Environmental Risks of oil offshore exploitation in Mauritania

Mauritania has began exploit his offshore oil on earlier February 2006, a big risk for the marine life. It is feared that a environmental disaster happens if sound measures are not taken to protect flora and fauna in this part of Atlantic Ocean.

The first drilling of Chinguitt exploited by a consortium of international companies leaded by the Australian Woodside is located at 75 kilometers south west of Nouakchott, the capital. This zone known for its fishing fertility is a precious field of capture for hundreds of Mauritanian fishermen, particularly the traditional ones whose daily live is based on this income. By the way, the pollution of the sea due to the hydrocarbons rejections represents a serious risk on the fishing sources and marine environment. The survival of aquatic flora and fauna is directly linked to preservation of the intrinsic functions of the ecosystems. And faithful to maintain such ecological balance mains the deterioration of integrity and diversity of Nature in this zone.

 

What are the risks due to the offshore oil exploitation?

 

The oil exploitation, if it is not suitably controlled and strictly watched, will be at the origin of ecological disasters of very big scale, a Mauritanian oil issues expert warns. According to Ismael Abdel Vettah*, these disasters can have, essentially, one of the following origins if the adequate treatments are not made before their offshore rejections:

- Muds of drilling,

- The rubbles of drillings,

- Waters of deposits.

He explains that Muds of drillings are fluids used during the drilling to stabilize the ground and avoid the eruptions of hydrocarbons contents in rocks. “They have to be on base of water. Those on base of oil must be used only if the geologic and geophysical data require it. In case of use, strict treatments must be made before the offshore rejections by respecting faithfully the international current standards. Various additives in the mud to modify its characteristics and adapt it to the drilled ground must be chosen with great attention and treated also in the same conditions than in the mud itself”.

The expert whose talks have been reported by the Mauritanian daily “Nouakchott Info” added that the rubbles of drillings issued of crossed rocks which contain at the same moment the mud and the fluids of deposits must be treated with efficiency by respecting the current standards before their offshore rejection. “Waters of deposit resulting from the separation, on surface, of the hydrocarbons in gas, in crude oil and in water, must be very finely handled and injected in the geological formation to maintain the pressure in depth of the reservoir. Accidental, very grave pollutions resulting from the draining of the offshore crude oil during the various operations of the chain of oil exploitation and expedition can happen. But points enumerated above, have the advantage to be able to be better controlled”.

“The rejections of the residues of the offshore polluting products obey strict international standards”, Mr Abdel Vettah said, underlying that “these require, for the oil, the respect for the following limits: the concentration of hydrocarbons contained in the sea water does not have to exceed an average of 30 mg / l over 12 h, and must be situated between 30 and 150 mg / l over less than 90 minutes after the moment of the rejections”.

He estimates that to exploit this new wealth, indispensable to the development of the country and to the prosperity of his inhabitants, two alternatives are possible:

- The first one allows to be inspired by the example of the bordering countries of the North Sea (Scotland, Norway etc..) which knew how to prosper thanks to their hydrocarbons while remaining big producers of the Sea products. These countries set up very strict systems of control to prevent that multinationals make the offshore rejections not corresponding to the current standards.

- The second consists in following the example of certain countries of the Gulf of Guinea which let foreign companies make what they want without control. The marine animal-life there has completely disappeared because of the pollution generated by the draining without treatment of the offshore toxic products and an ecological imbalance appeared with catastrophic consequences on the populations of these countries.

Mr Abdel Vettah thinks that Mauritania has to opt for the first alternative by focusing on environment respect. “She thus has to get closer to countries situated on the coasts of the North Sea and to try to follow their example. Studies missions must be sent in the Scotland and in Norway to be inspired by their system of control”.

“The government has to set up a structure of control of the offshore oil operations. This structure has to be autonomic and endowed with qualified staff and sophistic equipments allowing it to fulfill suitably its role of guarantor of the absolved respect of the standards governing the offshore rejections of the toxic products”, he concludes.

Is the Government aware of dangers?

But the Mauritanian official authorities have likely not been enough aware of the stake of these environmental issues at moment of negotiating the deal with foreign companies. The agreement concluded between the two parties mentions vaguely the necessity of avoiding sea pollution without specifying exactly what must be done concerning this subject.

According to the contract terms, Woodside is committed to give the Mauritanian government the amount of 1 million dollars per year in counterpart of eventual damages on environment. Though this contract has been denounced after the overthrow of President Maaouya Ould Taya on August 2005, it still not giving guarantees for the preservation of marine ecosystem. The gigantic platform of extraction still pour out scraps of oil and gas in the sea without significant control, said the ONGs acting in environmental field. This threats not only fishes but hundreds thousands of birds witch leave annually the cold regions in Europe to the « Banc d’Arguin” bey, near of Nouadhibou, the second big city of the country.

