Descrizione 1
Stefano Bataloni, Giuseppe Trinchera, Anna Cacciuni
“Produced water” or “formation water” is one of the main wastewater streams associated with the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs in offshore marine environments and has the potential to cause disruptive effects on ecosystems.
The discharge of such wastewater into the sea requires an authorization, which is conditional upon the evaluation of the results of annual environmental monitoring conducted around the platform.
The number of platforms subject to environmental assessment of monitoring outcomes fluctuated between 2016 and 2020, remained stable until 2022, and has decreased over the past two years.
This trend is largely linked to variations in the number of discharge authorization applications submitted.
The number of platforms authorized each year decreased from 2017 to 2021, increased again in 2022, and decreased in 2024. A similar trend is observed for the annual volume of produced water authorized for discharge into the sea.
In Italy, the Environmental Consolidated Act (Testo Unico Ambientale, TUA) regulates the management of produced water, allowing offshore platform operators to discharge it directly into the sea, subject to submission of a specific application to the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).
Authorization is contingent on periodic assessment of potential impacts on the marine environment, based on a specific monitoring plan defined according to Guidelines developed by ISPRA and carried out annually in the vicinity of each installation. Since 2016, MASE has periodically requested ISPRA’s technical-scientific evaluation of the monitoring results to support the authorization process.
This indicator describes the temporal trend of environmental assessment activities related to the authorization process, reporting the number of platforms for which discharge applications were submitted, the number of platforms assessed, the number of platforms authorized to discharge, and the total quantities of produced water annually authorized for discharge into the sea.
To provide information on the technical-scientific and management measures adopted to mitigate the effects of produced water discharges into the sea, associated with the exploitation of offshore hydrocarbon fields.
- Legislative Decree 152/2006, Article 104 and subsequent amendments
Descrizione 2
The indicator does not provide information on all offshore platforms located in Italian seas, but only on those authorized to discharge production water into the sea.
Qualificazione dati
The data are available to MASE and ISPRA, some of which can be accessed through the MASE Environmental Assessments and Authorizations Portal (https://va.mite.gov.it/it-IT/Procedure/Provvedimenti19) and in the Marine Platforms section of the Directorate General for Infrastructure and Safety of MASE (https://unmig.mase.gov.it/ricerca-e-coltivazione-di-idrocarburi/piattaforme-marine/).
National
2016-2024 (30.10.2024)
Qualificazione indicatore
The base data on monitoring, assessment, and authorization activities were derived from technical documentation and administrative records relating to the authorization process under Article 104 of Legislative Decree 152/2006 and subsequently organized by calendar year.
Data on the total annual volumes of produced water authorized for discharge into the sea were taken from the issued authorization decrees.
In the most recent year, 7 platforms underwent environmental assessment aimed at mitigating the potential effects of offshore hydrocarbon field exploitation.
This figure is stable compared to the previous year and slightly lower than the number of platforms for which discharge authorization applications were submitted (9).
Furthermore, authorization was issued for only one platform, a significant decrease from the previous year (7 platforms authorized), for a total volume of produced water of 185,360 m³.
Overall, the indicator is in a good status because the environmental assessment activity carried out in the past year was consistent with the number of discharge applications submitted.
Additionally, the potential effects on the marine environment are contained since, compared to the past, the quantities of water authorized for discharge have decreased.
Over the considered time frame, the trend of environmental assessments of monitoring outcomes around offshore platforms, which support discharge authorization decisions, has followed the trend of applications submitted by platform operators.
Except for 2016 and 2020 (Table 1), the number of assessed platforms was generally similar to the number of platforms for which discharge applications were submitted (Figure 1).
Therefore, the response of the public administration, through ISPRA’s environmental assessment activity, was adequate relative to the pressure posed by discharge authorization requests.
On the other hand, the number of authorized platforms decreased significantly from 2017 to 2021, increased between 2021 and 2023, and decreased again in 2024.
A similar trend is observed for the annual volume of produced water authorized for discharge by MASE.
Thus, over time, the risks of environmental impacts on the marine environment have been mitigated due to the reduction in authorized discharge volumes.
Dati
Table 1: Offshore discharges of produced water from offshore platforms
ISPRA processing based on ISPRA and MASE data
data updated as of 30 October 2024
Figure 1: Offshore discharges of produced water from offshore platforms
ISPRA processing based on ISPRA and MASE data
There are 138 offshore platforms in Italian seas. Between 2016 and 2024, 42 platforms submitted applications for produced water discharge into the sea.
Of the remaining platforms: 10 are subject to Integrated Environmental Authorization and are covered by specific monitoring and control plans. 6 reinject excess produced water into deep geological formations or are non-productive or dispose of their produced water onshore. For these platforms, no environmental monitoring is required. The 2024 data are updated as of 30 October.
It is important to note that each year, almost all of the 42 platforms are subject to environmental monitoring, but only some submit renewal applications for discharge authorization.
Therefore, ISPRA’s assessments concern only a portion of the monitored platforms each year.
Moreover, in some years, the number of platforms assessed exceeds the number of platforms with discharge applications due to backlog clearance by MASE (especially in 2016 and 2020).
The number of authorization decrees issued by MASE annually depends on the number of renewal applications submitted by platform operators. Additionally, authorizations issued by MASE are valid for four years, with a specified maximum annual discharge volume. Thus, the amount of produced water authorized for discharge in any given year depends both on the decrees issued that year and on the annual volumes stated in authorizations from the previous four years.