different types of seismic surveys are presented. In addition, the CD includes sections on environmental management, scientific research conducted by Industry related to the sound and marine life issue, and seismic surveys as part of the E&P cycle. IAGC hopes that this CD will be a valuable tool for educating government agency representatives, the media, the public, scientists, non-technical Industry personnel, and other stakeholders about marine geophysical operations.

You may obtain a complimentary copy of the CD by placing an order online on the IAGC website at http://www.iagc.org/en/cms/?5749.

9-Jul-10 1:45 PM

U.S. Federal Judge Overturns 6-Month Drilling Moratorium in U.S. OCS

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:15:00 GMT

On May 30, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior through the Minerals Management Service issued a 6 month moratorium on all drilling activities in the U.S. OCS in water depths greater than 500 feet. A group of oil and gas industry companies filed suit in Federal District Court challenging the legality of the moratorium and sought injunctive relief. On June 22, 2010, a U.S. Federal Judge in New Orleans ruled that the federal government (the Department of the Interior through the Minerals Management Service) acted capriciously in instituting the moratorium, circumvented standard procedure and made decisions without basis in fact.

The complete ruling from the Court can be accessed through this link http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/GENERAL/Notices/10-1663_doc67.pdf.

A statement from the White House press office shortly after the Court ruling was announced made it clear that the federal government intended to appeal this decision to the 5^th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The federal government’s appeal was heard and decided in favor of the oil and gas industry on July 9, 2010. A copy of the Appeals Court ruling was not available at the time this article was published.

On July 12, 2010 Secretary Salazarissued a suspension on drilling operations until November 30, 2010 – in effect a new drilling moratorium. The suspension does not prohibit drilling specifically by water depth, as did the moratorium, but rather prohibits drilling operations that use subsea blowout preventers (BOP) or surface BOPs on floating facilities. The suspensions do not apply to standing facilities using surface BOPS. Such facilities are generally used in shallow water, which makes the new suspension glaringly similar, if not even more restrictive than the original moratorium. It is not immediately clear how many facilities will be impacted.

IAGC will continue to monitor this issue and provide updates as warranted. If you have any questions concerning this issue or this member alert, please contact Walt Rosenbusch, IAGC VP- Projects & Issues (walt.rosenbusch@iagc.org; +1 713-957-8080).

9-Jul-10 12:15 PM

IAGC participates in EAGE Executive Session on Corporate Responsibility

Sarah Tsoflias — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:15:00 GMT

The 72^nd European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) Conference & Exhibition was in Barcelona, Spain on 14-17 June 2010. On 15 June 2010, Carl Trowell (WesternGeco) chaired an Executive Session on Corporate Responsibility Planning "Managing the Expectations”, which focused on environmental issues and Industry’s responsibilities. In the Executive Session, IAGC Vice President Sarah Tsoflias provided a presentation on “Environmental Issues, Regulations and the Role of Industry”, François Hermal (CGGVeritas) presented “Environment: What does it take to go one step further?” and James Martin (WesternGeco) discussed “Mitigating the environmental impact of geophysical exploration through technology.” The information provided in the presentations and following discussion demonstrated the numerous ways the geophysical industry already minimizes its impact on the environment but also encouraged industry to exceed environmental expectations and emerge as leaders in addressing environmental issues.

9-Jul-10 10:15 AM

IAGC Marine Environment Newsletter May-June 2010 Issue

Sarah Tsoflias — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:00:00 GMT

MAY-JUNE 2010 ISSUE

This Marine Environment Newsletter provides information on recent IAGC activities related to marine environment issues and specifically, the sound and marine life issue. These activities include active engagement and discussions with government agencies, international organizations, and other Industry associations; providing technical support and oversight for various industry supported research projects; and communication and educational efforts.

We encourage member participation in future Marine Environment Newsletters by contributing a brief paragraph on an important topic/activity or calendar event related to marine environment issues. Please forward any ideas for articles and event updates to Sarah Tsoflias.

Note: Access to many documents included in this newsletter requires the reader to be either a member of IAGC or included in a User Group that has been given access to specific IAGC website content.

Please follow this link to the IAGC website FAQs page for information on how to acquire IAGC website access IF:

You do not remember your website log-in (Username and/or Password);
You are an employee of an IAGC member company and you received a copy of this newsletter but have never logged in to the IAGC website; OR
You are having problems accessing the IAGC website using your Username and Password.

Marine Environment CALENDAR of Upcoming Conferences & Meetings

13 - 14 July 2010	US Navy, NOAA, & MMS National Marine Mammals & Sound: Science and Application Workshop – Washington, DC, USA – invitation only
13 - 14 July 2010	OGP E&P Sound & Marine Life Joint Industry Program Phase II Technical Management Committee Meeting – Anchorage, Alaska, USA
14 - 15 July 2010	OGP E&P Sound & Marine Life Joint Industry Program Extension Technical Management Committee Meeting – Anchorage, Alaska, USA
15 - 20 August 2010	2nd International Conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life - Cork, Ireland
23 - 27 August 2010	ICA 2010, 20^th International Congress on Acoustics – Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
31 Aug – 2 Sept 2010	APPEA National Environment Conference - Coolum, Queensland, Australia
20-23 September 2010	OCEANS 2010 MTS/IEEE Conference – Seattle, Washington, USA
5 – 6 October 2010	Joint OGP / IAGC Sound & Marine Life Task Force Meeting – London, UK
21 – 22 October 2010	OGP E&P Sound & Marine Life Joint Industry Program Extension Executive Committee Meeting – North America

GOVERNMENT and INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES ACTIVITIES

US Atlantic OCS - IAGC submitted comments on NOI PEIS for G&G Activities

As reported in a previous newsletter article, in early 2010 the US Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced that it would proceed with the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Geological and Geophysical Exploration (G&G) on the Mid- and South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). On 2 April 2010, MMS published in the Federal Register a notice reopening the comment period for the Atlantic G&G PEIS. Through the public scoping and comment process, all... [More Info]

US Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – How it is Impacting the Geophysical Industry

The blowout of the BP Maconda well and resulting oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is a tragic event and one that will certainly have an impact on how natural gas and oil resources will be developed in the future on the US OCS.If your company operates in the US GOM, you are keenly aware that it has already impacted the geophysical business. From US and international news services, we are all aware of the drilling moratorium that the US government imposed almost... [More Info]

IAGC Submits Comments on Proposed 2012-2017 US OCS 5 Year Leasing Program

As reported in a previous article, on March 31, 2010, President Obama and Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar, unveiled the Administration's plan for offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development. As part of that announcement, on April 1, 2010, the Department of the Interior (MMS) published in the Federal Register (FR) aNotice of Intent to Prepare and Scope an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing... [More Info]

Industry meets with Colombian government agency to discuss environmental license

As reported in a previous newsletter article, the Colombian government is considering revising its procedure for permitting geophysical surveys by requiring an environmental license for transition zone and marine seismic surveys. An Environmental License would necessitate an Environmental Impact Study and a lengthy review process. In March 2010, IAGC participated in an International Forum on Marine Seismic which was organized by Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development... [More Info]

Update on EU Good Environmental Status

As described in a March-April 2010 newsletter article, the European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive(MSFD) establishes a framework within which Member States shall take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain good environmental status (GES) in the marine environment no later than 2020. The EU formed a Working Group to develop definitions of criteria (indicators or key attributes), deemed necessary for good environmental status. One attribute of GES is introduction of... [More Info]

OSPAR considering adoption of Mitigation Guidelines for Underwater Noise

As mentioned in previous newsletter articles, the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic through its Biodiversity Committee's Environmental Impacts of Human Activities Working Group, is considering the adoption of the recently proposed Draft Guidance on Measures to Mitigate the Emission and Environmental Impact of Underwater Noise. The draft Guidance document recommends the following: A precautionary approach should be taken every... [More Info]

