Real time observation system for monitoring environmental impact on marine ecosystems from oil drilling operations

•New technology creates opportunity for real time environmental monitoring.•Multi-sensor systems enhance understanding of human impacts.•Real time monitoring standards needs to be developed.•Experiments as part of operational monitoring is cost efficient when well planned.

Environmental awareness and technological advances has spurred development of new monitoring solutions for the petroleum industry.This paper presents experience from a monitoring program off Norway. To maintain operation within the limits of the government regulations Statoil tested a new monitoring concept. Multisensory data were cabled to surface buoys and transmitted to land via wireless communication. The system collected information about distribution of the drilling wastes and the welfare of the corals in relation to threshold values.The project experienced a series of failures, but the backup monitoring provided information to fulfil the requirements of the permit. The experience demonstrated the need for real time monitoring and how such systems enhance understanding of impacts on marine organisms. Also, drilling operations may improve by taking environmental information into account. The paper proposes to standardize and streamline monitoring protocols to maintain comparability during all phases of the operation and between drill sites.