For its part, the World Union for Nature (UICN) had urged the Mauritanian government to plan concrete actions of suitable management of its coastal zones to guarantee the preservation of ecosystems. The achievement of these required actions imply:

· A total comprehension of the environmental and socioeconomic impact of offshore oil management tools,

· A good comprehension of the needs for reinforcement of long term capacity,

· A total comprehension of the stakes of oil in general,

· A comprehension of the actors for the need of formulating a legal framework of the environmental management of the offshore oil exploitation and the maritime transport,

· A comprehension of the role of the civil society in the methods of management of the oil exploitation.

Fight against desertification in Mauritania

Mauritania is losing every year 10.000 hectares of forest zones , an area equivalent of 15.000 football pitches, revealed recently a steady on “Environment profile in Mauritania” financed by the European Union. This illustrates the alarming situation facing this African country of 1,1 million Kilometers square, more than 80 per cent of it are desert lands. Deforestation is therefore one the core environmental challenges Mauritania has to overcome alongside the management of water, cleanness and rubbishes.

Arid zone is considered as the largest ecological entity of Mauritania and includes the areas located among the north border except the coastal belt of Atlantic Ocean. It covers 810.000 Kilometers square and includes the regions of Tiris Zemmour, Adrar, Tagant, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Inchiri, Oualata, Tamchekett, Boumdeid, Magta Lahjar, Boutilimitt et Ouad Naga.

Protection of roads against moving sand dunes

The Mauritanian authorities had begun to address the scourge of deforestation since the early 1980s with the settlement of “Greenbelt” of Nouakchott, the young capital threatened by the regular advance of sand dunes. This project had aimed to plant trees around the city to protect the buildings and road infrastructures against sand dragged by the frequent winds of the long drought of 1970s and 1980s. During this period, the rainfall was reduced to 40 to 50 percent of its prior levels, reaching 77 to 176 mm per year. As a consequence, vegetation cover was destroyed and the sands began to move. According a study undertaken by foreign experts, A.M. Jensen and M.S. Hajej, the 150 Km road linking Nouakchott and Boutilimitt (south) was sanded over for more than 60 per cent of its length by 1991.

Two approaches have been followed to face this destructive impact of deforestation on road infrastructures witch represent one of pillars of socioeconomic development of the country. The first consists of protection of the road by setting up, over an area of 150 m wide, a grid of woven fencing made from the flexible branches of the indigenous shrub Leptadenia pyrotechnica, with rows 20 to 40 m apart. In the grid between fences, various trees species (Balanites, Leptadenia, Parkinsonia and Prosopis species) were planted. Each seedling received a total of 200 liters of water during the first years. The system was maintained by replacing sanded over fences by new ones.

The second approach introduces an artificial dune called a “counter dune” witch was constructed parallel to and 50 m to the north of he road, protected by two rows of the same kind of Leptadenia fencing. This counter-dune stopped sand from crossing the road in the form of dunes, while letting loose sand cross.

In both approaches, the dunes between the protective system and the road had been cleared away by the wind after a year and a half, and the road stayed clear of dunes over the period that the system was maintained. But three years after the last maintenance, the road was again extensively sanded over. This indicates that continued regular maintenance is essential for all mechanical dune stabilization work.

Refinements in methods to protect roads against sanding in Mauritania show that protection is technically possible by using barriers of inert materials if rainfall is insufficient, and can be carried out mainly by afforestation where annual rainfall is above 100 mm. Wood and vegetable production from these stand could even bring in worthwhile income, especially for local households involved in the operation of stabilization of dunes.

Besides the “Greenbelt” of Nouakchott witch aims primarily protecting the capital, the most important afforestation scheme in the country was that of Magta Lahjar (360 Km south of Nouakchott) where 335 ha were planted with Prosopis juliflora, Parkinsonia aculeate and Leptadenia pyrotechnica. This greenbelt of Magta Lahjar has given total and lasting protection from sand on 7 kilometers of the road, or 50 ha of trees per kilometer of road.

The experts estimate that a belt 400 to 500 m wide will generally suffice to ensure the protection of the road and that the production from this belt could cover the maintenance costs. For Nouakchott – Boutilimitt road, the cost of counter-dunes has been calculated at 28.000 US dollars per kilometer over five years and it is estimated that their annual maintenance costs level out at 2.500 US dollars per kilometer from the fourth year onwards. These costs are economically more profitable than those spent annually for mechanical road clearance with large machines such as bulldozers witch level out at 13.600 US dollars per kilometer.

