The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) requires the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to ensure compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) so that Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas exploration, development, and production do not significantly impact the air quality (AQ) of any state. In July 2015, BOEM personnel first approached the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to inquire if satellite data could be used to help monitor offshore AQ in BOEM’s jurisdiction, that portion of the OCS west of 87°30’ West longitude in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) Region and the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Planning Areas in the Alaska Region. An interagency agreement was signed in 2017 to begin a study, which was named the Satellite Coastal and Oceanic Atmospheric Pollution Experiment (SCOAPE). The ultimate goal of SCOAPE is to enable BOEM personnel, through the use of a suite of NASA and non-NASA resources (e.g., satellite data, in situ observations, and AQ forecasts), to assess how pollutants from offshore oil and natural gas (ONG) exploration, development, and production activities affect AQ on land. The first field campaign was held in May 2019. The second campaign, SCOAPE-II, will be held May/June 2024.

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