Oil well produced water discharges to the North Sea. Part I: comparison of deployed mussels (Mytilus edulis), semi-permeable membrane devices, and the DREAM model predictions to estimate the dispersion of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The oil companies operating in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea have conducted field studies since the mid-1990s to monitor produced water discharges to the ocean. These studies have been used to refine monitoring methods, and to develop and validate a dispersion and impact assessment model. This paper summarizes monitoring data from surveys conducted in two major oil and gas production areas, and compares the results to concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in surface waters predicted by the dose-related risk and effect assessment model (DREAM). Blue mussels and semi-permeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were deployed in the Ekofisk and Tampen Regions and analyzed for more than 50 PAH. PAH concentrations in ambient seawater were estimated based on the mussels and SPMD concentrations, and compared to model predictions. Surface water total PAH concentrations ranged from 25 to 350 ng/L within 1 km of the platform discharges and reached background levels of 4-8 ng/L within 5-10 km of the discharge; a 100,000-fold dilution of the PAH in the discharge water. The PAH concentrations in surface water, predicted by three methods, compared well for the Ekofisk Region. The model predicted higher concentrations than the field-based methods for parts of the Tampen Region; particularly the most tidally influenced areas. Tidally-mediated fluctuations in PAH concentrations in surface water must be considered because they affect the estimation of PAH concentrations from mussel and SPMD residue data, and the predictions by the DREAM model. Predictions using mussels, SPMDs, and modeling support and complement each other; all are valuable tools for estimating the fate and impact of chemical contaminants in produced water that are discharged to the ocean.