Holistic environmental assessment and offshore oil field exploration and production

According to UK Government surveys, concern for the environment is growing. Environmental regulation of the industry is becoming wider in its scope and tougher in its implementation. Various techniques are available to assess how the industry can drive down its environmental impact and comply with environmental regulation. Environmental Assessments (EA) required by European law do not cover the whole life cycle of the project that they are analysing. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was developed to assess the environmental loadings of a product, process or activity over its entire life cycle. It was the first technique used in environmental analysis that adopted what was described as a holistic approach. It fails this approach by not assessing accidental emissions or environmental impacts other than those that are direct. Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) offers the opportunity to value environmental effects and appraise a project on the basis of costs and benefits. Not all environmental effects can be valued and of those that can there is considerable uncertainty in their valuation and occurrence. CBA cannot satisfactorily measure the total environmental risk of a project. Consequently there is a need for a technique that overcomes the failures of project-level EA, LCA and CBA, and assesses total environmental risk. Many organizations such as, the British Medical Association, the European Oilfield Speciality Chemicals Association, the Royal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Norway) and Shell Expro now recognize that a holistic approach is an integral part of assessing total risk. The Brent SPAR case study highlights the interdisciplinary nature required of any environmental analysis. Holistic Environmental Assessment is recommended as such an environmental analysis.     

Quantitative measurement of channel-block hydraulic interactions by experimental saturation of a large, natural, fissured rock mass

The hydrodynamic behavior of fissured media relies on the relationships between a few very conductive fractures (channels) and the remaining low-conductivity fractures and matrix (blocks). We made a quantitative measurement of those relationships and their effect on water drainage and storage in a 19,000 m3 natural reservoir consisting of karstified limestones. This reservoir was artificially saturated with water by closing a water gate on the main outlet during a varying time (delta t) fixed by the operator. The water gate was completely or partly closed until the water pressure reached a particular specified value. If the water gate was left completely closed long enough, the water pressure was fixed by the elevation of temporary outlets at the site boundaries. The water elevation within the reservoir was monitored by means of pressure cells located on single fractures representative of the bedding plane and the two families of fractures of the massif network. The comparison of pressure variations with the network geometry allows us to identify a typical double permeability characterized by a few very conductive channels along 10 vertical faults. These channels limit blocks consisting of low-conductivity bedding planes and a rather impervious matrix. Depending on the closure interval, delta t, of the water gate, the total volume of water stored in the reservoir can vary from 0.8 m3 (delta t = 5 minutes) to 18.6 m3 (delta t = 2 days). Such a variance of storage versus closure time is explained by the reservoir's double permeability that is characterized by blocks that saturate much more slowly than channels. If plotted versus time, this injected volume fits a power relationship, according to the saturation state of the blocks. In less than 34 minutes, storage is close to zero in the blocks and to 1.6 to 2 m3 in the channels. For closing times shorter than 1 hour, only 1% of the volume that flows in the channels is stored into the blocks. Depending on the water pressure and for a given delta t = 3000 minutes, the volume of water stored is controlled by the geometry of the joint network and of the aquifer boundaries. Such an experiment shows that the flow is concentrated in about 10% of the fractured network (channels). The water storage that takes place in the 90% remaining fractures (blocks) depends mainly on time during which pressure remains high into the 10% channels. The accurate modeling of such typical double-permeability media needs a careful study of the geometry of the channels whose narrowings modify the flow and induce dam effects that maintain a high pressure gradient with surrounding blocks.     

Sorption of radioactive contaminants by sediment from the Kara Sea

The purpose of this study is to quantify some of the parameters needed to perform near-field modelling of sites in the Kara Sea that were impacted by the disposal of radioactive waste. The parameters of interest are: the distribution coefficients (Kd) for several important radionuclides, the mineralogy of the sediment, and the relationship of Kd to liquid-to-solid ratio. Sediment from the Kara Sea (location: 73 degrees 00'N, 58 degrees 00'E) was sampled from a depth of 287 m on August 23/24, 1992. Analysis of the material included mineralogy, grain size and total organic carbon (TOC). Uptake kinetics were determined for 85Sr, 137Cs, 241Am, 99Tc, 1251, 232U and 210Pb and distribution coefficients (Kd) were determined for these radionuclides using batch type experiments. Sorption isotherms, developed for 137Cs, 85Sr and 99Tc, were linear in each case. Increasing the liquid-to-solid ratio strongly increased uptake of 137Cs and moderately increased uptake of 99Tc. Analysis for anthropogenic radionuclides indicated the presence only of 239/240Pu in the sediment with the highest activity (at the top section of the core) being 0.420 Bq kg(-1). Other anthropogenic radionuclides were below detection limits.     

Hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary, East China Sea

Sedimentary aliphatic (AH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were studied in the Changjiang Estuary and the adjacent East China Sea. Total AH ranged from 2.20 to 11.82 μg g⁻¹ and consisted of n-alkanes and a dominant petroleum-related unresolved complex mixture (UCM). Within the n-alkanes, terrestrial plant wax compounds prevailed at nearly all stations. Of the PAHs, biogenic perylene dominated at stations receiving riverine inputs. Anthropogenic PAHs originating from combustion/pyrolysis processes varied from 17 to 157 ng g⁻¹, while fossil PAH concentrations ranged from 42 to 187 ng g⁻¹. Both biogenic and anthropogenic hydrocarbons are primarily derived from riverine discharges and accumulate at shallow-water stations. Distinct phase associations lead, nevertheless, to different sedimentation patterns. Fossil PAHs are enhanced at offshore stations where they are introduced directly by shipping activities. Biomarker fingerprints ascribe their source to Chinese crude oils. The overall levels of anthropogenic hydrocarbons are low compared to relevant areas worldwide and reveal a low/moderate level of hydrocarbon pollution.     

Discovery of A-type Granite Zone and Its Geodynamic Significance in the Western Kunlun Mts., China

l. IntroductionGranite distributes widely in western KunlunMts. Many researches have been conducted byscientists (Wang Yuzhen et.al., l987; Zhang Yuquanet.al., l989, Fang Xilian et.al., I990, Jiang Chunfaet.al., 1992; Pan Yusheng, l992, Xu Ronghua et.al.,l 994; Jing Daogui et.al., l996, Zhang Yuquan et.al.,l998). But all of the researches have been donealong Sino-Pakistan road and Xinjiang-Tibet roadt"ith fOcus on isotopic dating of the intrusion andconducted a few on origin and tect…     

The Relative Impact of Regional Scale Land Cover Change and Increasing CO2 over China

A series of 17-yr equilibrium simulations using the NCAR CCM3 (T42 resolution) were performed to investigate the regional scale impacts of land cover change and increasing CO2 over China. Simulations with natural and current land cover at CO2 levels of 280,355, 430, and 505 ppmv were conducted. Results show statistically significant changes in major climate fields (e.g. temperature and surface wind speed) on a 15-yr average following land cover change. We also found increases in the maximum temperature and in the diurnal temperature range due to land cover change. Increases in CO2 affect both the maximum and minimum temperature so that changes in the diurnal range are small. Both land cover change and CO2 change also impact the frequency distribution of precipitation with increasing CO2 tending to lead to more intense precipitation and land cover change leading to less intense precipitation-indeed, the impact of land cover change typically had the opposite effect versus the impacts of CO2. Our results provide support for the inclusion of future land cover change scenarios in long-term transitory climate inodelling experiments of the 21st Century. Our results also support the inclusion of land surface models that can represent future land cover changes resulting from an ecological response to natural climate variability or increasing CO2. Overall, we show that land cover change can have a significant impact on the regional scale climate of China, and that regionally, this impact is of a similar magnitude to increases in CO2 of up to about 430 ppmv. This means that that the impact of land cover change must be accounted for in detection and attribution studies over China.     

黄土剖面中赤铁矿和针铁矿的定量分析与气候干湿变化研究

为了了解黄土剖面中赤铁矿和针铁矿的分布特征,文章采用对铁氧化物矿物灵敏的漫反射光谱法(DRS),开展了赤铁矿和针铁矿的鉴定和测定研究,提出了定量分析赤铁矿和针铁矿含量的DRS新方法.选择天然典型黄土和古土壤样品,首先采用柠檬酸盐-重碳酸盐-连二亚硫酸盐(CBD)方法去除其中成壤成因的铁氧化物矿物,以其为基体配制含不同赤铁矿和针铁矿的系列标样,然后进行DRS测试和多元逐步回归分析,分别建立测定赤铁矿和针铁矿含量的校准方程并加以检验.利用DRS方法,分析了多个黄土剖面的赤铁矿和针铁矿含量,发现黄土-古土壤剖面的赤铁矿/针铁矿比值可作为东亚季风干/湿变化的敏感指标.该比值较高时反映了干燥土壤环境,而较低时指示了潮湿土壤环境.对灵台和洛川剖面中赤铁矿/针铁矿比值的分析,初步揭示了2.6Ma年以来黄土高原东亚季风阶段性变强的特征.     

贵州贞丰烂泥沟卡林型金矿床含砷黄铁矿Re-Os同位素测年及地质意义

贵州贞丰烂泥沟金矿(现称锦丰金矿)是滇黔桂“金三角”已知最大的卡林型金矿床,矿体赋存于断层破碎带内,最主要的载金矿物是具环带结构的含砷黄铁矿。本文运用Re-Os同位素法对该矿床的9个含砷黄铁矿样品进行了两次测试,成功获得10-9～10-12级Re-Os同位素数据:Re0.1257～1.233ng/g,Os6.75～33.50pg/g,等时线年龄为193±13Ma,反映其成矿时代为早侏罗世。等时线的初始n(187Os)/n(188Os)值为1.127±0.043,指示成矿物质来源于地壳而不是地幔。结合其他资料,初步建立其成矿模式为:盆地流体不断地从沉积物中萃取出包括金在内的成矿组分,形成含矿流体。印支期挤压造山期间,含矿流体沿不整合接触面和同生断层向上运动,造山后的伸展含矿流体进入减压扩容空间沉淀形成超大型金矿床。成矿作用发生在从印支期挤压造山向燕山期伸展转变的构造转换期。该模式与本文得到的成矿年龄和初始比值相吻合。     

同位素指示的巴丹吉林沙漠南缘地下水补给来源

通过恢复巴丹吉林沙漠及其周边地区大气降水氚值，并结合区域稳定同位素组合特征，揭示了区域地下水氚年龄的多解性与地下水稳定同位素的温度效应。恢复的1963年核试验期氚高峰值达到2 100 TU，进入90年代平均为60 TU。1960年以来降水补给的地下水氚值都应大于15 TU，而1963年的高峰氚衰变至今应在200 TU左右。地下水实测氚值较低，表明由现代少量降水补给的地下水与大量的古水进行了混合。影响降水中δ18O和δ2H分布的主要影响因子是月平均空气温度，对δ18O与δ2H的影响权重分别占到59.9%和57.0%。巴丹吉林沙漠及其周边地区地下水较低的稳定同位素组成表明，其补给主要是晚更新世较冷环境下形成的，来源于东南部的雅布赖山区，部分浅层地下水接受现代降水与河流的补给。 