Historical Perspective of Produced Water Studies Funded by the Minerals Management Service

Abstract

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is the bureau within the US Department of the Interior that offers for lease areas of the Outer Continental Shelf for mineral extraction and regulates the offshore oil and gas industry. As part of its mission, the agency collects information about the environmental impacts from these regulated activities through a program of funded research. Since its inception in 1973, the MMS Environmental Studies Program has collected baseline information about the marine environment and examined the potential impacts of the industry, such as the effects of produced water. The Gulf of Mexico is the primary area for offshore oil and gas activities, contributing about 27% of the domestically produced oil and 17% of the natural gas. In Southern California, 23 platforms are currently operating. Over the years, MMS has funded studies examining the impacts from this produced water in coastal areas and offshore. Generally, studies have focused on the contamination in the sediments as the ultimate sink rather than measurements in the water column. A few studies have examined the genotoxicity on specific species or life stages. One recent study examined the contribution of produced water to the hypoxic zone that forms off the coast of Louisiana. The information gathered through these studies is used by MMS in the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements, which support both offshore leasing decisions and permits promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency.