THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY AS IT EFFECTS MARINE AND ESTUARINE ECOLOGY

Observations along the Louisiana coast over a 25 yr period indicate that large accidental oil spills are only temporarily damaging to the ecology, but that long-term damage to marshland results from continual small unnoticed polluting incidents involving oil, drilling mud, and debris, and from the clutter of wells, structures, and pipelines resulting from unplanned and unregulated growth. In marshlands and shallow-water embayments, dredging for pipelines and/or canals can be quite destructive to the ecosystem over a long term, as can vehicular traffic to and from the wells. Pipelines should beconfined to specific corridors, and after an area is closed down and maintenance of structures discontinued, regulations should call for removal of all abandoned pipelines and other surface debris and obstructions.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Presented at the 46th AIME-Soc. Pet Engs. Annual Fall Mtg., New Orleans, La., October 3-6, 1971.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Society of Petroleum Engineers

    6200 North Central Expressway
    Dallas, TX  United States  75206
  • Authors:
    • St Amant, L S
  • Publication Date: 1972-4

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00056266
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: American Petroleum Institute
  • Report/Paper Numbers: SPE #3578
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jul 15 1974 12:00AM