ASA Responds to LNG
Concerns
Worldwide trade in liquefied natural
gas (LNG) is rapidly expanding, with
imports to the U.S. expected to double
within the next 20 years. This increased
activity will require the construction
of new LNG terminals and the maintenance
of existing terminals. ASA is providing
services to evaluate LNG-related issues
from two perspectives. The first is
through the analysis of environmental
effects relating to LNG terminal construction
and operation. The second is by developing
an LNG transport and fate model system
for use as an emergency response planning
tool.
Effects
of LNG Terminal Construction and Operation
ASA recently evaluated the environmental
effects of two proposed LNG terminal
facilities, one onshore and the other
offshore. For the onshore terminal
the impacts on marine biota in response
to dredging the access channel were
determined. ASA's hydrodynamic, suspended
sediment fate, and biological dosing
models were used to evaluate the effects
of sediment released during dredging
operations to deepen the existing
channel.
For the offshore terminal, ASA focused
on the environmental effects of pipeline
burial and the use of seawater to
vaporize LNG to a gas for transfer
to shore. The pipeline analysis involved
determining the extent of resuspension
and deposition of sediments during
the burial process and the resultant
effects on biological communities
in the area along the pipeline route.
The use of seawater for heating the
LNG and the subsequent discharge of
a cooled water plume examined both
the entrainment and impingement of
marine biota through the heating water
system, and the discharge plume's
extent and biological effects.
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Moss-spherical
tanker ship, a specially designed
ship
used to transport LNG. |
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Emergency Response Planning Tool
for LNG
The increasing use of LNG and its consequent
transport increases the possibility of a spill
due to either accidents or terrorist activities.
Work is currently underway at ASA to develop
a model system for evaluating the consequences
of an LNG spill on water. The integrated models
will predict the fate of LNG (or other cryogenic
liquid) beginning with its release from a
tanker or pipeline. Spreading, vaporization,
burning, and vapor dispersion will be included.
Thermal radiation resulting from a pool fire
is of particular concern. |
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The models will be incorporated in a comprehensive
GIS-based user interface to simplify specification
of the release scenario and facilitate interpretation
of model results. Hazardous concentrations
and thermal radiation levels overlaid on a
map of the affected region will indicate areas
of concern at a glance. |
Trajectory Modelling used to Assist Marine
Pollution Investigation
Early on the morning of 7 January 2003, a
large empty yellow plastic quarantine bag
was found on the high tide mark of Wooli
Beach, New South Wales, Australia. These
heavy duty plastic bags are used for storage
of items that pose a quarantine risk and
are sealed on board ships by Quarantine
Inspectors. As the disposal of plastic at
sea is prohibited, the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority (AMSA) undertook an investigation
to determine the source of the bag. A suspect
ship was identified, and AMSA inspectors
boarded the ship and obtained documentation
that confirmed eight days earlier the ship
had traveled past Wooli Beach some 514 kilometres
offshore. To assist AMSA, Asia-Pacific ASA
performed a series of SARMAP model simulations
(backward and forward) to determine the
trajectory of the bag and establish whether
the ship identified was in fact responsible. |
The backward tracking simulation
demonstrated the bag moving seaward
from Wooli Beach would intersect with
the ships' path. To further understand
the movement of the bag, a series
of forward tracking simulations were
carried out along the ships' recorded
geographic positions. By simulating
the release of the bag from selected
positions, it was calculated that
if the bag entered the sea between
17:30 hrs-19:30 hrs on the 29 December
2002, the bag would reach Wooli Beach
by high tide the night of 6 January
2003. The figure to the right shows
the predicted movement of the bag
over the 8-days.
The findings from this modelling
study formulated part of the evidence
in a successful prosecution of the
ships' Owners and Master during
December 2004 for offenses involving
illegal disposal of plastic and
food waste.