The cost of afforestation has been estimated at 450 US dollars per hectare with no watering, or 500 US dollars per hectare with 20 liters of water at the time of planting. A forest strip 200 m wide will thus cost between 8.900 and 10.200 US dollars per kilometer. The income from forest product could provide an estimated additional income of 760 US dollars per kilometer per year. In addition, the mechanical road clearance costs are paid mostly in foreign currency while this proportion is only 20 per cent for counter-dunes and 10 per cent for afforestation.

Sensitization on environmental stakes

On an other side, the Mauritanian government undertakes annual operations of aerial sowing at the beginning of the rain seasons on wide areas around the main roads in the country. This aims to regenerate the vegetal cover lost during the drought period. Moreover, the ministry of energy conducts periodic campaigns to sensitize households on the use of butane gas for the tasks of cooking with as goal to avoid the cutting down of trees motivated by search of wood.

The global results of environmental combat remains modest but the most important is that the fight against the desertification has become nowadays a part of the technical and socio-economic tradition in the action of ONGs, cooperatives and simple individuals. The creation of a governmental autonomous institution in charge of these issues, “the Center of Fighting against Desertification” remains widely expected.

Maarouf Ould Oudaa

technorati tags:sand, desertification

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First impressions of Berlin

I had done my first impression of Berlin in Tegel Airport where I was arrived by 20 may 2007. I was happily surprised because there were no policemen to do arrival formalities of passengers. I learned later that the formalities I have done in Paris by witch I have transited were enough for all countries members of the European Union. It is for me a solid symbol of solidarity and mutual trust between states of this space.

Others impressions are borne in me after walking around the city and visiting some places such as markets and stop stations of transport. Firstly, I noted that all goods exposed in markets are only illustrated in German language. This do difficult for a foreigner visitor to localize what he is seeking despite the majority of seller assistants spoke English. Then I saw that the policeman, or at least these who bear military clothes, are absent in the street. I think that it is a source of security feeling.

Otherwise, I noted that communications through mobile phone in Berlin are very expensive, probably one of the more expensive services in this city. Calling since telephone box is on the other hand cheaper.

I have also noted that Germans are great readers of books and newspapers, especially during their moving inside trains or bus. I have notice the phenomena sooner in a library where I was seeking a French – English dictionary. There were many persons buying books in different specialties.

Before coming in Germany, some friends having stayed in this country explained me that the people here are very rigorous. I am now aware of this so everyone concentrate himself on his occupation with devote, punctuality and serious.

In the end, I great enjoy the generous weather of Berlin these days with the presence of sun and absence of rains.  

First impressions of Berlin

I had done my first impression of Berlin in

Tegel
Airport where I was arrived by 20 may 2007. I was happily surprised because there were no policemen to do arrival formalities of passengers. I learned later that the formalities I have done in
Paris by witch I have transited were enough for all countries members of the European Union. It is for me a solid symbol of solidarity and mutual trust between states of this space.

Others impressions are borne in me after walking around the city and visiting some places such as markets and stop stations of transport. Firstly, I noted that all goods exposed in markets are only illustrated in German language. This do difficult for a foreigner visitor to localize what he is seeking despite the majority of seller assistants spoke English. Then I saw that the policeman, or at least these who bear military clothes, are absent in the street. I think that it is a source of security feeling.

Otherwise, I noted that communications through mobile phone in
Berlin are very expensive, probably one of the more expensive services in this city. Calling since telephone box is on the other hand cheaper.

I have also noted that Germans are great readers of books and newspapers, especially during their moving inside trains or bus. I have notice the phenomena sooner in a library where I was seeking a French – English dictionary. There were many persons buying books in different specialties.

Before coming in
Germany, some friends having stayed in this country explained me that the people here are very rigorous. I am now aware of this so everyone concentrate himself on his occupation with devote, punctuality and serious.

In the end, I great enjoy the generous weather of
Berlin these days with the presence of sun and absence of rains.  

Who is me?

I am Maarouf Ould Oudaa, of Mauritanian nationality, borned in 1967 in Aleg, 258 kilometers in north of Nouakchott, the capital. I am journalist in the “Agence Mauritanienne d’Information” (AMI), an official media. Now, I am following a course on multimedia organized by The InWEnt, Berlin. I am married and I have two child, one 6 years girl and 3 years son.

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