Water management
Our commitment
BP is committed to ensuring that our water management practices do not damage the environment and that they comply with produced water regulations.
BP will carefully and responsibly manage both surface and ground water resources affected by our project.
BP will not surface dispose of produced water. Any water that is re-injected will be significantly below any domestic use aquifers.
BP’s water management
Water management is the most significant issue our project team will address.
Currently, we do not know the quantity or quality of water that may be found in the Mist Mountain coal seams. Our three to five year appraisal program will answer these questions. This information, including environmental baseline data gathered during the appraisal, will help us establish a long-term water management strategy that protects water resources in the area.
BP understands the responsibility to manage water produced from our operations and our own water use, while respecting the needs of other water users.
When planning any new project, we take an integrated approach to water management. This includes:
- Conducting baseline studies on the surface and ground water systems to understand the effect our operations and water management decisions would have on the natural environment
- Conducting ongoing monitoring of water resources to continuously build our knowledge of the water systems
- Designing a water management strategy that uses this information to avoid impacts to water systems, and enables us to manage water efficiently and prevent pollution
We will continuously monitor our facilities to ensure that they are always operating to our high standards, and that the controls put in place to protect the environment are effective.
Any produced water associated with appraisal activities will be taken to a licensed injection site.
BP’s environmental baseline studies
BP is proposing to initiate environmental baseline studies related to water management in the summer of 2007 which will enable us to make decisions that avoid impacts to water.
These studies include:
- Preliminary hydrogeology studies within the proposed project area to begin understanding the groundwater systems
- Testing of the water wells surrounding the proposed project area to assess current conditions
- A surface water study to begin understanding water flows and water quality within our proposed project area
- Fish and fish habitat studies to begin identifying the fish that are present within our proposed project area and mapping of their habitat areas
These studies have been identified based on our preliminary research on issues and potential impacts – we would like to hear your ideas to ensure that our studies are addressing the issues that matter most to you. We will share the information we collect in an open and transparent way.
Water and coal
Some coal seams are dry. Others may be wet, containing fresh or saline (salty) water.
When there is water in a gas-bearing coal seam, a certain amount must be pumped to the surface and withdrawn to depressurize the reservoir and start gas production. This water is called “produced water”.