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Latest OILMAP Extension For ArcGIS Version
9.0 delivered to SPDC & SNEPco, Nigeria
The Shell Petroleum Development Company
of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and the Shell
Nigeria Exploration and Production Company
(SNEPco) have recently acquired ASA's
OILMAP for ArcGIS system. This system
works as an extension to ESRI's ArcGIS
software (version 9.0). OILMAP is an
oil spill and response system, which
provides rapid predictions of oil movement.
Its integration into the ESRI ArcGIS
framework provides the user with access
to a comprehensive suite of GIS tools
allowing detailed analysis OILMAP's
output. Other features include the incorporation
of spatial databases, the ability to
color code spill trajectories by time,
radius, viscosity, or thickness, and
analysis of oil weathering data.
The system was delivered to SPDC and
SNEPco in support of Shell's training,
planning and emergency response
operations in Nigeria. Working in
close cooperation with SPDC's Geomatics
Department ensured seamless integration
with the existing GIS infrastructure
in Shell. The agreement includes
the delivery of several licenses,
the provision of an offshore water
circulation data set and historical
wind data and is applicable to all
Shell Operating Companies.
Roddy Thomas of ASA Ltd recently carried
out a software training program at SPDC
Geomatics Office, Port Harcourt, and
attendees included Emergency Response
Coordinators (ERC), HSE, MetOcean and
GIS specialists from Shells' Lagos,
Warri and Port Harcourt offices.
Other ASA products available as ArcGIS
extensions include CHEMMAP, SARMAP,
and AIRMAP.
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NetCDF and OPeNDAP Support
As a component off a variety of projects
that ASA is working on, we continue
to expand our development of NetCDF
and OPeNDAP (www.opendap.org)
support.
Support for NetCDF within ArcGIS has been
a challenge because of the flexible
nature of NetCDF, especially in terms
of the geospatial definitions. Because
of the huge variety of NetCDF conventions
used, ASA's ArcGIS NetCDF extension
focuses on support for files that
meet the COARDS and CF conventions
(www.unidata.ucar.edu).
Currently, the NetCDF extension allows
the user add NetCDF files as a custom
layer to the GIS view. The user may:
- Display
vector and scalar parameters
- Perform
time filters and animations
- Use grid
striding to visually filter data
- Export time
steps to ESRI SHP file format
- Use the
Time Series Graph Tool
ASA is also working on a prototype
extension that allows the user to
connect to metocean data served by
OPeNDAP servers so remote data may
be visualized within ArcGIS.
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Project News
SARMAP was delivered to PETROBRAS, the
Brazilian oil company, and the Brazilian
Navy on 8 December. As part of that delivery,
Eduardo Yassuda went to Rio de
Janeiro and provided technical training
on Search & Rescue and the use of
SARMAP.
The Argentinean Coast Guard (Prefectura
Naval Argentina) has recently been delivered
SARMAP. On 15-17, December, Eduardo
Yassuda went to Buenos Aires to provide
a 3-day technical training course on Search
& Rescue and the use of SARMAP.
The North Sea Directorate, the Netherlands,
has recently taken delivery of upgraded
versions of OILMAP/SARMAP for ArcGIS9
and CHEMMAP for ArcGIS9 to meet their
latest operational needs.
Sasha Zigic, Scott Langtry
and Nathan Benfer assisted the
Western Australian Water Police with their
search and rescue efforts, 5-7 January
2005. Numerical modeling was undertaken
to locate an elderly couple that went
missing after they set off in their small
inflatable raft from Rottnest Island,
Western Australia, to paddle out to their
yacht moored only 60 meters offshore.
At 17:30 on the 4th of January a crayfisherman
discovered the raft floating empty. The
location of the raft was then compared
with the predicted search area and it
was found to be contained with in its
limits. Since the persons were still lost
at sea, a number of release sites were
added along the dingy track line from
the previous simulation. The release sites
were run simultaneously and a search area
was created to encompass all possible
locations of the missing persons. This
predicted search area was then used by
the Western Australian Police as part
of their search.
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Personnel News
Malcolm Spaulding
and Roddy Thomas attended the Search,
Assistance, and Rescue Technical Seminar (SAROPs)
during SeaTechWeek Brest, France, 18-20 September.
