OFF-Management Committee Meeting 2025
- 14 March 2025
- 08:30 – 14:00
- Campus Universitário de Santiago, Department of Geosciences – University of Aveiro, Portugal
Description
The 2025 Management Committee meeting will take place in Aveiro on 14 March 2025. During this meeting, we will summarize last year’s activities and WG tasks status, as well as plan the following year.
Key objectives are to summarize previous and future planned activities, summarize each WG tasks status, encourage communication and collaboration between partners, and discuss 3rd and 4th year plans and activities.
About Aveiro
Aveiro is a small coastal town in northern Portugal. Both campus, train and bus station, town centre, and University are within walking distance (about 15 minutes between station and centre, and another 15 minutes between centre and university). There are also buses that go around the town.
To reach Aveiro, two airports are possible. Porto, which has fewer international flights, is about 90km away (travel to and from there will not be an eligible expense for reimbursement by COST); train takes about 1h and costs around between 10 and 30€. Lisbon is about 250km away, and train takes about 2.5 hours to reach Aveiro and costs between 20 and 40€.
Please note that travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by COST only for one MC member by country, according to the standard COST Action Rules.
If you have any questions, contact us @ info@off-source.eu.
OFF-SOURCE OFG seminar
- 13 March 2025
- 09:00 – 15:00 | field trip 15:00 – 19:00
- Campus Universitário de Santiago, Department of Geosciences – University of Aveiro, Portugal
Description
This seminar aims at gathering experts around Offshore Freshened Groundwater (OFG) and discussing techniques, challenges, case studies, and works related to this field. Focus will be made to the 4 scientific OFF-SOURCE Working groups’ focus, that is: WG1: Assessment and characterisation of Offshore Freshened Groundwater (OFG); WG2: Instrumentations, methods and approaches to study OFG; WG3: Utilisation of OFG and its technical and economic feasibility; and WG4: Environmental impact and legal aspects of OFG utilisation.
As to make this seminar dynamic, talks will be limited to strictly 5 minutes and panel discussions will happen each 4 talks.
About Aveiro
Aveiro is a small coastal town in northern Portugal. Both campus, train and bus station, town centre, and University are within walking distance (about 15 minutes between station and centre, and another 15 minutes between centre and university). There are also buses that go around the town.
To reach Aveiro, two airports are possible. Porto, which has fewer international flights, is about 90km away (travel to and from there will not be an eligible expense for reimbursement by COST); train takes about 1h and costs around between 10 and 30€. Lisbon is about 250km away, and train takes about 2.5 hours to reach Aveiro and costs between 20 and 40€.
Please note that travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by COST for selected attendees according to the standard COST Action Rules.
Priority for travel funding will be given to attendees giving a presentation.
If you have any questions, contact us @ info@off-source.eu.
OFF-SOURCE WG4 Policy Review Workshop
- 6-7 May 2025
- 09:00 – 17:00
- Ruden AS, Oslo, Norway
Description
An insightful two-day workshop on the legal, regulatory, and environmental dimensions of offshore freshened groundwater (OFG) is scheduled to take place in Oslo on May 6 and 7, 2025. Organized as part of Task 4 of Working Group 4, the event will gather experts and stakeholders to discuss key challenges and opportunities related to OFG governance, such as:
- Understanding OFG: Exploring its utilization, differences from onshore groundwater, and potential uses.
- Legal Frameworks: Addressing international laws, including the Geneva Conventions and UNCLOS, and how they apply to the utilization of OFG.
- Environmental and Social Considerations: Reviewing the impacts of resource development, environmental assessments, and the role of social licensing.
Key sessions will also cover transboundary exploitation, lessons from offshore hydrocarbons law, and actionable recommendations for sustainable resource management.
This event represents a significant step in advancing discussions around the governance of offshore natural resources.
Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute to the global conversation on sustainable offshore resource management!
Please note that travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by COST for selected attendees according to the standard COST Action Rules.
If you have any questions, contact us @ info@off-source.eu.
OFF-SOURCE COST Action WG2 Workshop – Innovation Technologies
- Date and place: 15-16 May 2024 09:00-17:00 Université de Montpellier, Géosciences, Campus triolet cc060
- 09:00-17:00
- Université de Montpellier, Géosciences, Campus triolet cc060
Description
The Working Group 2 (WG2) – Innovation Technologies -Workshop on 15th May 2024 will focus on the task and deliverables of WG2 – namely a review and evaluation of the tools and methods available for OFG characterisation and the evaluation of improvement needs and best practise guidance. We will have presentations from participants on STSM outcomes related to WG2, recent surveys and applications, instrument description or method presentation, or discussion notes. In addition, we plan to split into breakout rooms for the different sub-groups we set up in WG2 to focus on the different methods and instruments for the peer-review paper, and meet back with a working plan in place to effectively and timely address the tasks of WG2. Along with that we will expand and strengthen our network and discuss synergies with the other working groups for future collaborations
Key Objectives
- Review tools and methods available for OFG characterisation
- Share current advancements and STSM outcomes
- Prepare a work plan to address WG2 tasks
Workshop Agenda
A more detailed agenda will follow closer to the date.
