NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: contaminants, environmental impact, petroleum industry, human disturbance, sump site, bird sanctuary

Objective(s): Since the 1970's, the oil and gas industry has drilled at least nineteen exploratory wells in the Kendall Island Bird Sanctuary. However, there is a lack of field data describing environmental conditions at the well sites and drilling-mud sumps. Accordingly, this study's aims are to examine long-term terrain and ecological responses to disturbance, describe the physical and ecological environment in adjacent undisturbed areas, and examine relationships between vegetation, snow accumulation, and ground temperatures. Specific study objectives include documenting patterns of variation in plant community composition and structure at abandoned drilling-mud sumps, on the lease, and in adjacent undisturbed terrain, determining the effect of vegetation on winter snow accumulation and ground thermal conditions, investigating the potential relationships between vegetation type and snow cover, ground thermal conditions, or ground ice conditions, and investigating the efficacy of using remotely-sensed vegetation data to assess the status of abandoned oil and gas infrastructure and/or map snow cover and near-surface ground ice conditions.

Project Description: The research team will collect data to assess environmental conditions at well sites and sumps abandoned during the 1970s and 1980s, and in nearby undisturbed terrain in the Kendall Island Bird Sanctuary (KIBS). Study site locations include: Taglu D-43, Taglu H-54, Taglu C-42, Niglintgak B-19, Kumak K-16, Kumak E-58 and Kumak J-06. Permafrost investigations will take place in the surrounding terrain of these sites. The study complements the work of Dr. Kevin Biggar, who is investigating soils and contaminants in the study area. In the winter of 2005/2006, the research team will conduct snow surveys across disturbed terrain and in areas with natural vegetation. Transport to these study sites will be by truck on the ice road, and subsequently by snowmobile. Shallow ground temperatures will also be monitored at sump sites. A maximum of ten ground temperature cables to a maximum depth of 15m will be installed using a small heli-protable drill, which is lightweight (less than 500kg), and can be operated by one person. No drill fluids will be generated and all cuttings will be returned to the hole. In July of 2006, vegetation and active layer depths will be surveyed at several sites in and near KIBS, and at an island south of Niglintgak Island. Permafrost samples will be obtained using a handheld soil auger. Transport to these sites will be by boat. Fly camps will be set up at Taglu Island, Farewell and Niglintgak Island for periods of four days each. One or two sites may require access by helicopter, in which case appropriate licences will be obtained from the Canadian Wildlife Service. The data the research team collects in winter and summer will be used to determine if there is a connection between the types of vegetation growing on a site, the amount of snow that builds up on the site, and the ground temperatures that are found at the site. These observations will, in turn, aid in determining if there is a significant difference between disturbed and undisturbed sites. Part of the study will focus on testing the potential of remote-sensing to assess the status of abandoned oil and gas facilities, and/or to map snow cover and near-surface ground ice.