Malcolm presented a paper entitled The next
generation Search and Rescue Optimal Planning
System for the US Coast Guard.
4-7 October, Eduardo Yassuda, Andrea
Gallo and Tom Richardson attended
the Rio Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference,
at which ASA South America shared a stand
with Hidroclean, an emergency response and
environmental consulting company.
Craig Swanson, Deborah French McCay,
and Jill Rowe participated in a meeting
with federal and state agencies to discuss
dredging issues related to the proposed Weavers
Cove Energy LNG Terminal in Fall River, MA
on 8 October 2004. The main topics of this
meeting were to discuss the specifics of the
proposed dredge plan, ASA suspended sediment
modeling results, ASA biological effects analyses,
and possible time-of-year dredging restrictions
for the project.
On 19-21 October 2004, Deborah French
McCay and Eric Anderson presented
papers at the International Marine Environmental
Modeling Seminar (IMEMS) in Washington, DC.
Debbie presented Validation of an Oil Spill
Fate and Effects Model Using Field Observations
from Spills authored by Debbie and Jill Rowe.
Eric presented, Deep Water Oil Spill Modeling
using OilmapDeep and CDOG authored by Tatsu
Isaji, Eric Anderson and Eoin Howlett.
21-22 October Nicole Whittier participated
in the Air Dispersion Modeling and Risk Assessment
Workshop held by Lakes Environmental. Technical
details of regulatory air dispersion modeling,
screening and refined models for permit applications
and risk assessments were explained. Interactive
case studies were performed using: AERMOD,
AERMET, AERMAP, ISCST3, ISC-PRIME, BPIP, PCRAMMET,
and WRPLOT.
November 2004, Kathy Sheridan completed
the Introduction to Marine Oil Pollution Response
Course, held by WA's Dept. for Planning and
Infrastructure (DPI).
Craig Swanson, Eoin Howlett,
and Jiganesh Patel participated in
the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment
(GODAE) Symposium, 1-3 November, in St Petersburg,
FL. Eoin and Craig made informal presentations
about COASTMAP at the Crisis Management
and Risk Management breakout sessions, respectively.
A poster, COASTMAP: A User-Focused Monitoring
and Modeling System for Coastal Waters,
coauthored by Eoin Howlett, Craig
Swanson, Matthew Ward and Malcolm
Spaulding was displayed throughout the
symposium.
Where in the world
are Craig, Eoin, and Jiganesh in the photo
of the GODAE participants?
1-4 November, Jose Edson Pereira and
Professor Edmo Campos participated in the
GODAE meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida. Throughout the months of September to December,
Craig Swanson, Deborah French
McCay, and Jill Rowe participated
in public hearings held by Conservation
Commissions from the towns of Somerset and
Fall River, Massachusetts for the proposed
Weavers Cove LNG project. During the hearings,
members of the commissions and town citizens
asked questions regarding the ASA modeling
results and potential dredging impacts to
biological organisms within the Taunton
River.
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1-5 November, Eduardo Yassuda
and Aldo Fedele from DIRECTEMAR
(Chile) conducted OILMAP training
to technical personnel of the Chilean
Navy in Punta Arenas and Puerto
Montt (Chile), as part of the project
to develop 5 emergency response
centers along their coast. Craig Swanson presented Computer
Modeling-Based Source Identification
Tool for Pathogenic Pollution at
the American Water Resources Association
annual conference in Orlando, FL
1-4 November.
Jill Rowe attended the 57th
annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries
Institute (GCFI) conference on 8
November 2004 in St. Petersburg,
Florida. She presented her paper
entitled Integrating GIS with Fishery
Survey Historical Data: A Possible
Tool for Designing Marine Protected
Areas. Jill's paper touched on the
her master's thesis work in which
she analyzed 30 years of fishery-independent
trawl (MARMAP) data for trends in
fish abundance, biomass and diversity,
and how an analysis such as this
could be used for future fisheries
management and could aid in the
placement of marine protected areas.
