bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA) to Determine the Environmentally Superior Project Alternative
Authors: Gala W. R. , Hill R. W. , Hostetter L. A.
Published: April 2008

Project alternatives for environmental projects are often difficult to compare and rank because each alternative may have different magnitude and types of impacts to multiple habitats over varying time scales (e.g., short-term, long-term). Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA) is a methodology developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that can quantify and compare the net environmental effects on affected habitats, including the short-term and long-term effects of project alternatives and compensation measures. It can be used to rank the alternatives according to their relative net environmental impact, which helps project teams and decision executives identify the alternatives with the most favorable (or most adverse) environmental effects.

The use of HEA proved critical to identifying the environmentally superior alternative proposed to regulatory agencies for the disposition of the Chevron 4H Shell Mounds. The 4H Shell Mounds are drill cuttings (and associated drilling fluids) piles, covered by several feet of shell hash, off the coast of California that were left following removal of the 4H platforms. As part of a California Environmental Quality Act process, Chevron was requested to propose a project for the final disposition of the 4H Shell Mounds. Chevron evaluated four project alternatives: leave in place with offsite compensation in the form of enhancement of a nearby salt marsh, enhancing with an artificial reef, capping, and removal by dredging. A HEA was performed that compared the net environmental impacts of the four project alternatives on an important marine biological resource (i.e., fish habitat value). The HEA demonstrated that leaving the mounds in place with enhancement of a nearby salt marsh (i.e., offsite compensation) provides the greatest gain in fish habitat value while averting significant and unavoidable impacts to the local marine environment associated with mounds removal. Besides this demonstrated use of HEA to identify the environmentally superior alternative within an environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, HEA should prove equally valuable for scaling the actions necessary to mitigate environmental impacts.
Shifting Focus in Workplace Healthcare Service Delivery Strategy: The Experience of Chevron Nigeria
Authors: Fagade O. A. , Ajayi P. A. , Okegbemiro S. A. , Fadeyi O. T.
Published: April 2008

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) is committed to providing high quality health care services to its workforce and their dependants as part of its Operational Excellence Management System. The peculiarity of the Nigerian environment with scarce quality healthcare providers necessitated the setting-up of elaborate in-house hospital services.

While disease management continues to be a critical function of the Company's Medical Division, focus is increasingly being directed at illness prevention, health promotion and adoption of healthy lifestyles.

Results generated from periodic health screening programs conducted between 2003 and 2006 indicate that lifestyle-related health problems such as Obesity, Hypertension and Diabetes are significant risk factors to the health and well-being of employees. These further reinforce the need for a shift in emphasis from disease management towards encouraging and promoting health and wellness.

The creation of a dedicated Occupational Health (OH) Unit in September 2005 provided fresh impetus for this new drive towards illness prevention, elimination of work-related illnesses/injuries and reinforcement of wellness and health promotion. The model adopted in driving these programs gives incentives to the end-users to encourage healthy behaviors and active participation in health benefiting initiatives. These include among others 10K-A-Day program (an inspiring walking program designed to boost physical activity), Know Your Numbers (a cardiovascular health assessment tool), placement of Health Stations in strategic places (for self-check of BMI and Blood Pressure) and other Health Promotion activities. These programs aim to improve the quality of life of employees, their spouses and dependants and benefit CNL through increased employee health and productivity and reduction in healthcare expenditures.

This paper describes our health and wellness programs and the outcomes and discusses the change in strategy that holds out the benefit of continuously improving the quality, reliability and cost effectiveness of health care and health status of Chevron employees, retirees, their spouses and dependants.
Real Time Journey Management
Authors: Allison David , Tate Derek , Hashim Shahar
Published: April 2008

Driving maintains its position as the single highest common cause of fatalities in the oil and gas industry. As the industry has experienced a dramatic increase in activity, driving-related fatalities have increased similarly — from 21.9% in 2004 to 35.6% in 2005 (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers [OGP] data). It is expected that the proliferation and implementation of the OGP LTS RP will achieve the necessary step change in the industry to have impact on this manageable, and hence, very unacceptable statistic. (Define "LTS" and "RP"?)