DEVELOPMENTS

eNGO Files Notice of Intent to sue US Government for noncompliance with MMPA and ESA

eNGOs File Another Lawsuit Against US Government Claiming NEPA Analysis of Seismic Surveys not Sufficient

On 30 June 2010, a group of environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (formerly known as the Minerals Management Service) regarding the permitting of seismic surveys in the US Gulf of Mexico. In the lawsuit, the environmental organizations (National Resources Defense Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and the Gulf Restoration Network) allege that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,... [More Info]

RESEARCH

Summary JIP Behavioural Response Study Planning Workshop

The JIP and the BRS research team are working to finalize contractual matters and are preparing for the September-October 2010 field season. Please refer to the previous articlefor more background on this important sound and marine life research effort. As part of that effort, the BRS research team convened a workshop in June in Brisbane, Australia with the JIP members. Workshop topics included reviewing: project HSE management; 2010 field plans; the specific HSE plan for 2010; 2010... [More Info]

INDUSTRY ADVOCACY / COMMUNICATION / EDUCATION

IAGC Environment Subcommittee holds inaugural meeting

As reported in a previous article, the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee has established an Environment Subcommittee. This subcommittee will address land and marine environmental issues. The Environment Subcommittee, co-chaired by Phil Fontana (Polarcus) and Murray Saxton (Geokinetics) held its inaugural meeting on 24 May 2010 in Houston. The Subcommittee members reviewed and discussed a list of environment & geophysical operations topics. These topics will be... [More Info]

IAGC participates in EAGE Executive Session on Corporate Responsibility

The 72nd European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) Conference & Exhibition was in Barcelona, Spain on 14-17 June 2010. On 15 June 2010, Carl Trowell (President, WesternGeco) chaired an Executive Session on Corporate Responsibility Planning Managing the Expectations, which focused on environmental issues and Industry's responsibilities. In the Executive Session, IAGC Vice President Sarah Tsoflias provided a presentation on Environmental Issues, Regulations and the Role of... [More Info]

Summary International Whaling Commission Meeting

The 62nd Meetingof the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was in Agadir, Morocco, 30 May - 25 June 2010. The IWCwas established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, whose purpose is to provide for the proper conservation and management of whale stocks. In recent years, the IWC Scientific Committee Meeting has included an agenda item on 'anthropogenic sound' under its Environmental Concerns Committee. There were two reports of 'behavioural... [More Info]

For previous news articles regarding Marine Environment issues, please visit the Articles page of the IAGC website.

(Further information regarding many of these activities can be found on the IAGC Marine Environment website; otherwise please contact Sarah Tsoflias, IAGC Vice President - Marine Environment.)

19-Jun-10 9:00 AM

Safety Moment

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:00:00 GMT

With spring already upon us in the northern hemisphere and summer fast approaching, it is the time we want to get outside – play tennis or golf, go fishing or have a picnic. But spring and summer are also the times when severe weather can be a routine occurrence. If you live in a hot, humid, coastal environment, thunderstorms often occur suddenly and without much warning. Below is some advice we all should take when it comes to experiencing thunderstorms.

What to do if you are outside and you are in a severe thunderstorm or one is approaching?

