Content Details
Beaufort Sea Petroleum Development Scenarios: Natural Physical Environment Impacts (Tr 21)
- Branch
- Executive
- Category
- Executive Agency Publications
- SuDoc Class Number
- I 72.
- Government Author
- Interior Department, Bureau of Land Management
- Personal Author
- Hanley P; Pyle W
- Series Title
- BOEM Environmental Studies
- Publication Title
- Beaufort Sea Petroleum Development Scenarios: Natural Physical Environment Impacts (Tr 21)
- Date Issued
- 1978
- Subject
- Socio-economic and Infrastructure
Beaufort Sea; Alaska; Development Scenarios; Physical Environment; Exploratory Drilling; Development; Impacts; Socioeconomics; Resource Estimates; Fish; Fauna; Water Quality; Hunting; Subsistence; Mining; North Slope; Prudhoe Bay; Sagavanirktok River; Alaska Region
- Obligation Number
- 14-12-0001-29002 TR-021
- Geographic Scope
- Alaska
- CSE Reference
- Hanley P, Pyle W. 1978. Beaufort Sea petroleum development scenarios: natural physical environment impacts (TR 21). US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 3 p. Obligation No.: 14-12-0001-29002 TR-021. URL: https://espis.boem.gov/Technical%20Summaries/2255.pdf
- Abstract
- The Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Social and Economics Studies Program was initiated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (now the Minerals Management Service) to attempt to predict and evaluate the effects of Alaska OCS petroleum development upon the physical, social, and economic environments within the State. The OCS development scenarios were formulated to provide a reasonable range of technological, economic, and geographic options so that both minimum and maximum development impacts could be estimated. Scenarios covering a range of locations and of reasonably expected resource deposit sizes were analyzed to provide the most realistic predictions for socioeconomic and environmental impact. For each scenario, three environmental impact areas were discussed, including: (1) fish and wildlife; (2) water quality, water resources, and sanitation; and (3) sand and gravel resources. A baseline (i.e., non-OCS development) scenario was developed for the North Slope by predicting impacts of forecasted population and employment increases and changes in the man-made environment upon local natural resources, subsistence hunting and fishing, water resources, water quality, and sanitation. Contrasting scenarios described OCS development of the North Slope within the context of varying levels of resource find. The Camden-Canning scenario (1.3 billion barrels [Bbbl] of oil), two Prudhoe scenarios (Prudhoe-Small [0.8 Bbbl of oil] and Prudhoe-Large [1.9 Bbbl of oil]), and a Cape Halkett scenario (0.8 Bbbl of oil) were based on OCS exploration and production, while a Smith-Dease scenario was based on exploration only. Tract assumptions, physical setting, environmental considerations, and facilities were discussed for each scenario.