For a company already aligned with the fundamentals of the RP elements, and that has experienced success in reducing crashes, other opportunities to continue a downward trend of vehicular crashes must be investigated. With a reduction in crashes, other land-transport related exposures and losses start to stand out. Remote operations and regional instability present a hazard to both personal and asset security; land transport inefficiency increases cost, potential for security events and crashes, and increases carbon emissions.

One method to address both a continued focus on improved driving safety while at the same time having an impact on other related exposures is to take advantage of technology. Making use of leading-edge technologies, a 24-hour real-time journey management system has been developed and deployed successfully in Saudi Arabia by a major oilfield service company.

The purpose of this paper is to provide industry with an overview of a technological approach to comprehensive journey management. The authors will share the motivations, expectations, and challenges of the endeavor, accompanied by learnings and outcomes
Chevron Global Upstream Environmental Management System
Authors: McHugh Steve , Slovacek Mike , Offner Stacey
Published: April 2008

Chevron Global Upstream consists of fourteen business units producing over 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day. Standardization of key Health, Envirornment & Safety (HES) processes across all business units commenced in 2002 as part of the implementation of Chevron's Operational Excellence Management System (OEMS) and is now complete for the environmental element.

The key feature of Global Upstream's implementation of the OEMS environmental element is the alignment of environmental processes with the key stages in the life cycle of an upstream asset, from acquisition, through development, into operations then decommissioning, and finally divestment. There is one key process per life cycle stage. The HES Property Transfer process applies to both acquisition and divestment. The Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) process addresses asset development, including both seismic and exploration drilling. Oil and gas production operations are covered by the Environmental Stewardship process, which also houses a Third Party Waste Stewardship process and specific Environmental Performance Standards. The Site Assessment, Remediation, Restoration, Decommissioning, and Abandonment (SARRDA) process completes the Global Upstream environmental process portfolio.

The four environmental processes add value by mapping to specific exploration and production activities and by being targeted to the management and technical specialists within those functions. The system as a whole facilitates transition from process to process as an asset moves through its life cycle, and is fully aligned with ISO14001.

This paper presents Global Upstream's environmental processes and performance standards. The iterative nature of how these processes and performance standards were developed from the interaction between the high level strategic intents and the business unit needs for clarity and simplicity are discussed, together with specific examples of implementation best practice and key learnings.
Establishing an Environmental Performance Standard and Waste Management Toolbox for Offshore Drilling Discharges
Authors: Glickman Andrew , Ivan Catalin , Piper William
Published: April 2008

Chevron Global Upstream has developed a global environmental performance standard and a computer-based waste management toolbox with the overall objective of reducing the potential for impacts from drilling fluids and associated cuttings in the offshore environment. The drilling discharge standard establishes minimum environmental performance requirements for offshore drilling projects. Requirements include no discharge of whole non-aqueous drilling fluid and drilled cuttings containing mineral or diesel oil. In addition, the standard requires the use of cuttings dryers and centrifuges when cuttings containing synthetic drilling fluids are discharged. A unique feature of the standard is the requirement that all offshore drilling projects undergo an environmental screening evaluation prior to discharge of muds and drilled cuttings. The screening evaluation considers a set of drilling, toxicity, biodegradation, and oceanographic data to assess whether a given drilling project has the potential to have an ecological impact. If this evaluation indicates a potential for impacts, steps must be taken to further understand the potential for impacts and, if necessary, mitigate them. Mitigation options might include selecting alternative drilling fluids, instituting additional treatment of the cuttings, reducing the total discharge cuttings volume, or seeking alternatives to discharge. To support implementation of the standard and help drilling engineers make the best drilling waste management decisions, a toolbox has been developed to evaluate and optimize waste management technology alternatives for offshore projects. The toolbox possesses a user-friendly computer-based interface that allows the drilling engineer to evaluate and select the most appropriate waste management technologies for their project based on drilling technical requirements, environmental performance, regulatory requirements, and cost. The overall integration of the drilling waste management toolbox and the environmental performance standard provide drilling operations with an enhanced combination of reduced risk to the offshore environment and cost-effective waste management technology.
Pipeline Hydrotest Water Management
Authors: Boulton William
Published: April 2008

BP projects in Azerbaijan in the past ten years have installed oil and gas export lines, interfield lines, water injection lines and produced water lines, with a total length in excess of 1000 km- all of which required hydrotesting. This paper describes BP's approach to managing and mitigating the environmental impacts of hydrotest water disposal.