If you are boating or swimming, get to land, get off the beach, and find shelter immediately. Stay away from rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. When lightning strikes nearby, the electrical charge can travel through the water. Each year, numbers of people are killed by nearby lightning strikes while in or on the water.
Take shelter in substantial, permanent, enclosed structures, such as reinforced buildings. Sturdy buildings are the safest place to be. Avoid unprotected gazebos, rain or picnic shelters, golf carts, baseball dugouts and bleachers. While many people take shelter from rain in these locations, they are often isolated structures in otherwise open areas, and, therefore, a target for lightning. In addition, gazebos and picnic shelters are often poorly anchored and subject to being uprooted and blown around in strong thunderstorm winds. They also offer little protection from large hail.
If there are no reinforced buildings in sight, take shelter in a car. Keep car windows closed and avoid convertibles. Rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide no protection from lightning. However, the steel frame of a hard-topped vehicle provides increased protection if you are not touching metal. Although you may be injured if lightning strikes your car, you are much safer inside a vehicle than outside.
If you are in the woods, find an area protected by a low clump of trees. Never stand underneath a single large tree in the open. Be aware of the potential for flooding in low-lying areas.
As a last resort and if no structure is available, go to a low- lying, open place away from trees, poles, or metal objects. Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding. Have as little contact with the ground as possible. Squat low to the ground. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Make yourself the smallest target possible. Do not lie flat on the ground this will make you a larger target.
Avoid tall structures such as towers, tall trees, fences, telephone lines, and power lines. Lightning strikes the tallest objects in an area.
Stay away from natural lightning rods, such as golf clubs, tractors, fishing rods, bicycles, and camping equipment. Lightning is attracted to metal and poles or rods.
If you are isolated in a level field or prairie and you feel your hair stand on end (which indicates that lightning is about to strike), drop to your knees and bend forward, putting your hands on your knees. Crouch on the balls of your feet. Do not lie flat on the ground. The electrical build-up just before lightning strikes will cause your hair to stand on end. Make yourself the smallest target possible and minimize contact with the ground.

14-May-10 2:00 PM

Spring HSE & Security Forum was Held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT

The spring IAGC/OGP Joint Global HSE & Security Forum was held the 15^th & 16^th of April in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This Forum was held in Rio de Janeiro to coincide with the SPE-HSE Conference.

The Chair and Vice-Chair of both the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee and OGP Geophysical HSSE Subcommittee developed a very engaging and compelling agenda. The agenda was similar to previous Forums – it included high potential (HiPo) incidence presentations, updates from IAGC on the various subcommittee and workgroup activities and OGP apprising the attendees on the various guideline updates they are undertaking. Forum attendees also benefited from a presentation made by WesternGeco regarding small boat management in marine operations, CGGVeritas provided a summary of a life jacket test they conducted, a presentation by ExxonMobil on the OCIMF’s Offshore Vessel Inspection Database and Offshore Vessel Management Self Assessment process, and two “best practice” case studies (Geokinetics and global Geophysical) on community relations initiatives. These as well as the HiPos and rest of the presentations from the Forum have been posted on the IAGC website.

The Fall 2010 IAGC/OGP Joint Global HSE & Security Forum will be held in Gatwick, UK on the 2^nd & 3^rd November, 2010. WesternGeco has graciously offered to host the Forum at their local office in Gatwick. A “Save the Date” notice with additional details (venue, agenda, etc.) will be e-mailed to all IAGC members later this year.

In addition to the two Forums noted above, there will be a Regional HSE & Security Forum held in the Asia Pacific region the week of Sept 20 at a location to be determined in the area. The purpose of this Forum is to allow for IAGC and OGP member company HSE and operations professionals to meet to share HSE best practices and to learn more about the issues and initiatives that the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee and OGP Geophysical HSSE Committee are working on. The Regional Forum will be limited to the first 100 registrants. A formal announcement regarding the Forum will sent out in the coming weeks.

14-May-10 1:30 PM

Global HSE & Security Steering Committee Welcomes New Chairman and Vice Chairman

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT

The Global HSE & Security Steering Committee has selected Danny Garcia (FairfieldNodal) as Chairman to succeed Charlie Jeffrey (PGS), whose two year term had come to an end. For the past two years Danny has been serving as the Committee’s Vice-Chairman. An election by the Committee members was conducted and Patrick Legh-Smith (WesternGeco) was selected as the Committee’s new Vice-Chairman. Danny and Patrick will serve two years in their respective roles.

