Evaluation of modeling as a tool to determine the potential impacts related to drilling wastes in the Brazilian offshore

Numerical models that predict the fate of drilling discharges at sea constitute a valuable tool for both the oil industry and regulatory agencies. In order to provide reliable estimates, models must be validated through the comparison of predictions with field or laboratory observations. In this paper, we used the Offshore Operators Committee Model to simulate the discharges from two wells drilled at Campos Basin, offshore SE Brazil, and compared the results with field observations obtained 3 months after drilling. The comparison showed that the model provided reasonable predictions, considering that data about currents were reconstructed and theoretical data were used to characterize the classes of solids. The model proved to be a valuable tool to determine the degree of potential impact associated to drilling activities. However, since the accuracy of the model is directly dependent on the quality of input data, different possible scenarios should be considered when used for forecast modeling.