The first stage was the selection of a hydrotest chemical package. Candidate chemicals were subjected (individually and in mixture at the appropriate dose levels) to toxicity tests developed specifically for the Caspian, and the least toxic package was selected. The most toxic component of the package was a biocide, which was selected in part for its low persistence and high abiotic degradation rate.

The next stage was to assess the dewatering options and to commission dispersion modelling for each option. For each scenario, an ecotoxicological risk assessment was carried out using the modelling results in combination with the toxicity data.

Risk assessment concluded that discharge to sea was acceptable offshore but not in the coastal zone. Accordingly, large onshore holding ponds were constructed receive hydrotest water which could not be discharged offshore, and to retain it until chemical analysis and toxicity tests showed that it was safe to discharge.

The holding ponds were used to receive hydrotest water in 2005 and 2007. In both cases, analysis showed that the biocide had degraded by > 90% in the pipeline, and that after one week in the holding ponds the residual chemical concentrations and toxicity had decreased to negligible levels.

The original toxicity tests had shown that phytoplankton were most sensitive to the biocide. During the 2007 de-watering process, samples taken from the holding pond showed that within one week, healthy phytoplankton populations had become naturally established, providing direct confirmation that discharge of the hydrotest water would present no risk of environmental harm.
Using Internal Video Projects to Share Lessons Learned
Authors: Reavis Clay , Douzenis Pete , Bourdoumis Nick
Published: April 2008

The overall safety culture in the oil and gas industry has matured significantly in recent years. The best companies in the industry understand the importance of using risk management and engineering processes to make the workplace as safe as practical. Management systems have been implemented to ensure a continued high level of performance. Investigations are conducted and reviewed to ensure that the root causes are identified and all necessary corrective measures have been taken. It is now common practice to communicate lessons learned throughout an organization and in some cases, across company boundaries.

Internal video productions offer an avenue to effectively and economically communicate the lessons learned with dramatic impact. This paper will discuss two such examples. In the first case, a worker suffered a needless injury that sent a troubling shock wave through the local management and coworkers. The investigation pinpointed a number of corrections for improvement that were quickly implemented. However, there was a lingering sense of disappointment, and an emotional outlet was needed. The principal parties agreed to be interviewed as part of a video project. The result was a very powerful message that could be shared with a wide audience.

The second case resulted in only minor injury, but had much higher potential for injury. The beginnings of the situation date back to an engineering decision more than 20 years ago that had gone unchanged. Other modifications were made in more recent years that added to the hazards of the operation. This production explores the misunderstandings that allowed nonoptimal circumstances to exist when corrections could have been made. This production offers a learning opportunity to prevent future injury. This is the true spirit of lessons learned.
SERPENT of the Deep—Research, Monitoring and Partnerships for a Deepwater Well off Atlantic Canada
Authors: d'Entremont Andre , Kaariainen Janne , Baker Krista
Published: April 2008

The Great Barasway F-66 well – operated by Chevron Canada Limited (CCL) on behalf of itself and co-venturers ExxonMobil Canada Ltd., Imperial Oil Resource Ventures Ltd. and Shell Canada Limited – was the first Canadian participation in the international SERPENT Project. It was drilled in the Orphan Basin, a remote deepwater area located 390 km offshore of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. SERPENT utilizes Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), which support deepwater drilling operations, to collect scientific data which would be prohibitively expensive or impractical for universities or research institutions to collect.

The project was a cooperative effort between CCL, ExxonMobil Canada Ltd., Imperial Oil Resource Ventures Ltd., Shell Canada Limited, and Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), the University of Southampton, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board. This has been an open and transparent relationship whereby all parties were involved in the study design, and data collected was freely shared. Initial results have included 1,000 world class digital photographs and over 25 hours of video of the organisms that live in water depths of 2,338 m. Initial results have been scientifically exciting; expanding the range of two species of fish, there is also the prospect that a new species of deepwater organism could be discovered once the data are fully analyzed.

The extent of the settlement of cuttings and drilling muds was also mapped and compared to predictions made in the environmental assessment. Experiments were also conducted to evaluate the potential settlement of deepwater corals and other organisms on different types of hard substrate.
Environmental Performance in the E&P Industry — 2006
Authors: Campbell J. A. , Poore W.
Published: April 2008

The International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) has collated and published environmental performance data since 2001. This Environmental Indicator Performance programme has continued and a new set of data for activities in 2006 has been produced.

