1. COSA Committee Meeting
June 22, 2017
Cathy Coon
Chief, Environmental Sciences Management
Alaska Region

2. The Alaska Region has 15 Planning Areas.
Alaska OCS Region
Chukchi Sea
The Alaska Region has 15 Planning Areas.
Cook Inlet
BOEM Alaska OCS Region Profile
AOCSR oversees more than one billion acres on the OCS and over 6,000 miles of coastline – MORE coastline than in the rest of the US combined.
The AOCSR has 15 Planning Area but only three being the source of industry interest; the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea and Cook Inlet Planning Areas.
Beaufort Sea

3. Alaska OCS Region Activities
41 Years OCS Activity
25 Lease Sales
3 in Chukchi Sea
10 in Beaufort Sea
5 in Cook Inlet
7 in other AK OCS Areas
86 Exploratory Wells Drilled
6 in Chukchi Sea
31 in Beaufort Sea
13 in Cook Inlet
36 in other AK OCS Areas
Historical Summary of OCS activities on the Alaska OCS
AOCSR first sale held (41 yrs. ago)
Most estimates show that the largest amount of oil & gas resource are in the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea with a combined approximately 23 billion barrels.
To date, with the exception of one Federal/State production operation (Northstar), there has been no production from the Alaska OCS.
Most estimates show that the largest amount of resources are in the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea: Combined, about 23 billion barrels.
What does 23 billion barrels mean?
In about 40 years, about 17 Billion Barrels have flowed through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez
In about 50 years, about 23 Billion Barrels have flowed from the wells in the OCS of the Gulf of Mexico

4. Current Status of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
Active Leases:
Chukchi Sea – 0
Beaufort Sea – 42
Exploration:
Eni Nikaitchuq North Prospect
EP Received 2017
Development & Production:
Hilcorp Liberty Prospect
DPP Deemed Submitted in 2015
Active Leases
Chukchi Sea – No active leases
Beaufort Sea – 42 active leases
½ of these leases are held by ASRC (an Alaska Native Corporation); All but two leases expire in Two leases expire in 2019 (marked with asterisk)
Current 5 year is under review and both the President and the Secretary of the Interior have mentioned renewed interest in the Arctic.
BEAUFORT SEA:
Exploration – Eni EP
EP proposes drilling 2 exploration wells to explore 3 federal leases in the Beaufort Sea
Wells would be drilled from Eni’s (manmade gravel island) located in State waters
Initial EP received in March 2017; An amended EP was filed in May 2017
We are currently reviewing the amended EP and responses to the RFAI
If EP accepted as complete:
Notify public
Consultations
Environmental Review (EA)
Final Decision
Development & Production
Hilcorp’s Liberty:
BOEM accepted, as complete, Hilcorp’s Liberty DPP; Hilcorp amended their DPP in March 2017
Hilcorp’s proposal includes building an artificial gravel island, 5.6 miles offshore in approximately 20 feet of water;
First production is anticipated in
Total recovery is estimated at 80 – 150 million barrels; Project life would be 20 – 25 years
BOEM is currently preparing an EIS and plans to release it in late July
Why is it Taking So Long?
The last EIS in the Beaufort Sea was prepared in 2003
There were two requests to extend the scoping period.
Residents of the Alaska North Slope Borough
Hilcorp/Consultation with whalers
There is over a decade’s worth of new information to be integrated into this analysis.
This has been a very collaborative effort with multiple stakeholders, partners and cooperators:
BLM; BSEE; EPA; State of Alaska (DNR); USACE; USCG; USFWS; NMFS; North Slope Borough; USDOT/PHMSA; Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope
Hilcorp’s Northstar:
State-Federal Joint Production Unit
Only production from OCS resource
Production facilities located on a man-made gravel island located in State waters, in the Beaufort Sea
Northstar began producing in 2001 from a Shared State/Federal Unit Production Reservoir
Northstar – (Average TOTAL daily rate for 2016 was 10,000 BOPD-includes state and federal)
Federal Percentage of Northstar Production is Allocated at 17.85%
Infrastructure:
State Pipelines – existing infrastructure in North Slope Beaufort Sea – TAPS is the major trunkline
TAPS Throughput peaked at 2.1 million barrels a day in It has steadily decreased since.
Throughput average per day in 2016: 517,868 bbl
Throughput total per year in 2016: 189,539,817 bbl
Cumulative throughput at the end of year in 2016: 17.5 billion barrels
There are currently no pipelines in the OCS
Northstar produces from an Island in State waters
Liberty has proposed a pipeline to the Liberty Development Production Island (5.6 miles offshore)
Production:
Hilcorp Northstar Since 2001
Shared Federal / State Reservoir

