One of the problems facing Ståle Johnsen of Statoil and his counterpart at Norsk Hydro, Toril Røe Utvik, was the need to evaluate the environmental effects of oil platform discharges in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. They needed to monitor hydrocarbons and other contaminants in the sea that come primarily from produced water discharges at the platforms and determine the impacts on the marine environment. Another challenge was finding sophisticated consulting services for assisting in designing and executing the field and analytical work, for interpreting the results, and for reporting and disseminating the information.

European corporations like Statoil and Norsk Hydro are increasingly turning to Battelle for sophisticated monitoring and analytical techniques and for assessing environmental impact and quality.

“The Battelle staff are dedicated, professional problem solvers and a pleasure to work with,” said Ståle Johnsen of Statoil, a Norwegian oil company.

“There is more and more of a demand for quality and in Norway or elsewhere in Europe we are unable to find it, that’s why we come to Battelle,” Johnsen said.

Battelle has been meeting Statoil’s and Norsk Hydro’s needs by designing and employing state-of-the art sampling techniques, participating in field work, and carrying out most of the laboratory analytical work for the ongoing offshore monitoring program.

“We’ve helped them evaluate different methods for sampling and monitoring contaminants in the waters around the platforms” said Gregory Durell of the Battelle team, which has conducted several studies of the fate and effects of produced water discharges to the sea at the platforms.

The Battelle team initially assessed the effectiveness of different sampling and analytical techniques for measuring hydrocarbons, including deployment of cages of blue mussels as well as synthetic membranes designed to accumulate contaminants like animals. These methods were compared to various types of direct water sampling techniques.

The studies in the past five years have combined field work with sophisticated laboratory analyses, assessment of contaminant bioaccumulation and ecological risk, and state-of-the-art computer modeling in several regions of the northern North Sea, completing thorough environmental impact assessments of the discharges.

“We continually return to Battelle because we completely trust the quality, resources, and delivery they provide to us,”said Statoil’s Johnsen.

For more infomation, contact Greg Durell (781) 952-5233, durell@battelle.org.