Charlie Jeffrey has assured the committee that he will continue to be an active and valued member, and has committed to assist Danny as he assumes his new responsibilities. We extend our appreciation and heartfelt thank you to Charlie for his contribution to the Committee and congratulate Danny and Patrick on their new role.

14-May-10 1:00 PM

Global HSE & Security Steering Committee Meeting was Held in Rio de Janeiro

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:30:00 GMT

On Friday 16 April 2010, Danny Garcia (FairfieldNodal) and Patrick Legh-Smith (WesternGeco), Chairman and Vice Chairman of the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee, respectively, held a committee meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The committee covered a number of issues in particular the creation of a workgroup regarding workboats, the numerous accreditation/certification groups that E&P companies are requiring seismic contractors to be a part of, issues surrounding unexploded ordnances and the selection of the dates for the next four (4) Committee meetings.

Workboat Workgroup – Jess Yeates (CGGVeritas) was identified as the Chair for the newly formed workgroup. The remit for this workgroup is to develop a guidance document based upon best practices and to collect high potential incident reports related to the use of workboats.

Accreditation/Certification groups – E&P companies, as part of the tendering process, are requiring seismic contractors to be a member of accreditation services. Unfortunately not all of the E&P industry does not recognize just one accreditation service so seismic contractors are devoting considerable time and effort to join and maintain their membership. Chip Gill (IAGC President) will present this issue at the next Commercial Health Committee in June for the committee members’ consideration and action.

Unexploded Ordnances – David Rash (Geokinetics), Chair of the IAGC Security Subcommittee and IAGC representative to the OGP Committee addressing unexploded ordnances provided the committee with an update of this issue. An initial draft of an OGP report will be complete very soon and will be circulated to the IAGC Security Subcommittee for their review and comment. Chip Gill (IAGC President) will present this issue at the next Commercial Health Committee in June for the committee members’ consideration and action.

Next Four (4) Committee Meetings – The following dates and times have been identified to teleconference committee meetings:

Date Time

9 June 2010 9:00 am to 11:00 am (CDT)

8 September 2010 9:00 am to 11:00 am (CDT)

8 December 2010 9:00 am to 11:00 am (CDT)

9 March 2010 9:00 am to 11:00 am (CDT)

14-May-10 12:30 PM

Environmental Subcommittee is ready to Begin Their Work

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:00:00 GMT

As reported in a previous article, the IAGC Global HSE & Security Steering Committee has decided to form an Environmental Subcommittee. This subcommittee will address environmental issues – land and marine – that do not fall within the remit of the Sound and Marine Life Workgroup (i.e. marine mammal).

Each company representative on the Global HSE & Security Steering Committee has selected an individual within their company to actively participate on the subcommittee and at the Spring HSE & Security Forum, Phil Fontana (Polarcus) and Murray Saxton (Geokinetics) were selected as Co-Chairs of the subcommittee. The first meeting of the subcommittee will occur 24 May 2010. At this meeting the subcommittee will develop their remit and a list of issues and initiatives that they will address.

A web page on the IAGC website has been created as a resource for the subcommittee and other IAGC members. If you have any questions or want additional information regarding the Environmental Subcommittee, you are encouraged to contact Sarah Tsoflias (IAGC).

14-May-10 12:00 PM

EM Subcommittee Moving Forward with Development of Industry EIA

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:30:00 GMT

The EM Subcommittee met on 7 April 2010 at WesternGeco’s offices in Gatwick, UK. As reported in a previous newsletter article, the subcommittee has been working on the development of an EM Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The subcommittee, with the assistance of Sarah Tsoflias (IAGC) – developed a “tender document” that went to several vendors that are eligible (professionally capable) to perform the work. Sarah and the subcommittee members have reviewed all vendor submissions and developed a short list from which one vendor will be awarded the contract some time in the 2^nd quarter of this year.

