Waste Management and Site Restoration

EN5, EN11-EN13, EN21

HOW DOES TALISMAN (UK) MANAGE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCED WATER IT DISCHARGES TO THE NORTH SEA?
Managing the produced water Talisman (UK) generates in the North Sea is a challenge. Talisman (UK) puts technology at the forefront of its attempts at maintaining high levels of production from its operations while mitigating the ecological effects of discharges of produced water. To that end, capital projects to implement produced water reinjection are planned or in progress at Talisman (UK)'s Clyde, Claymore, Beatrice and Buchan platforms as well as Talisman (Norway)'s Gyda platform. These projects will reduce the amount of oil discharged to the sea from Talisman's operations by about 15%.
Wherever we operate, wastes are carefully managed to avoid contamination of soil, groundwater, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Our approach involves proper handling and interim storage, recycling and reuse, where feasible, and appropriate final disposal commensurate with the nature of the waste material.

Oil Discharge Permits

Talisman (UK) submitted applications for oil discharge permits for each of its offshore platforms in 2005, consistent with requirements under the new UK Oil Pollution Prevention and Control Regulation. This new Regulation implements the UK government's commitment under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic to effect a 15% reduction in oil discharged to the North Sea from offshore oil and gas installations.

Drilling Waste Management

Continued improvements in drilling waste management processes and practices were effected across all Talisman operations in 2005. An internal drilling waste disposal auditing program was initiated within Talisman's North American operations and will be continued through 2006. Talisman sump suitability assessment guidelines were developed for use in Western Canada and a waste management process review was completed to ensure compliance with the administrative requirements of Alberta Energy and Utilities Board Guides 50 and 58. Further to these initiatives, Talisman continued its focus on proper management of drilling wastes with the implementation of a treatment process for certain specialty water-based drilling wastes aimed at minimizing the volume of this material disposed into landfills.

Drilling operations in Trinidad employed environmental friendly synthetic oil-based drilling fluids, intended to aid in the treatment of associated drill cuttings through the use of bioremediation technology. In Peru, nonoperated drilling operations were audited in order to identify potential improvements to waste management. A number of recommendations designed to further encourage site reclamation were made and will be implemented in 2006.

Using Plants to Clean Soil
Using its Turner Valley Battery 8 Facility as a test site, Talisman launched a three-year research study in 2005 that uses plants to remove hydrocarbons from contaminated soil. Led by the University of Waterloo, Talisman's Battery 8 serves as field study location for a Multi-Process Phytoremediation System (MPPS) for the removal of petroleum and other contaminants from soil. "MPPS is a low-cost, technically feasible approach to improving soil driven by solar energy,"
  said Dr. Greenberg, professor, University of Waterloo. "We believe that plants provide sufficient biomass for remediation of the complicated mixtures of contaminates present in soil. MPPS speeds up the process, using plant growth promoting rhizobacteria to break down contaminants that are too toxic for plants and bacteria to remediate on their own." So far, test plots at Talisman's Turner Valley Battery 8 Facility show promising results, with a 35% reduction in total hydrocarbons in the test plots to a depth of 20 centimetres. More research is planned for the summer of 2006.

Improving Waste Management in the North Sea

Waste segregation and recycling programs were implemented at the Gyda platform in Norway, the Claymore platform in the UK, and at Talisman House in Aberdeen. New environmental accounting systems were also introduced in the UK and Norway to improve the efficiency and accuracy of waste management, chemical use and emissions data management and reporting.

Reclamation and Remediation

Talisman works to ensure that land used by the Company for oil and gas development is restored to a productive state. This often involves consultation with landowners and other affected stakeholders. Talisman continues to assess and remediate soil and groundwater contamination associated with historic drilling and production operations, including voluntary reclamation of all our historic earthen flare pits in Western Canada. The Talisman-operated Diamond Valley Soil Treatment Facility treated and recycled approximately 11,560 tonnes of contaminated soil.

Well Abandonment

Ninety-two inactive wells were abandoned in Canada by Talisman in 2005. One inactive well was abandoned in the US by Fortuna. No inactive wells were abandoned in the North Sea by Talisman (UK). Talisman's current gross producing well counts in North America and the North Sea are 10,657 and 578, respectively.

More information and projects on renewable resources. Alex Simoes, 2004 Corporate Responsibility Report feedback card