CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a marine environmental consulting and survey company, today announced the successful completion of a shallow water Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) in waters 3.8 km offshore the West Coast of Trinidad. The EBS is part of a larger multidisciplinary marine environmental study carried out by CSA on behalf of a major oil and gas operator. In addition to providing the client with a comprehensive environmental baseline assessment, CSA subject matter experts also worked on hydrocarbon spill and drilling discharge modelling, environmental impact assessments, and a stakeholder engagement report to facilitate the application of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance from the local environmental regulator, for the drilling of exploration wells in the surveyed area.

A local field team from CSA’s Trinidad and Tobago office in Port-of-Spain was able to mobilize quickly due to the Group’s extensive survey resources in the region. They also capitalized on information gathered during a previously completed ecological risk assessment project to assess onshore, coastal, and nearshore environmental conditions off Trinidad’s southwest peninsula.

“Having a detailed working knowledge of the waters offshore Trinidad’s west coast certainly helped our field operations team expeditiously design a robust and fit-for-purpose sampling campaign,” said Candice Leung Chee, CEO of CSA’s Trinidad and Tobago operations. “This consequently aided the rapid mobilization of the equipment and personnel needed to implement the EBS and deliver the validated data to the client ahead of schedule.”

The EBS survey characterized the existing physical, chemical, and biological marine resources within a study area of approximately 145 km2 and included the collection of hydrographic profiles in water depths ranging between 10 and 30 m and other sediment and water samples. Oceanographic instrumentation deployed from the research vessel included a conductivity temperature depth profiler, Go-Flo water bottles, and standard ponar grab samplers.

“We are delighted to report the safe and efficient completion of this important EBS offshore Trinidad, even amid the operational disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said CSA CEO Kevin Peterson. “Certain hard bottom features and installations make working in these shallows notoriously challenging, but our in-house Geographical Information Systems experts were able to pore over existing geophysical data to precisely map any potential hazards of concern, such as pipelines and abandoned well heads, and ultimately ensure the careful planning and timely execution of the survey.”