Management of highly toxic marine pollutant unexpectantly arising from offshore chemical cleaning operations
Daniel Hazell A * , Marc Lehmann A , Joshua Corbett A and Ben Davis AA
Daniel Hazell holds an Honours degree in Environmental Science and has worked for 20 years in the resources industries, including 15 years in the offshore petroleum industry. In his career, he has managed environmental approvals and overseen environmental compliance during the construction, commissioning and operation of several large infrastructure projects, both in mining and petroleum. In recent years, his focus has shifted to oil and chemical spill response, and offshore facility operations. Within the offshore facility operations, a core focus is offshore emissions and liquid discharges management. He is currently employed by INPEX Australia, as a Senior Environmental Advisor, supporting exploration and production activities in Australia. |
Marc Lehmann holds a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry and is currently employed as the Production Chemistry Lead at INPEX Operations Australia. Marc is a subject matter expert in oilfield chemistry, specialising in chemical treatments for flow assurance, integrity management, and water management. He is committed to continuous improvement and stays engaged with advancements in production chemistry to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. In recent years his work has focused on MEG processing, formation water breakthrough and oil-in-water monitoring methodologies. Marc collaborates closely with operators, field engineers, HSE, and R&D teams to troubleshoot field challenges and optimise chemical programs. |
Josh Corbett is a Marine Scientist and the Environment Team Lead – Biodiversity, Offsets and Science at INPEX Operations Australia. He has over 17 years of industry and technical experience implementing environmental offsets, monitoring and research programs, and has expertise in environmental impact assessments, approvals and reporting for state/territory and federal regulators. |
Ben Davis is a Marine Scientist and a Senior Environment Advisor at INPEX Operations Australia. Ben has 15 years of experience managing and implementing marine and environmental projects, across both western and northern Australia. His technical expertise is focused on state/territory and federal environmental approvals, licensing and permitting, writing and implementing environmental impact assessment and management plans. Ben also specialises in field scientific operations, emissions monitoring and reporting, and environmental offsets for conservation. |
Abstract
In 2022, an event involving the use of Lauramine-oxide in vapour-phase for steam cleaning of production vessels and pipework occurred on the INPEX-operated Ichthys Project central processing facility (CPF) and floating production storage offtake (FPSO) facilities. A thermal oxidation reaction converted Lauramine-oxide into Lauramine, a known marine pollutant, which was subsequently discharged through drainage systems into the marine environment. This paper explores the key events, responses, and lessons learned from this incident.
Keywords: chemical contamination, Lauramine, Lauramine-oxide, liquid waste management, marine pollution, offshore oil and gas, safety data sheets, vapour phase chemical cleaning.
Daniel Hazell holds an Honours degree in Environmental Science and has worked for 20 years in the resources industries, including 15 years in the offshore petroleum industry. In his career, he has managed environmental approvals and overseen environmental compliance during the construction, commissioning and operation of several large infrastructure projects, both in mining and petroleum. In recent years, his focus has shifted to oil and chemical spill response, and offshore facility operations. Within the offshore facility operations, a core focus is offshore emissions and liquid discharges management. He is currently employed by INPEX Australia, as a Senior Environmental Advisor, supporting exploration and production activities in Australia. |
Marc Lehmann holds a Doctorate in Physical Chemistry and is currently employed as the Production Chemistry Lead at INPEX Operations Australia. Marc is a subject matter expert in oilfield chemistry, specialising in chemical treatments for flow assurance, integrity management, and water management. He is committed to continuous improvement and stays engaged with advancements in production chemistry to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability. In recent years his work has focused on MEG processing, formation water breakthrough and oil-in-water monitoring methodologies. Marc collaborates closely with operators, field engineers, HSE, and R&D teams to troubleshoot field challenges and optimise chemical programs. |
Josh Corbett is a Marine Scientist and the Environment Team Lead – Biodiversity, Offsets and Science at INPEX Operations Australia. He has over 17 years of industry and technical experience implementing environmental offsets, monitoring and research programs, and has expertise in environmental impact assessments, approvals and reporting for state/territory and federal regulators. |
Ben Davis is a Marine Scientist and a Senior Environment Advisor at INPEX Operations Australia. Ben has 15 years of experience managing and implementing marine and environmental projects, across both western and northern Australia. His technical expertise is focused on state/territory and federal environmental approvals, licensing and permitting, writing and implementing environmental impact assessment and management plans. Ben also specialises in field scientific operations, emissions monitoring and reporting, and environmental offsets for conservation. |