The five main indicators gathered are gaseous emissions, aqueous discharges, non-aqueous drilling fluids on drill cuttings, oil and chemical spills and energy consumption.

Performance results are presented on a global and regional basis, onshore and offshore, and normalised to hydrocarbon production. Results are shown, for ease of comparison, alongside the previous years' published results. The report will address the emerging trends in environmental performance as well as factors that underpin the data.

31 OGP member companies took part in the survey representing about a third of known world production. Contributing companies provided data from 55 countries worldwide; however regional coverage is uneven, ranging from 98% of known production in Europe to 17% in the Middle East and 5% in the Former Soviet Union.
Preparing for Implementation of New International Chemical Regulations: REACH in the European Union and CEPA 1999 in Canada
Authors: Witt Irena E. , Salamat Golchehreh
Published: April 2008

The paper focuses on two recent significant international pieces of legislations concerning chemicals: one enacted in the European Union (EU), the other in Canada. Although independently developed, they have a common goal to approach chemicals through a comprehensive chemical management plan, rather than through fragmented pieces of previous regulations, which have proven limited in their effectiveness. A particular concern of both regulations are untested man-made chemicals, present in commerce for more than two decades without prior testing for their deleterious effects on human health and the environment. They are called "existing chemical substances".

These new regulations discussed in the paper are: a) in the EU – the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of CHemicals (REACH), in effect since June 1, 2007; and, b) in Canada – the regulation promulgated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999, referred to as CEPA 1999, in effect since September 2005 [1,2,3,4]. The scope and the scale of influence of these regulations on international business and global chemical trade are unprecedented in the history of chemicals regulations, as further explained.

This paper describes objectives and general features of these regulations, as well as anticipated business impact. Even though the parties directly involved are chemical manufacturers and importers of chemicals, the Oil and Gas (O&G) industry will also be subject to the regulations as a downstream user* (DU), obliged to participate in the development of chemicals' management plans along the supply chain. There are two critical business aspects to be concerned with: a) Timely participation in all phases of the regulations is necessary in order to avoid additional costs; b) Access to the affected chemicals in order to ensure an uninterrupted business.
Integrated Implementation of a Management System in Qatar: An Innovative Approach towards a Sustainable Performance Excellence
Authors: Lopez Juan Carlos , Lafargue Pierre , Gaafar Ahmed , Al-Sheibani Hamed , Nazareno Roberto , Kurinsky Jerry
Published: April 2008

The authors believe in a basic loss control principle: root causes of health, safety and environmental accidents are the same root causes of service quality nonconformities. The authors also believe that a mature management system, based on strong leadership and a bottom-up approach, is the way to achieve consistent and long-term performance improvement. This paper explains a practical example of how an oilfield services company used a management system to deliver services while achieving the long-term quality, health, safety and environmental performance expected by Corporate management and Customers.
The APPEA and NOPSA Model for Achieving Continuous Improvement in Health & Safety Performance "Working together for safety"
Authors: McGrath Tim , Schubach Simon , Bell Peter
Published: April 2008

APPEA, the Australian upsteam industry association, and NOPSA, the Australian offshore industry occupational health and safety regulator, work both independently and in partnership to continuously improve the safety of the Australian offshore oil and gas industry. Whilst APPEA and NOPSA use different techniques they are coordinated and provide the opportunity to review each others’ plans and performance in order to ensure that initiatives are fit for purpose, efficient and effective in achieving their objectives.

Whilst there is recognition that separately there are some limitations in NOPSA's and APPEA's influence, together they can influence other stakeholders including the workforce and contractor organisations in order to achieve much more.

Examples of working independently, in partnership, joint programmes and successes to date are presented in this paper for others to consider and implement, as appropriate.
E4W Technique: Stepping Ahead from Traditional Safety
Authors: Haag Horacio , Ritchie Rod , Wachtel Georg
Published: April 2008

This paper illustrates the experience of an Oil and Gas company on its journey to meet globally accepted best health and safety practices and targets. These results were achieved in operations in a remote, underdeveloped and challenging environment.

