ExxonMobil now seeking companies to monitor air quality impacts onshore from FPSOs

Nov 13, 2023 News

ExxonMobil flaring natural gas offshore on the Liza Destiny FPSO

Kaieteur News – Amid concerns by Guyanese regarding the impacts to air quality from oil and gas activities in the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is now seeking companies to monitor onshore air quality.

In a Request For Information (RFI) published in October, the oil giant said it plans to put in place five air quality monitoring stations in the country “with the purpose of (3 stations) developing a broader understanding of Guyana’s baseline air quality and (1 to 2 stations) better understanding potential FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel) impacts onshore to Guyana’s baseline air quality.”

Exxon said the monitoring stations are expected to meet data availability, and data quality requirements, among others, similar to those required by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The selected company will carry out the contract in three phases. Phase one entails selection of suitable sites and developing a list of and basis for pollutants to be monitored. Phase two will involve the ‘design, purchase and installation’ of appropriate stationary for long-term (five plus years) monitoring shelters while the third phase involves the Planning, Operating, Maintaining, Validating, and Education of the citizenry.

As part of phase three, a website will be established to provide an internet-based method for continuous public sharing of the data collected, including background and explanations necessary for public understanding.

According to the RFI, the contractor would also be responsible for training personnel to manage phase three of the project and provide a data summary to EMGL each quarter.

ExxonMobil, in its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its most recently approved Stabroek Block project, Uaru, indicated that the development is likely to affect air quality.

Uaru is Exxon’s fifth deep water project set to develop over 1.3 billion barrels of oil. It was sanctioned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April this year.

Specifically, the EIA for the US$12.6B project states that emissions resulting from the project have the potential to change ambient air quality in the Project Area of Influence. Air quality Exxon noted is important for health of humans and wildlife. It was further noted by Exxon that Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Project may increase the GHG concentrations in the atmosphere.

Kaieteur News understands that emissions generated by the Project emanate from two source categories. It said specific point sources include power-generating units and diesel engines on drill ships, and the FPSO. It also includes flares used to combust associated gas when not consumed as fuel gas on the FPSO or reinjected into the reservoir.

Exxon said other sources of emissions will include support vessels, construction vessels, tugboats, and helicopters. Exxon said emissions from the listed offshore vessels will contribute to increases in the ambient air concentrations of criteria pollutants and will also increase Guyana’s national GHG emissions inventory.

Regarding potential air quality impacts from pollutants, depending on the magnitude and extent of the increases in concentrations, Exxon said the increases from Project activities would have the potential to contribute to health impacts. The study said ExxonMobil and its affiliates will put safeguards in place, adding that they generally follow the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist’s Threshold Limit Values to set the exposure limits for chemical, physical, and biological substances.

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