Mosbech, A., Hansen, A.B., Asmund, G., Dahllöf, I., Petersen, D.G. & Strand, J. 2007. NERI Technical Report no. 629, pp. 56.

 

Summary

 

A number of studies have been initiated to develop a “Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment Report” in connection with opening an offshore region at <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Disko</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Island</st1:PlaceType> , <st1:place w:st="on">Greenland</st1:place> to hydrocarbon exploration.

 

One of these studies was conducted on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Nuussuaq</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Peninsula</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> at Marraat, where GEUS discovered oil in porous volcanics in the early 1990ies. This oil was also found in the Marraat-1 core drilled in 1993.

 

At Marraat the presence of oil stained stones scattered along the coast indicates oil bearing strata and the existence of potential oil seeps. The study reported here had the objective to see, if the suspected seep had a local impact on the chemistry and biological communities in the marine environment at Marraat.

 

The study included sediments, blue mussels and fish that were analyzed for hydrocarbons, a Pollution Induced Community Test (PICT), a sediment toxicity test and a measurement of PAH metabolites in fish gall.

 

The hydrocarbon pattern found in sediment and biota samples indicates input from both immature petrogenic hydrocarbons of possible terrestrial (i.e. land based) origin and local pollution by fuel oil. But the hydrocarbon levels found were low and do not indicate an input from a natural local oil seep at Marraat. The results of the PICT, the sediment toxicity test and the PAH metabolite study do not either indicate the presence of an oil seep. However, the existence of an oil seep emitting low concentrations of oil to the environment cannot be excluded.

 

However, compared to sediments from a larger area of <st1:place w:st="on">West Greenland</st1:place> the sediments close to Nuussuaq and Disko have higher concentrations of PAH expressed on basis of their content of organic matter. This could be a result of natural seepage of oil in the Nuusuuaq/Disko region.

 

Full report in PDF-format (2,747 kB).