The discussion centres on strategic efforts, in terms of management systems and leadership styles that are required to ensure the health and safety of employees, contractors and sub-contractors. Socio-culturally, the region is basically agricultural, with tribal and feudal influences, and ritualistic religious beliefs.

The majority of the population in this region is "unskilled", below the poverty line, with major illiteracy and chronic health problems. Malaria, infectious Hepatitis, kidney failure, gastroenteritis, and general water borne diseases are on the rise, and of concern to the Government and international health organizations.

The region in general has little experience of modern industrial work practices; they have survived for centuries on a subsistence agricultural lifestyle. This presents a significant challenge, when it comes to the implementation of world standard HSE systems and procedures.

Owing to their socio-cultural and economic conditions, the local people, both as individuals and collectively, live their day to day lives in a high risk environment. The consequences of these risks are far beyond the acceptability range found in developed countries.

To achieve a quantum leap in Health & Safety performance a leadership strategy for engaging, educating, enabling and empowering the workforce was introduced (e4w). The main beneficiaries of this approach were the local "unskilled" contractors, who constitute the majority of the workforce in the field.

This paper describes in detail just how OMV Pakistan, as operator of two remote gas processing plants and a large number of producing gas wells, has achieved world class HSE results using the e4w leadership approach.
Policy Options in the EU for Regulating Carbon Capture and Storage
Authors: Williamson David J. , Zakkour Paul
Published: April 2008

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) represents a potentially useful tool in enabling the European Union (EU) to manage its emissions of CO2 as it transitions from a fossil fuel to renewables energy strategy. There is a challenge in reducing the EU's emissions at a rate which meets the required target of a 20% reduction in emissions against the 1990 levels by 2020. The capture and injection to long-term storage of emissions from fossil fuel power generation facilities (and potentially others) represents an opportunity in this regard, although it should be noted that such activities should be viewed as a part of an overall strategy which is comprehensive and long sighted in its design.

CCS represents a challenge to regulators who have a dual mandate of requiring to effectively assess and control the risks of such activities to the population and environment; and provide a structure which encourages and enables the performance of the tasks required.

EU legislation is broad in its scope and application. Analgoues and lessons for EU regulators assessing the potential controlling structures for CCS are plentiful.

This paper examines the regulatory requirements for effective operation of CCS via identification of the issues and risks associated with the capture, transport and storage of CO2; and reviews the regulatory options available and their applicability to the operation, management and control of CCS.

Existing legislation around Environmental Impact Assessment, Health & Safety, Emissions, Trading, Control of Hazardous Substances, Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, Waste Management and Environmental Liability, amongst others, all have a potential role to play. Amendment and clarification of all existing legislation would be required to enable its application to CCS but a number of options are available. The EU Commission however has a number of policy decisions to make to clarify the process, of which the key is to determine whether captured and injected CO2 would be classed as a waste or non-waste.
Evaluation of Portable Mercury Vapor Monitors and their Response to a Range of Simulated Oil Processing Environments
Authors: Grice K. J. , Van Orman L. D. , Young L. A. , Manning C. R.
Published: April 2008

Portable mercury vapor monitors are relied on for quick decision making to determine safe work practice requirements. There is little specific information regarding their use limitations and/or potential interference data, especially in environments of high temperature/humidity and various concentrations of hydrocarbons (HC) and inorganic gases, as are commonly found in oil processing environments. This work was undertaken to objectively assess the accuracy of each monitor under ideal conditions and then assess the effects of potentially interfering conditions or substances on monitor accuracy. This data was used to highlight specific limitations and create field user guides. A secondary objective was to compare the overall usability and user-friendliness of the monitors evaluated. The paper describes the experimental method used and results provided by several mercury vapor monitors exposed to known concentrations of mercury vapor while other variables such as temperature, relative humidity and the concentration of potentially interfering compounds were varied to simulate field measurement conditions. Two types of detection technology were assessed, Gold Film resistance and Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption, (CVAAS). All monitors were tested against a variety of potential interference compounds, e.g., organics, benzene, toluene, and inorganics, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The testing revealed several strengths and weaknesses for each monitor. Negative interference was found with the Gold Film unit in high relative humidity (RH). All CVAA units showed positive interference with high organic concentrations. Poor repeatability across the entire exposure range is common. Survey technicians need to become familiar with the specific limitations of the survey meter used to accurately access the work environment where mercury (Hg) vapors are present.
Building a Safety Culture—Our Experience in Saudi Aramco
Authors: Al-Kudmani Ahmad S.
Published: April 2008

In 2006 the Sea Water Injection Department (SWID) began emphasizing Behavior Based Safety to build a Safety Culture. We have instilled many new programs and initiatives focusing on leading indicators rather than lagging. Changing the culture is the only way to achieve excellence in Environment, Safety & Health.

