Environics, in association with ERM, was commissioned by Chevron Egypt Holdings D Pte. Ltd., to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Geotechnical and Geophysical Survey undertaken for the whole of Block 1, including areas to the west of the block and towards the southeast of the block, offshore the Red Sea between Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, and Safaga “Block 1 Seep Hunter Program”.
The main objective of the proposed program was to identify possible hydrocarbon seeps on the seabed surface that will allow Chevron to locate the presence of possible petroleum reservoirs.
Three main phases were planned for the proposed program, comprising: a Multibeam Survey to identify features likely associated with fluid escape, Heat Flow Measurements to model and calculate fluid flow rates and patterns, and can even be used as a tracer to map subsea floor fluid flow in the seabed crust, as well as a Standard Piston Cores (SPC) acquisition, to target areas of higher confidence seep/slick clusters in different parts of the survey area.
Environics prepared Form (B) EIA in compliance with the relevant environmental statutory requirements of Egypt, as well as applicable international standards and regulations.
Information and Data pertaining to the baseline environment (Physical, Biological and Socio-economic) relied on literature review of available and publicly accessible documents, studies, and reports, as well as site visits including the local community and governmental interviews.
The study encompassed: detailed description of project, including: location, phases and main activities, summary of the environmental and social legislation, standards, guidelines and institutional administrative protocols that are of direct relevance to offshore aspects of the proposed survey program, analysis of project alternatives, assessment of environmental impacts, including: impact prediction and evaluation of significance for planned and unplanned/accidental events, and the recommended mitigation measures, as well as the framework of the Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan.