Evaluation of noise pollution from oil drilling and testing activities in a major metropolitan city in Northern Italy / Rajeswary Kandasamy

Rajeswary, Kandasamy (2019) Evaluation of noise pollution from oil drilling and testing activities in a major metropolitan city in Northern Italy / Rajeswary Kandasamy. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

Noise has an adverse impact on the quality of human life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union’s task force meeting in Geneva in 1995, excessive noise seriously harms human health and interferes with people's daily activities at school, work, home and during leisure time. Limited availability of noise pollution data and high variability during oil well drilling and testing activity make it necessary to monitor its consequential noise pollution via research. The objectives of this study are to measure and present the noise generated during these activities in the selected areas, to analyse these results against the local authority’s permissible noise levels (60 dBA for day and 50 dBA at night) and finally to statistically analyse the variables that most impact the measured noise. The research area in Northern Italy was selected since it is an urban community area, with defined oil and gas activity in the vicinity. Continuous noise monitoring stations were installed in front of houses closest to the drilling rigs (distance of 144 m – 328 m) and sound levels were sampled over seven months in two different drilling locations – ‘Location 1’ and ‘Location 2’. A total of 8,954 data points were measured with 52% data coming from Location 1 and 48% from Location 2. The study also analyzed rig types, wells, high level well activity and weather via a strength of factors analysis.The monitoring indicated that both locations produced higher sound levels (decibels, dBA) during day time as compared to night time. The noise measured was between 31.3 dBA to 83.1 dBA in both locations. Location 1 showed a mean noise value of 53.0 dBA in the day and 50.6 dBA at night compared to Location 2 that showed overall lower values with a mean noise level of 49.1 dBA in the day and 44.4 dBA at night. The study showed that the noise generated fell within the specified governmental limits, hence protecting the wellbeing of nearby residents from excessive noise. The efficiency of the flaring enclosure was proven successful in reducing the flaring noise from 50.9 dBA to 46.9 dBA. It was found that variables such as Relative Humidity (%), Global Radiation (W/m2), Drilling the 8.5" section, Completions, Persons on Board Rig (POB) and Drilling of the 12.25" section caused an increase in noise by varying degrees. However, installing the flaring burner enclosure, using rig type 2 and having a higher degree of wind direction decreased sound levels. To summarize, the results of this study supports other limited research in understanding the noise generated during oil and gas activities. . By restricting noise limits, oil and gas drilling activities can take place to generate a much needed energy source with minimal environmental noise pollution impact towards surrounding communities.

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