LOOKING AFTER THE ENVIRONMENT
UNSDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy – PXGEO is committed to deliver sustainable seismic solutions for the world’s energy transition.
UNSDG 14 – Life Below Water – PXGEO is committed to protect and restore marine ecosystems and reduce pollution and acidification, as well as to participating in knowledge-sharing, research and technology to support ocean health.
UNSDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – PXGEO is committed to continuous efficiency enhancements through Group-wide annual improvement plans and tracking of fuel consumed per sq.km, in addition to the responsible management of chemicals and waste in all PXGEO operations.
PXGEO is committed to leading the offshore seismic industry in the monitoring and minimization of emissions, both in offshore project delivery and onshore office operations.
Here we see a direct alignment for PXGEO between positive environmental contribution and operational efficiency, leading to improved service delivery and overall business performance. We continue to innovate to identify opportunities to further minimize fuel consumption, reduce environmental impacts and increase efficiency across all operations.
To measure PXGEO’s contribution to looking after the environment, we reference the following UN Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDG):
Managing Emissions to Air
To fully understand the impact of marine seismic operations on the environment, PXGEO has accurate and reliable tools to monitor, measure and report fuel consumption and associated gaseous emissions generated by PXGEO vessels.
An emissions monitoring and measuring tool, unique to PXGEO, goes beyond normal industry standards of emission reporting, enabling PXGEO to model the predicted emissions footprint for all marine seismic acquisition projects.
Managing Emissions to Sea
Operating in a marine environment worldwide, PXGEO works hard to ensure that the oceans we operate in are free of pollution from start to finish of every PXGEO project.
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PXGEO has implemented several procedures, systems and technical features to mitigate the risk of pollution or spills to the world’s oceans. These include state-of-the-art ballast water management and bilge water treatment systems.
Managing Acoustic Emissions
​There have been significant studies, over long periods of time, to evaluate the proximity of seismic operations to marine mammals and the effects that seismic energy sources may have on their wellbeing. While research into this subject is still ongoing, minimization of mammal disturbance continues to be a high priority for PXGEO and the marine seismic industry.
Sulfur Oxide Emissions
During 2021 the average sulfur content of fuel consumed for MTS operations was 0.21% vs the IMO 2020 requirement of 0.50%. This percentage was higher than the levels PXGEO aims to achieve, due to limited availability of low sulfur fuel in the remote location of PXGEO’s first MTS project. During the last MTS project in 2021, the vessel was operating on ultra-low sulfur MGO fuel with tested sulfur level of 0.0007% m/m.
Nitrogen Oxides Emissions
Using newer and well-maintained diesel engines, compliant with the IMO Tier II or III performance standards, can greatly reduce NOx emissions. All PXGEO vessels have at least Tier II diesel engines which significantly reduce NOx emissions to air. During 2021, NOx emissions from MTS operations amounted to 180 tonnes and 132 tonnes for OBN operations
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
As CO2 emissions are directly correlated to fuel consumption, the most effective way for PXGEO to reduce CO2 emissions, and mitigate the impact to the environment, is to reduce fuel consumption. PXGEO’s vessels, equipped with highly efficient combustion engines, operate with industry leading efficiency. PXGEO continues to demonstrate that its vessels consume significantly less fuel than peers per square kilometer of seismic data acquired.
312 T
NOx emissions during 2021
27.4 kT
CO2 emissions during 2021 (Scope 1)
Water Treatment
All PXGEO vessels hold the DNV CLEAN DESIGN class notation which stipulates that the vessel must have an approved sewage treatment system which is also capable of treating grey water.
All PXGEO vessels also maintain a ’zero discharge‘ practice relating to untreated sewage water.
The discharge of treated sewage water and gray water is strictly controlled in PXGEO’s operational procedures in alignment with current IMO regulations.
To ensure that no fluids are discharged in unpermitted areas, PXGEO operates a strict practice of sealing overboard valves.
ZERO
PXGEO had
industry-recordable spills in 2021.
Ballast Water Management
The PXGEO fleet, including chartered OBN vessels, in 2021 used ballast water management systems which are 100% chemical free and eliminate all invasive species from the ballast water by filtration and ultra-violet (UV) treatment.
Biofouling management
PXGEO operates a strict Biofouling Management Procedure designed to mitigate the risk of transfer of invasive species, ensuring that the vessel hull is in optimal condition for efficient movement through the water. This is achieved using industry best available technologies for hull cleaning, propeller polishing and regular dry-docking of the vessels. The PXGEO Biofouling Management and record books are key parts of PXGEO’s Environmental Protection Plan.
Bilge water treatment systems
All PXGEO vessels, including OBN vessels chartered in 2021, use bilge water treatment plants to clean the contaminated water to <5ppm, more than three times less than regulatory requirements.
Ghost net initiative
In 2021, PXGEO crews around the world recorded twelve recoveries of debris totaling 932kg. The debris is mostly identified and collected by the support fleet surrounding the seismic acquisition vessel. The debris is stored onboard until it can be responsibly offloaded and recycled. PXGEO joins EnerGeo Alliance in calling upon all offshore operators to support this movement.
Managing Acoustic Emissions
There have been significant studies, over long periods of time, to evaluate the proximity of seismic operations to marine mammals and the effects that seismic energy sources may have on their wellbeing. While research into this subject is still ongoing, minimization of mammal disturbance continues to be a high priority for PXGEO and the marine seismic industry.
Seismic energy source
​A key driver for minimizing PXGEO’s acoustic emissions takes place early in the planning phase of every project. The PXGEO geophysical teams evaluate and recommend the smallest possible source to obtain the best possible geophysical result, with minimum impact to the surrounding environment. These efforts, together with the implementation of XArray™ multiple source configurations, have led to a clear trend in reducing average source size across the marine seismic acquisition industry.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM)
​PXGEO has PAM systems permanently installed on its MTS vessels. Clients are also offered the ability to use a remote PAM system, allowing for a PAM operator to remotely operate the system to monitor activity from onshore.