Other action taken at the 7 April 2010 subcommittee meeting included decisions that the EM contractors will be presenting HiPos at future HSE & Security Forums, will report annual HSE statistics to IAGC – beginning with 2009 data, will develop a “glossary of terms” for EM to be posted on the IAGC website and will contribute an EM section in the IAGC Land and IAGC Marine Safety Manuals that are currently be updated to version 10.

If you would like to learn more about the activities and issues the EM Subcommittee are addressing, you are encouraged to visit the IAGC website.

14-May-10 11:30 AM

U.S. Exploration & Production Companies Push HSE Certification on Geophysical Contractors

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:00:00 GMT

SafeLandUSA is group of E&P companies, non-seismic contractors, training provides and industry associations that have come together to promote safe operations on onshore E&P operations through a standardized HSE orientation training process. Formed 2005 SafelandsUSA, the founding organizers officially “rolled out” the program in January 2010 to the entire upstream industry with activity on US onshore land with the purpose of requiring all E&P companies to comply.

Recently, several IAGC member companies, as part of the tendering process, have been asked by E&P companies if their personnel are SafeLandUSA certified. IAGC staff has been asked to engage SafeLandUSA, learn more about their overall intent and scope and determine if seismic contractors should be included in this organization. In the coming weeks, Chip Gill (IAGC President) and Walt Rosenbusch (IAGC VP) will be meeting with several of the SafeLandUSA Advisory Group members. IAGC will keep the membership updated as to the outcome of these meetings in future member alerts and newsletter articles. In the meantime, if you have any questions – or more importantly if you or your company have been asked about SafeLandUSA certification, please contact either Chip Gill (+1 713-957-8080; chipgill@iagc.org) or Walt Rosenbusch (+1 713-957-8080; walt.rosenbusch@iagc.org).

14-May-10 11:00 AM

Americas Data Licensing Committee Welcomes New Chairman

Walt Rosenbusch — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:00:00 GMT

At the March 23, 2010 meeting of the Americas Data Licensing Committee (ADLC) John Adamick (TGS-NOPEC) announced that he was stepping down as Chairman of the ADLC and that Matt Bognar (CGGVeritas) will assume the Chairman’s role. Matt had been serving as Vice Chairman of the committee. The ADLC is one of the most active IAGC Chapter committees and under John’s leadership the committee has been vigilant in their protection and enhancement of the non-exclusive business model. A new Vice Chairman will be selected in the coming weeks to assist Matt.

In addition to the change in Chairmanship, the ADLC conducted its regular business.

▫ There was a review of recent activities involving the MMS Subcommittee which included a meeting that John Adamick, Matt Bognar and Walt Rosenbusch (IAGC) had with Chris Oynes, MMS Associate Director for Offshore Energy and Minerals Management. This results of this meeting was reported in previous articles (article 1, article 2, article 3, article 4 and article 5).

▫ Paul Einarsson (GSI) and Matt Bognar provided an update to the committee on the status of the CNSOPB Legal Initiative. Paul and Matt reported that JoAnn Lippman (CGGVeritas) was selected by the CNSOPB Legal Initiative Workgroup members to Chair the workgroup and given the authority to act on their behalf in all future interaction with the IAGC’s attorney and with the CNSOPB.

▫ Bryan Dempsey (TGS-NOPEC), Chairman of the Texas Franchise Tax Subcommittee reported to the committee that the Texas Supreme Court would hear oral arguments on April 15, 2010 and a decision by the Court could occur in as little as 30 to 60 days or as much as 3 to 6 months.

▫ John Adamick reported on behalf of the Seismic Data Security Subcommittee that an initial evaluation of solution provider Media Sourcery had been completed and it was determined that their encryption technology was not sufficient to handle the vast amount of data associated with process geophysical data.

We extend our appreciation and heartfelt thank you to John for his contribution to the Committee and congratulate Matt on his new role.

14-May-10 9:00 AM