Since the early 1990s, Continental Shelf Associates has been providing marine environmental services through CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) to support nearshore and offshore development in Trinidad and Tobago’s oil and gas industry. CSA has served this industry during the pre-regulatory and regulatory environmental permitting regimes, gaining 25 years of experience in the sector.

For many years, CSA provided environmental services to oil and gas operators when legal frameworks for managing environmental impacts were not fully developed. These studies were conducted to fulfil the corporate requirements of oil and gas operators. Since 2001, a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) has become a regulatory pre-requisite to conduct EMA-designated activities, including upstream and downstream oil and gas activities. Depending on the nature and scale of the activity, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) could be required to support the CEC application and decision.

To support the EIA process, CSA’s subject matter experts conduct a desktop analysis to identify impact-producing factors; evaluate potential impacts of project activities on physical, chemical, biological, and social resources; and develop specific mitigation measures. In some cases, an Environmental Baseline Survey is also needed in conjunction with the EIA to characterize oceanographic conditions, sediment and water chemistry, and plankton and infaunal communities. CSA provides statistically valid sampling designs to characterize the baseline project environment, safely and efficiently conducting a nearshore and offshore EBS using in-house scientists, operations specialists, and equipment.

CSA has provided marine environmental consulting services, both in the field and on the desktop, to a number of oil and gas operators, including BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC, British Gas Trinidad and Tobago Limited (assets acquired by Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited), BHP, EOG Resources Trinidad Limited, and Repsol E&P Trinidad and Tobago (assets acquired by Perenco).

CSA has conducted environmental assessments for dozens of activities, including seismic surveys, exploration drilling, and development and production operations. These companies and others have relied on CSA to conduct quality environmental baseline and impact assessments to understand the potential impact of project activities on the environment. CSA continues to support Life of Field activities for the oil and gas industry in Trinidad and Tobago and other international and domestic locations.

CSA brings nearly five decades of experience in marine environmental consulting, preparing environmental assessments worldwide through offices in the United States, the Eastern Mediterranean, Qatar, Trinidad, Brazil, and Australia. CSA’s expertise in coastal, marine, and deep ocean surveys is built on the integration of science, operations, and an understanding of environmental data collection, management, and analysis within geospatial domains. For more information on CSA’s range of marine environmental consulting services, please contact us at 772-219-3000 or send us a message.