Effects of oil and gas exploration in

the Albertine Rift region on

biodiversity

Louise Johnson 2007 Assessing the Impacts

of Energy Developments and

Developing Appropriate Mitigation

in the Uganda portion of the Albertine Rift

Status of Oil Exploration in Uganda

• first attempts at drilling were in late 1930’s at

Buitaba Waki-B1 well

• current oil reserves variously estimated (range

from as low as 3.5 to as high as 700 million bbl) from as low as 3.5 to as high as 700 million bbl)

• production potential is about 200,000 b/d once

the country's known fields are developed

• bulk of the oil exploration activities so far

concentrated in Exploration areas 1, 2 and 3 with

several productive wells successfully drilled

Louise Johnson 2007 Assessing the Impacts

of Energy Developments and

Developing Appropriate Mitigation

in the Uganda portion of the Albertine Rift

Status of Oil Exploration ctd

• Prospecting for oil in Uganda’s Albertine Rift restarted in 2003 - 04

• government has licensed five exploration areas (EAs) out of a total of nine, both onshore and offshore in Lake Albert. offshore in Lake Albert.

• Key of the licensed blocks are EAs 1, 2 and 3A, respectively in the Pakwach, Northern Lake Albert and Southern Lake Albert/Semliki Basins.

• By 2009 Tullow and Heritage had drilled 27 oil wells, of which 25 were confirmed to contain commercially viable hydrocarbons

Status of Oil Exploration ctd

• Several productive wells drilled in Kabwoya,

Bugungu WRs, MF National Park and Tonya

CWA

• An additional good number in intermediate • An additional good number in intermediate

unprotected areas (in Bulisa area)

• Exploration prospects in the QENP area,

Semliki WR & West Nile

Status of Oil Exploration ctd

• Additional seismic survey, further exploratory

drilling, the longer-term production stage,

pipelines, decommissioning plans and audits

are envisaged to continue in the Albertine Rift are envisaged to continue in the Albertine Rift

area in general and in the Protected Areas

within it in particular

• Variety of

ecosystems in the

AR area

• Largely account for • Largely account for

the rich

biodiversity area is

known for

Plumptre 2002Extent and Status of the Forests in the

Ugandan Albertine Rift

• Fragile systems with loose soils easily erodible

• Low lying flat areas not so dense vegetation

• With scattered trees

• Areas with quite deep erosion

surfaces and gullies.

• Largely bare of vegetation cover• Largely bare of vegetation cover

• Areas of dense bush/thickets

Biodiversity of the Albertine Rift area

area is currently recognized globally as a

biodiversity hotspot

contains over 50% of birds, 39% of

mammals, 19% of amphibians, and 14% of mammals, 19% of amphibians, and 14% of

reptiles of the African continent, a large

number of endemics

large number of protected areas, ranging from

forest reserves, community wildlife reserves,

wildlife reserves to fully -protected national

parks

Source:

Environmental

Sensitivity

Atlas

for the

Albertine

GrabenGraben

Plumptre 2002Extent and Status of

the Forests in the

Ugandan Albertine Rift

• Most vulnerable of the biodiversity

Not just oil!• Proposed Ayago hydropower dam in MFNP

• Karuma Hydropower dam and associated facilities

• Upgrading the Hoima-Kaiso Road

• Upgrading of the Bulisa- Hoima road

• Hydro-power dam on River Wambabya

• Proposed Gas Pipeline from Nzizi well sites in • Proposed Gas Pipeline from Nzizi well sites in Kabwoya WR

• Geothermal Exploration and Development

• Oil processing facility(????)

• Connecting pipelines etc etc

• ASSOCIATED POPULATION GROWTH

Impacts on biodiversity • Ecosystem and environmental compromise

from the oil sector - different points at

exploration, extraction, processing and

transportation

• the associated socio-economic developments

• increased pressure at the PA boundaries from

population buildup due to the socio-economic

developments

• Population trends various species of

Mammals in MFCA, 1973-2006

• exploration and developing the oil product could result into variety of direct and indirect impacts to biodiversity

• Fragmentation of populations and/or their habitats habitats

• Disruption and/or blockage of dispersal and/or foraging routes (Case of elephants)

• Habitat destruction due to restricted movement of animals and forcing them to over use of one area

• Increased poaching and other illegal activities

• Off set gone bad?????

Seismic survey designs

Semliki basin showing the seismic grid (source

Kashambuzi and Mugisha (undated)

• Extending the edge into natural habitats in areas

traversed by the seismic lines

• Destruction of critical habitats that may be crossed

by the lines (eg. Lekking grounds, breeding grounds

for amphibians and other ground nesting animals,

etc)

• Water channel destruction and siltation if the lines • Water channel destruction and siltation if the lines

crossed such channels - this would have

consequences for aquatic biota

• Behavioral disruption for wildlife in areas that are

actively being worked for data acquisition.

• Potential for actual killing of slow moving animals by

the trucks

Drill Pad and Workers Camp construction

• Drill pad area 100*100m - drilling phase

• Restored to leave 10*10m(?) around well

head after drilling

• Typical drill pad area– Cleared of veg, fenced, modified by heaping and compacting marrum etc

Drill waste pits with unflared oil

potential death traps

• Direct animal impacts

• Oil Spills and poisoning

Thanks for your attention

• 2 D seismic • 3 D seismic

THE VALUE OF 3D SEISMIC IN TODAY'S EXPLORATION ENVIRONMENT IN CANADA AND

AROUND THE WORLD

Cooper, N.M.

Mustagh Resources Ltd., Calgary, 400 604 -- 1st Street SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 1M7, e:mail:

ncooper@mustagh.com