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Craig Swanson and
Paul Hall recently participated in
a series of regulatory agency meetings to
discuss the environmental effects of a proposed
desalination facility on the Palmer River
in Swansea, MA.
On 9 November, Eduardo Yassuda was
invited to speak at the Annual Meeting of
the National Agency of Petroleum (ANP) Program
for Human Resource Development. Eduardo
presented on the Consulting Job Market in
the Oil & Gas Industry.
Deborah French McCay presented Habitat
Equivalency Analysis Based on Production
and Food Web Equivalency (by Debbie and
Jill Rowe) and participated in a
panel discussion on habitat equivalency
analysis for natural resource damage assessment
at the Society of Environmental Toxicology
and Chemistry (SETAC) Fourth World Congress,
14-18 November 2004, in Portland, Oregon
USA. She also presented a poster Probabilistic
Impact Evaluation of Oil Spills in the Columbia
River and Coastal Washington Waters.
Craig Swanson was an invited participant
in a symposium, State of Science Knowledge
on Nutrients in Narragansett Bay, held on
Block Island 17-18 November. The symposium
sessions focused on nutrient sources and
magnitude, circulation and forcing functions,
biological and ecological trends, and nutrient
biochemistry and fluxes. Craig highlighted
some of the previous circulation studies
(field programs and modeling) that he and
Malcolm Spaulding have performed
in the Bay.
Eoin Howlett and Roddy Thomas
attended the Offshore Arabia Oil & Gas
Conference, Dubai, 29 November - 1 December.
ASA exhibited at the show and met with clients
from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain
and Kuwait.
Eoin Howlett visited Singapore 1-3
December as part of an upgrade program for
ASA's Crisis Management System (CMS) installed
at the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) offices
and the Integrated Simulation Centre (ISC).
Eoin also spent time preparing for the new
SARMAP project at the Civil Aviation Authority
of Singapore (CAAS), which is being jointly
commissioned with Techno-Sciences SARSAT
installation.
Eoin Howlett visited ASA's office
in the Gold Coast, Australia, 4-7 December.
Eoin spent a few days working on some joint
projects with Brian King, Sasha
Zigic, and Marc Zapata, including
design of an ArcGIS extension for the Australian
Navy.
Paul Hall presented a talk titled
On melting, dehydration and the geochemistry
of off-axis plume-ridge interaction
at the 2004 Fall Meeting of the American
Geophysical Union in San Francisco, CA (13
- 17 December). While at the meeting he
also met with representatives of CODAR Ocean
Sensors and members of the Rutgers University
Coastal Ocean Observation Lab to discuss
the use of data from Coastal HF Radar systems
in Search and Rescue modeling.
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New Faces
Kathy
Jayko recently re-joined the staff of
ASA after a hiatus of several years, during
which time she did consulting work, taught
Java, and returned to school to get a Master
of Science degree in Computer Science. She
is currently working on developing and improving
many of ASA's models including OILMAP, CHEMMAP
and AIRMAP.
Guy
deWardener has joined ASA as a senior
IT developer. Guy received a BS in Computer
Engineering in 1991 from the University of
Rhode Island and has spent more than 13 years
working in IT for various industries. In addition
to design and development tasks, Guy will
be focusing on overall development lifecycle,
resource management and QA.
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Enjoying
ASA's Holiday party, Kathy (left) and
Guy and his wife Cheryl (right) |
Upcoming Conferences
Paul Hall will be
attending the Radiowave Operators Working
Group (ROWG) meeting in Miami, FL from 31
Jan - 4 Feb. The meeting brings together Coastal
HF Radar operators from around the country.
Deborah French McCay
and Nicole Whittier will be presenting
at the 2005 International Oil Spill Conference,
15-19 May 15-19 at the Miami Beach Convention
Center in Miami Beach, Florida.
Eoin Howlett will
be presenting a paper Coastmap: An ArcGIS
extension for integrating temporal metocean
data at Coastal GeoTools '05, 7-10 March,
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
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