15 May: indoor presentations and discussions related to WG2
16 May 9:00 – 15:00: field trip to the MAGUELONE EXPERIMENTAL SITE located on the Mediterranean coast
Please note that travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by COST for invited attendees according to the standard COST Action Rules.
Priority for travel funding will be given to attendees giving a presentation or demonstrating to be actively involved in WG2.
If you have any questions, contact us @ info@off-source.eu.
OFF-SOURCE COST Action MC Meeting 2024
- Date and place: 14 May 2024
- 09:00-17:00
- Université de Montpellier, Géosciences, Campus triolet cc060
Description
The 2024 Management Committee meeting will take place in Montpellier on 14 May 2024. During this meeting, we will summarize last year’s activities and WG tasks status, as well as plan the following year.
There will also be break-out sessions afternoon in order to discuss more scientific/technical aspects with selected members, according to the need of the Action.
Key Objectives
- Summarize previous and future planned activities
- Summarize each WG tasks status
- Encourage communication and collaboration between partners
- Discuss 3rd year plans and activities
Workshop Agenda
A more detailed agenda will follow closer to the date.
09:00 – 12:00: MC Meeting
13:00 – 17:00: Core group meeting and Break-out sessions
Please note that travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by COST for 1 MC Member per country only, according to the standard COST Action Rules.
If you have any questions, contact us @ info@off-source.eu.
OFF-SOURCE COST ACTION WORKSHOP Unlocking Offshore Freshened Groundwater: Innovations for Water Security and Sustainability
- Date and place: 25 September 2023
- 09:00-16:00
- University of Malta, Valletta Campus
Description
Water scarcity and deteriorating water quality present pressing challenges that require innovative solutions. Our working group within the OFF-SOURCE Cost Action is tasked with identifying potential applications for Offshore Freshened Groundwater (OFG) systems and bridge the technological and economic feasibility gaps. This workshop will explore the key considerations including the relationship between water demand and OFG feasibility, implementing desalination technologies, and leveraging insights from the hydrocarbon industry for water applications. During each session, we will engage in discussions with relevant experts, and identify concrete steps needed to realize the resource potential of OFG.
Key Objectives
- Gather insights from organisations involved in water, hydrocarbon exploration, offshore engineering, and water treatment and management to discuss the feasibility of OFG;
- Propose a range of cost-effective infrastructure solutions for OFG exploitation;
- Define the scope of Short Term Scientific Missions to target specific technological gaps;
- Prepare a white paper and news media article to disseminate the outcomes of the workshop.
Workshop Agenda
Agenda
SESSION 1 – ASSESSING WATER DEMAND AND OFG FEASIBILITY
- Understanding the demand and quality of water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use;
- Evaluating the feasibility of OFG systems, considering minimum required volume, salinity distribution, and the impact of water stress.
SESSION 2 SOLUTIONS FOR VARIABLE RAW WATER QUALITY
- Addressing the challenges of variable raw water quality through innovative solutions;
- Conducting comprehensive cost evaluations, including infrastructure, maintenance, desalination costs, brine treatment, disposal, and regional considerations.
SESSION 3 LEVERAGING HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY
- Summarizing hydrocarbon exploration technologies applicable at varying depths and their transferability to water applications.
SESSION 4 BRAINSTORMING AND COLLABORATION
- Engaging in a creative brainstorming session to generate new goals, incentives, and potential areas of collaboration with organizations and companies;
- Discussing strategies to attract more experts and stakeholders to participate in WG3 and the COST Action.
Please note that travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursed by COST for invited attendees according to the standard COST Action Rules.
If you have any questions, contact us @ info@off-source.eu.
MC Meeting
After the launch of the Action in September 2022, the first in-person Management Committee meeting happened in Valletta, Malta on 1 March 2023.
The aims of this meeting were to develop and implement an effective dissemination campaign, encourage communication and collaboration between researchers, professionals, and stakeholders responsible for water resource management in different geographic regions, promote exchange of ideas, capabilities, and experiences on the latest developments in offshore freshened groundwater research identifying current needs and future directions, involve Young Researchers and Innovators and research teams from across Europe and beyond, and encourage interdisciplinary knowledge exchange between academia, industry, policy makers and regulators.
The first Working Group (WG) Workshop happened on 2 March 2023 in the same venue. The aim of the workshop was to develop a workplan to compile a database on information on offshore freshened groundwater bodies in waters of COST Member countries, as well as available geological and geophysical data from their margins, and to generate geological models of selected margins from COST Member countries, and run hydrogeological simulations to predict the occurrence, salinity, and volume of offshore freshened groundwater.
