Pantanal

Pantanal

Pantanal region is one of the largest transboundary forms of wetland that is found at the southern region of Brazil (Dawson et al. 1991). The region enjoys a vast ecological biodiversity ranging from flood pulses caused by the seasonal frequently occurring rain patterns from the catchments along the Paraguay River which causes alternating wet and dry seasonal stages during the year. Wide varied biota has been found to dominate the area under these alternating climatic conditions (Cater 2002). According to the ecosystem research carried out recently, the region  was listed  as one of the regions globally whose value keeps on being appreciated  because presence of the wetland makes it one of the world’s best productive environmental area (Dawson et al 1991). The region currently houses uncountable ecological, economic, recreational, cultural and aesthetics valuables. The biotic present in the wetland region include timber, wildlife peat and fish. The area forms a key economic sector pillar as the wetland supplies the region with agricultural, domestic and industrial water (Oswald 1976). Secondly, there are a lot of rivers such as Paraguay tributaries that serve for the water transport. Moreover, the region takes pride in the rich agricultural land full of fertile soil suitable for irrigation. Lastly, there are a lot of fish and wildlife in the region that has attracted a lot of tourists (Cater 2002). This wide variety of biodiversity elements has made the region considered as one of the biological sites providing both chemical and hydrological benefits to the nearby societies. Most of the studies have reviewed the region to possess the best fresh water form for fisheries globally. This has been echoed by the water in the tributaries having a reduced velocity leading to an excellent microbial mineral absorption by plants.

Apart from being termed as an ecological biotic paradise area, it has been found to possess large tracts of acres full of oilfields. The explorations of oil in the area serve to create a human biodiversity conflict where the wetland will be destroyed by the multinational oil companies in the search of oil. Apart from some of the wetland, lands in recent years lost their agricultural, industrial and residential uses. A large percentage of lands, particularly 50%, has been found to have been destroyed in the process of mining, pollution and waste disposal (Cater 2002).

Some of the mining companies are employing some environmental unfriendly mechanisms that have been seen to degrade the region through destroying the biodiversity. This paper tries to explore the work of EIA committee that has been selected to find out the environmental impact posed on the region through the use of Remote Manifold Platform or the conventional mining methods. The paper advances further to look at the environmental impacts of the conventional oil drilling method over the use of RMP method that most of the oil drillers are encouraged to use (Cater 2002). The paper will also go into details in the analysis of the possible remediation techniques that are necessary to be employed by the environmental agencies and Brazilian government on how to restore the region back to its original form. Lastly, there is also a great need to know what the main environmental receptors are as related to the restoration measures aforementioned initially (Dawson et al 1991). Environmental sustainability is very important as it is part of the culture of the people. Oil mining discovery in the wetland poses a great threat of waking up to find the whole ecosystem is completely destroyed (Cater 2002). The research work mainly focuses on what the federal government, the NGOs representatives, scientists among other ecological practitioners in the region say should be done. As it has been found that oil mining is the leading environmental hazard, most of the practitioners advocate that it should be contained. We are going to compare the RMP and the convectional oil drilling methods, why the RMP method is found to be more secure and environmental friendly.

Convectional oil mining method in Pantanal

Conventional oil drilling is one of the oldest methods employed in the process of extracting oil from the oil reservoirs where vertical hole is dug on the oil field until the oil core is reached from the surface (Norman Wells Environmental Assessment Panel., & Canada. 1981). There are a lot of resources required in the process of oil extraction together with tools and materials vital for offshore oil drilling (Dembicki 1983). They include ocean surveyors, seismic survey vessels, metal tubing essential for the process of casing, geologist, drilling pipelines, giant created hammer that is necessary for the pounding process of casing the oil ground. Moreover, other materials are drilling bits, pipe nozzles that are necessary for connecting the pipes, drilling heavy fluids called to mix with mud and cement (Cater 2002). Sound control wave tools are used together with several electrical devices and some radiation measurements tools. There are several steps followed in the oil drilling process. The first step is to locate the oil field site and to identify the place of fixing the drilling machine. The surveyor is hired purposely to examine formation of the rocks and to send waves necessary for tracing the oil sources (Dembicki 1983).

Secondly, the geologist is contacted and the process of drilling vertical holes starts. The process employs drilling of every single hole of approximately 30 meters in diameter and 3.05 meters in depth, before metal tubing is fitted to support properly the well. The drilling pipes are connected to the derrick drilling machines vital for lifting and turning the drill items. Thirdly, the drilling continues to the casing around 30 meters vertically before the drilling fluids are pumped into them for exerting pressure (Dembicki 1983). Fourthly, the areas cased are cemented and nozzles are connected to the pipe. Moreover, some blowouts are connected to reduce impact of the water and some of the oil to come out due to high pressure. Drilling process starts officially if oil is found present in the field.

Potential environmental impact of using conventional oil drilling

Conventional oil drilling method poses a great threat to the environment because of the chemicals, such as mercury, arsenic and lead, which come up with the oil to the surface where they destroy the biological diversity such as whales at Pantanal (Dembicki 1983). These chemicals have been found to have reduced the population of fish in the wetland and especially in the Paraguay River at a great number.

