CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. and its local subsidiary CSA Ocean Sciences (Trinidad) Ltd., collectively known as CSA, was engaged by an oil and gas operator to collect environmental baseline survey (EBS) data within the Guyana Suriname Basin. These data were used to characterize the physical, chemical, and biological environment associated with proposed drill sites in water depths less than 200 m. These data contributed to an addendum to an existing Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for exploration drilling, which was also completed by CSA. The Addendum ESIA considered the proposed drilling activities, potential impacts on the receiving environment, and management strategies for potential impacts.

For this project, CSA utilized an in-house suite of EBS equipment mobilized from Port of Spain and onto a vessel at Chaguaramas, Trinidad. Equipment for the proposed survey included winches, conductivity-temperature-depth profilers to measure hydrographic profile data; a rosette with multiple, remotely-tripped GO-FLO water sampling bottles for sampling water quality; a drop camera video system to collect video and still image data of the seabed; sediment grabs for sampling sediment quality and macroinfauna; and a shipboard sieve station to process sediment samples for macroinfauna analyses. The multidisciplinary survey team included scientists and operations personnel. As CSA continues to develop local content, this job also included a mix of local personnel and staff from CSA’s Florida office to support 24-hour offshore operations.

CSA has been providing environmental services to the oil and gas industry in Trinidad and Tobago since 1993. A branch office was subsequently established in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 2008, and a wholly-owned local subsidiary was established in 2017 to further support regional client needs. Since 2008, CSA has expanded its regional personnel and equipment and CSA’s services have steadily grown to include nearshore, offshore, and deepwater capabilities. The Guyana-Suriname basin has experienced a notable increase in offshore activities in the last 5 years and our team is well-positioned to support corporate and regulatory environmental needs of oil and gas operators in the basin.

CSA’s extensive offshore experience, decades of environmental service to the oil and gas industry, regional understanding of Trinidad, Suriname, and Guyana, and positioning of in-country equipment continue to enable our team to conduct safe, efficient, and scientifically valid fieldwork in both shallow and deep water.

For more information on CSA’s range of marine environmental consulting services, please visit https://www.csaocean.com/staging1.