5. Science Informed Decisions Environmental Studies Program
BOEM’s Environmental Studies Program (ESP) develops, conducts and oversees world-class scientific research specifically to inform decisions regarding development of Outer Continental Shelf energy and mineral resources. (currently about 65) ongoing study projects
BOEM has invested about $500 million studying the OCS environment offshore Alaska, and developed more than producing more than 1,000 technical reports and peer-reviewed publications since 1973.
BOEM’s Alaska Office oversees more than one billion acres on the OCS and more than 6,000 miles of coastline, which is more coastline than in the rest of the United States combined. The vastness of the Alaska OCS presents many challenges for working in the region, including: large and remote planning areas; diverse and extreme environmental conditions; still-evolving hydrocarbon extraction technology; and potential environmental hazards associated with offshore activities, such as seasonal sea ice coverage.
Studies in Alaska focus on:
Archaeological Resource Protection Studies
Biological Studies
Fates and Effects Studies
Meteorology and Air Quality Studies
Physical Oceanography Studies
Protected Species Studies
Social Sciences and Economics

6. BOEMs Role Arctic Observing Network
Long-term Ecosystem Monitoring
ANIMIDA; COMIDA; ASAMM
Extend Distributed Biological Observatories
CHAOZ; AMBON; MARES; ANIMIDA
Scientific Cooperation (partnerships)
NPRB; NSF; NOPP; NSSI; Industry
Increase Local Involvement
TK PANELS; LEO NETWORK; TAGGING PROGRAM
Synthesize Data
SOAR; MESO MET; SOCIAL INDICATORS

7. Alaska OCS Studies Planning Process Alaska Annual Studies Plan (ASP)
ASP describes ongoing research and new studies for the coming fiscal year
Initiates next planning cycle with requests for new information needs to stakeholders
BOEM receives about 60 study proposals for new research annually
Allows us to engage stakeholders
Research planning is a continual annual process and is outlined in ESPs Alaska Annual Studies Plan (ASP)
The ASP is a foundational document that guides the direction of research that is planned for the coming years.
The ASP is published in early October. we send ~50 hard copies and ~200 postcard announcements.  
We publish the ASP that describes ongoing research, but we also request stakeholders to submit new studies for the next Fiscal Year
We receive about 60 new proposals annually
To Access the ASP and ESP SITE
Currently we have 62 ONGOING STUDIES
Arctic Thule Home
Source: University of Toronto
Arctic Coastal Erosion
Source: Earth Observatory (NASA)

8. Alaska OCS Region Proposed Studies FY18
Page Number
Discipline
Ranking
Study Title
163 FE 1
Oil Spill Impact Literature Synthesis: Crude and Refined Spills 1,000–20,000 bbl
165
IMO 2
Environmental Resource Areas: Using Habitat-Based Density Models and Tagging Data for Analysis of Biological Resources
168 PS 3
Range-Wide Distribution of Cook Inlet Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in the Winter
171 4
Coastal Marine Institute
173
BIO 5
Impacts of Sedimentation on the Boulder Patch Community, Beaufort Sea
176
SSE 6
Monitoring of the Cross Island Subsistence Whale Hunt for Effects from Liberty Final Development and Production Plan
178 PO 7
Circulation Processes and Landfast Ice Dynamics on the Central and Western Beaufort Sea Shelf
181 8
Benthic Invertebrate Resources and Trophic Ecology of Fishes in the Nearshore Beaufort Sea
183 9
Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Other Contaminants in Tissues of Animals Collected in Cook Inlet
185 10
Updating Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet
188 11
Oil Spill Occurrence Estimators for Offshore and Onshore Cook Inlet and Onshore Alaska North Slope Spills
191 12
Subsistence Mapping and Identification of Intensity of Use of the Land- and Seascape by Old Believers of Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
193 13
Generation of Synthetic Audiograms by Applying Finite Element Modeling to Computerized Tomography (CT) Scans for Baleen Whales, Belugas, and Pinnipeds
Discipline Codes
FE = Fates & Effects HE = Habitat & Ecology BIO= Biology IMO = Information Management & Other PS = Marine Mammals & Protected Species PO = Physical Oceanography SSE = Social Science & Economic s
The Alaska region has proposed 13 study concepts (profiles) for consideration for FY18- you will receive presentations on 3 of those between today and tomorrow. In order to meet the needs from our environmental assessment peers we have focused on specific projects and regions that will likely have environmental analysis conducted in the coming 5 years (Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet), and cross several disciplines, and cover many of the strategic science questions.
In recent years, BOEM has placed primary emphasis on studying the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, conducting interim baseline research and monitoring for trends in diverse fields of interest. Most of the projects exhibit complex, multilateral collaborations, with explicit inter-disciplinary linkages between the physical and biological sciences. Many of them also provide a role for active participation by Alaska Native residents and input from sources of traditional knowledge.
In response to Hilcorp’s submission of their DPP for Liberty and the potential for submission of additional plans, BOEM will continue its focus on the Beaufort Sea. Residents of Beaufort Sea coastal communities have expressed concerns about long-term effects of OCS activities, particularly changes to currents and sedimentation rates and potential effects on social systems, including subsistence whaling activities, in the vicinity of Northstar and Liberty. A better understanding of trophic and community structure in nearshore habitats in the Beaufort Sea is also needed to support evaluation of resiliency of fish and invertebrate populations under changing environmental conditions. Additionally, improved tools are needed to help assess the effects on marine mammals of anthropogenic activities, including increased noise and vessel traffic through the Chukchi and Beaufort seas in support of oil and gas exploration and development activities.
The need for updated information about the physical and biological environment in Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait is also ongoing. Some particular interests for information include, but are not limited to: an improved understanding of distribution and geographic range of the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale stock; assessment of variability and long-term trends in oceanographic conditions and biological communities; and obtaining further baseline information about subsistence use of lower Cook Inlet.
No interest exists at this time regarding development of marine mineral or renewable energy resources on the OCS offshore the State of Alaska. The Alaska Region, however, is currently developing a partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, NOAA, and USFWS to integrate and extend offshore environmental feasibility studies sufficient to fully assess the economic viability of wave energy projects in Yakutat and other areas of coastal Alaska. This project represents a uniquely cost-effective opportunity for BOEM to help establish methods and procedures that can be employed in future wave energy site resource assessments in both State and Federal waters across the nation.
The Alaska Region has considered the strategic science questions identified above together with these specific information needs to develop our list of studies proposed for FY The studies proposed for the Alaska Region address one or more of the strategic science questions and inform a broad repertoire of knowledge. Table 1 contains a matrix indicating the intersection between each study and the strategic questions. Of particular note is the long-standing cooperative program between BOEM, the University of Alaska, and the State of Alaska known as the Alaska Coastal Marine Institute (CMI), and how the CMI studies intersect with each of the strategic questions.