Secondly, the seismic waves used in the process by the geologists are reported to be of the great harm to the fish and other mammals, such as whales in the areas, as they get disoriented, hence some have also migrated from the region (Dembicki 1983). In addition to that, infrastructure essential for the drilling of wells has cleared off a lot of vegetations in the area, causing some of the wetlands to dry up and some of the animal like birds and fish die or migrate from the nearby rivers to the ocean along the Amazon zones (Cater 2002).

Moreover, other environmental threats faced in these areas are the increased rate of erosion, where the vegetations harbor most of the beautiful and serene environment of the area. The erosion has drained a lot of rich agricultural soil away, hence the area unless protect will face a great threat to turn to an arid region (Cairns & OCS Technology Group.1993).

The above picture illustrates how just after the oil extraction in the region vegetation was cleared to pave the way for oil drilling. Soil erosion was very rampant and the area has very high chance to become a desert.

On the second picture we observe how just after drilling the oil spilled over to the wetland region and polluted the nearby tributaries causing birds, reptiles and mammals suffocate and die (Norman Wells Environmental Assessment Panel, & Canada. 1981). These environmental impacts depict how oil spillage from the drilled well destroys the recreational biodiversity. The fish ponds were also contaminated and lots of fish died out because of the oil contamination (Donahue 2012). For the swimming birds the water became greasy and heavy for swimming hence they are dying as illustrated on the second picture (Cater 2002).

On the diagram below we observe how canals of the wetland are blocked from the marshland by wastes from the oil extraction sites such as tree branches (Dembicki 1983). This means that there is no clean water in the region and hence the region environment has been interfered with (Stewart & Canada. 1985). We also observe that the region has a lot of coral reefs on the canals meaning that they come from those excavated from the destroyed ground in the drilling site (Rothwell 1987). Absence of the clean water does not only pose an environmental threat to the people but also to the fish that depend on clean water for survival.

Better alternative method Remote Manifold Platform

Remote Manifold Platform has been presented as one of the environmental friendly mining process that tries to reduce the oil spillage effects (Stewart & Canada. 1985). This oil drilling platform consists of four well clusters and each of them consists of three horizontally drilled from the same surface area wells. This means that as wells are drilled not vertically they cannot lead to the direct oil spillage on the surface from the oil reservoir; a situation seen to minimize pollution (Oswald 1976). Technically the subsea manifold mainly consists of several tubes, monitoring instruments and valves connected to the metal structures before interconnected to several drilled wells and then to the production unit (Donahue 2012). This means the reduction of the number of pipes which will be used for transporting oil from the site to storage field; hence there will be reduction of the oil spillage pollution while on transit.

Pipe line end fold manifold is connected to the other tubes such that the flexibility exists but at the same time the oil flow through the least number of pipes possible for no oil spillage. The company finds it easy to control high financial costs which are likely to be found in the process (Dawson et al 1991). The pipelines are then connected to the hydraulic raiser such that the oil is pumped directly to the main land in a deck house so as to minimize accidents and oil spoilage; hence this method is being advocated for use as it reduces the threats of environmental pollution to the marine reptile and mammals such as whales (Donahue 2012).

The above picture shows how the pipe line end manifold is connected, such that no destruction of vegetation or oils pillage is experienced; hence this is an environmental friendly method of oil extraction (Canada. 1981).

Possible remediation techniques for restoring the contaminated media

Environment is the vital asset for success, better life and good health for all the animals and human. Environmental protection in the Pantanal region will help to save areas from aridness, loss of biodiversity and threats from contaminated water. Moreover, the region will enjoy beautiful aesthetic values capable of attracting tourists in the region. Some remediation measures can be taken to restore the beauty of the region (Dawson et al 1991).

First, the government, affected by the environmental threats, deserves to adopt the green remediation policies which will allow for reforestation in the area (Dembicki 1983). Those trees cut down should be replaced to restore the green environment in the area. Moreover, the government and the oil multinational company should enter into agreement of protecting the environment by ensuring that they cut plants well (Rothwell 1987).

Secondly, proper regulatory frameworks on the environment must be implemented to the latter (Cairns & OCS Technology Group.1993). The multinational company should be heavily fined to ensure that they consider environmental impacts as their duty. Otherwise, if this fails, it is vital to impose an injunction to stop the company from exploiting the environment (Dembicki 1983). This will always ensure that the company makes efforts to adopt a drilling method such the RMP (Stewart & Canada 1985). There is a need to conserve the water resources, minimize and manage the toxics and even reduce emissions released to the environment through the use of these policies which the government should adequately follow. The government deserves to monitor companies in the mining field to ensure that they follow the regulatory measures (Canada. 1981).

Two environmental receptors impacted by contamination

The nearby educational facilities, tourism centers, hospital and other government environmental agencies are found to be highly affected by the contamination (Dawson et al 1991).The government might lose a lot of billions from tourists and even the wetland beauty if the region will be depleted. Schools and colleges will be highly affected by the air emissions released from the oil field hence conservation measures are necessary to save the environment from these threats.

Conclusion

Regardless of the great revenue collected from the oil mining, the Brazilian government must put into consideration environmental measures to ensure that the ecological site of the Pantanal region is conserved (Cairns & OCS Technology Group 1993). The government should use the RMP method of oil drilling instead of conventional oil drilling that allows environmental conservation from the oil spillage that poses a great threat to the water quality, the mammals and animal species in the region. Moreover, the government can employ remediation measures on contaminations discussed above as a move also to ensure that the environmental receptors enjoy these serene beauties of the Pantanal region (Rothwell 1987).