Supervision and completion of air-quality studies for Onshore Oil & Gas research programme

This project will appoint an experienced air-quality specialist to support the supervision, completion and publication of 3 air-quality research projects on regulated Onshore Oil & Gas (OOG) sites. The first project comprises an analysis of ambient air-quality monitoring data that has been collected by the Environment Agency's Ambient Air Monitoring (AAM) team over 4 years at a shale-gas site at Preston New Road. The data are being analysed by the AAM team, and the specialist is required to liaise with that team so that the work is written up for publication as an EA research report. The second project comprises a review of the potential for using source-pathway-receptor (SPR) modelling to simulate the containment of gases at decommissioned wells, including the potential for fugitive releases from decommissioned wells to the atmosphere. This work has been undertaken by an external contractor and exists as draft report sections on 11 work packages, together with an overall commentary on SPR modelling of decommissioned wells. The specialist will check, edit and collate the draft sections and commentary, in consultation with the external contactor, ready for publication as an EA research report. The third project is a study to develop a protocol for monitoring of soil-gas at decommissioned wells - as a potential systematic procedure for assessing well integrity. This project has been let to an external contractor in November 2021 and will complete by 31/03/2022. The specialist will join the EA's supervisory team for this work in order to support the preparation of an EA Research report from drafts to be provided by the contractor for the soil-gas monitoring protocol. In order to prepare these 3 projects for publication, the specialist will need to liaise closely with the relevant study teams (within and outside EA), and with the EA's Lead Scientist for Air-Quality Research. This will include attendance at internal (within EA) OOG research reviews in order to report on progress and to exchange information with the project managers for other OOG research studies. The specialist may be asked to help with other air-quality research tasks on an occasional and flexible basis, although these requests/tasks will be a relatively minor component compared with completion of the 3 main project reports.

The appointed specialist should have extensive skills at a Principal Scientist level including: understanding of environmental research methods; experience in air-quality monitoring and modelling; knowledge of onshore oil and gas operations including decommissioned wells; ability to collate, interpret and present results in technical reports; experience of working with project teams in order to prepare research reports for publication.

The work is to be undertaken over a period of 15 weeks, so that the 3 projects are completed and ready for publication by 31 March 2022 in the format of reports for the Environment Agency's Chief Scientist's Group.

Additional information: To apply please respond to the attached Invitation to Quote and associated documents. Email your response to roger.timmis@environment-agency.gov.uk. Tenders to be received no later than 17:00 on 13 December 2021. If you have any further questions about this tender then please e-mail roger.timmis@environment-agency.gov.uk.