9. Alignment of Proposed FY 2018 Alaska OCS Region Studies with BOEM Programs and Strategic Science Questions
The Alaska Region currently utilizes the conventional energy program, and our entire suite of profiles fall under this category- if developed the other programs would also be covered. ** Gold Sale back in the day.
A few of these could have broader implications to regions. These would include the (2) Environmental Resources areas; (13) Generation of synthetic audiograms, and (4) the Coastal Marine Institute.
The later is a program we run since 1993 with the University of Alaska Fairbanks to study coastal topics associated with the development of natural resources in Alaska's outer continental shelf. Under this cooperative program, BOEM taps the highly qualified scientific expertise at the University of Alaska to
Collect and disseminate environmental information needed for OCS oil, gas, and marine minerals decisions
Address local and regional OCS-related environmental and resource issues of mutual interest
Strengthen the partnership between BOEM and the states by addressing OCS oil and gas and marine minerals information needs
Fund projects that inform across disciplines including fisheries, biomonitoring, chemical and physical oceanography, and oil biodegradation.

10. Strategic Science Questions Unique to Alaska
● What role will ocean currents and sea ice play in distribution of anthropogenic pollutants near exploration and development prospects? ● How are ocean currents changed under reduced sea ice conditions? ● How do cold temperatures and presence of sea ice alter the fate of spilled oil?
Environmental change is more evident in the Arctic than in other areas, with summer sea ice
extent decreasing to record historical lows. The loss of ice cover is causing changes to the ocean
currents, water chemistry, and ecosystem productivity, and has serious implications for marine
mammals, as well as bird and fish species that live on, below, or near the ice. Environmental
change also entrains many socioeconomic issues. Some immediate concerns include: increased
shoreline erosion and permafrost melt that threatens Arctic communities and infrastructure;
changes in distribution and availability of hunted subsistence species; and potential changes in
commercial and subsistence fisheries as commercial species such as salmon move north. In
consideration of such basic transition, scientists are challenged to project how the changing
environment will interact with OCS activities in the Arctic over the next 25–50 years.

11. Traditional Knowledge
9/10/2018
Traditional Knowledge
BOEM actively seeks Traditional Knowledge to complement and integrate with scientific research to inform decisions
Nearly one-half of all U.S. Tribes are in Alaska
Native Corporations provide improved lives, conditions, and a sustainable future
Tribal Leaders and Members wear many hats
Traditions, cultures, and languages are encouraged, celebrated
Indigenous Knowledge is highly-valued and shared as a gift of trust
4/25/2014

12. Alaska OCS Region Proposed Studies FY19
Page Number
Discipline
Ranking
Study Title
195 PS 1
Walrus Population-Level Response to Underwater Noise
197
BIO 2
Arctic Slope Winter Fish, Invertebrates, and Arctic Cod Spawning Survey
200 3
The View from Above: Expanding Efforts to use Existing Aerial Photo-Identification Data for Life-History Analyses of Bowhead Whales
202 4
Bowhead Whale Acoustic, Diving , and Movement Behavior Relative to Ambient Noise and Oceanography
204 5
Synthesis of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Beaufort Sea Baseline and Monitoring Studies
Discipline Codes
BIO=Biology PS = Marine Mammals & Protected Species
The Alaska region has proposed 5 study concepts (profiles) for consideration for FY19.

13. Questions