Exposing the Environmental Costs of Offshore Oil: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Oil Slicks, and Flaring

Despite climate goals that necessitate reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate the most severe impacts of climate change, the offshore oil and gas (O&G) industry continues to expand operations around the world. While there are indications that the number of offshore platforms is relatively stable, the industry is increasing its use of Floating Storage and Offloading, Floating Storage Production and Offloading, Floating Liquefied Natural Gas, and Floating Storage Regasification Unit vessels (collectively FxOs) to extract, produce, and store oil and gas. These FxOs and traditional O&G platforms pose significant threats to both immediate and long-term climate and conservation goals, through a combination of oil slicks, methane release, and flaring events as well as the net GHG footprint required to operate and maintain these structures and vessels. This document details the results of a comprehensive assessment of the offshore O&G industry's environmental footprint, in which the following environmental impacts are examined: 1) The presence of oil on the water around platforms and vessels, 2) GHG emissions from the operation of O&G infrastructure and the vessels which support them, and 3) methane flaring by offshore oil infrastructure. The results of this analysis can be used by resource managers and environmental advocates to enforce marine protections and monitor progress towards meeting climate goals.