CSA assesses impact of planned 3D survey offshore Suriname

June 1, 2022
CSA Ocean Sciences has completed an environmental assessment program for TotalEnergies and APA Corp offshore Suriname.

Offshore staff

STUART, Fla. — CSA Ocean Sciences has completed an environmental assessment program (EAP) for TotalEnergies and partner APA Corp in Block 58, 115 km offshore Suriname.

The EAP included an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for a proposed 3D seismic survey.

CSA’s Trinidad office managed the technical components of the ESIA campaign. The ESIA document describes the proposed activities, which include possible streamer and/or ocean-bottom node (OBN) techniques, the legislative and regulatory framework for seismic operations, and the baseline marine environment (physical, chemical and biological conditions).

The program included arranging public consultation meetings, social baseline surveys, supportive studies and workshops to further inform the ESIA. In addition, the team assessed environmental and social impacts of OBN/3D streamer acquisition from a risk-based perspective, in collaboration with consultants and the operator.

“Adding further complexity to the ESIA was the need to conduct acoustic modeling to assess the potential noise impacts on various groupings of mammals, before formulating appropriate mitigation measures to safeguard local populations," said CSA Trinidad CEO Candice Leung Chee. “The ESIA also evaluated findings from a novel turtle density modeling study conducted off the Suriname coast, which further supported an assessment of potential impacts on various groups of sea turtles during and outside the nesting season.”

The ESIA was submitted to the National Institute for Environment and Development in Suriname.

06.01.2022