These are significant strategies we used for creating a safety culture within the department: Change our core beliefs, such as the higher level belief that incidents are primarily the fault of the individual involved and the lower level belief that it is management's responsibility to keep them safe. In a holistic Safety Culture every individual takes responsibility for not only his own safety but the safety of every other person around him.Examples include:Roles and Responsibilities cardsSAOO Safety Enhancement Study and RecommendationsCatch people doing things right by focusing on the positive, not on the negative, and immediately correcting unsafe conditions. This requires management to have an inspirational presence in the field, leading by example. It is not only what you say but what you do that counts.Examples include:Safety Behavior Observation ProgramBi-weekly Department Safety Conference CallManagement Reminder ListHow we monitor progress changed. Historically, we've tracked incident statistics, lagging indicators. Now, the focus is on leading indicators to achieve overall improvement in safety.Objective KPIs specific to yearly evaluation in our Performance Management ProgramImplement new programs to ensure safety and employee motivation.Examples include:New Safety Award ProgramSafety study on Railway Crossing and Plant Access Roads for the Southern AreaIn-house NORM & Chemical Hazard Awareness Training (CHAT)

Quarterly tracking has shown an increase in the leading indicators and measures throughout the department. This signifies awareness from employees and their active participation. Management is eager to realizing the fruition of all these efforts but is shrewd also in knowing that this is a long-term change that requires long-term resolve.
Efficiency of Remote Sensing for the Environmental Management of Seismic Surveys in Desert Exploration Areas
Authors: Xavier Jérôme , Jean Philippe , Magelis Sogreah , Setier Jean-Claude , Jousseaume Jean-Louis , Mouly Benoit
Published: April 2008

Onshore seismic surveys may have visible impacts on the environment, especially in desert regions. In these areas, existing maps are often out-of-date, unavailable or inappropriate. The performance of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is such that these tools are increasingly useful in the planning of environmental baseline surveys, reporting of environmental data and monitoring of environmental impacts.

TOTAL has developed and tested state-of-the-art remote sensing and GIS technologies through the performance of several environmental baseline surveys for projects in North Africa. Very high resolution satellite data with a ground resolution of up to sixty centimeters was used. The trials indicate that the use of remote sensing and GIS is an efficient way to characterize environmental baseline conditions in remote areas when a limited timeframe is available.. Geospatial imagery is a cost-effective way to produce detailed baseline maps of sensitive areas highlighting wadis, cliffs, agriculture, foggaras, wetlands, tracks, towns and socio-economic activities.

Accurate geospatial information helps to reduce costs by optimizing the time spent in the field and enhances the efficiency and quality of environmental studies. In addition, field photographs, observations, investigations and measurements can be directly integrated into GIS geodatabases. State-of-the-art methodologies and solutions for multi-date analysis enabling any change in the environment to be detected have been developed and tested; and now routine advanced remote sensing can accurately characterize the impacts of seismic surveys in arid and semi-arid environments.
The Resource Calculator—A Tool Driving Improvement
Authors: Lang Kenny , Long Sam
Published: April 2008

Excellence in the field of Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) is fundamentally about line management ensuring that these issues are a key part of the business. In common with other professions HS&E professionals, are an essential part of the fabric of business as technical authorities, fulfilling a role in the mentoring management so that HS&E issues become a line management function.

The challenge facing many organisations in different industries is that of identifying what are the most appropriate HS&E resources that are needed to drive excellence. The level of resources will vary due to a number of factors, for example there may be prescriptive or goal setting legal requirements in some countries, cultural norms and geographical limitations.

This paper discusses a process based upon the concepts of risk assessment and which assists in the systematic identification of HS&E resource needs. Based on an evaluation of key factors such as cultural maturity and operational hazards, the methodology coordinates the deployment of HS&E managers and specialists. The Resource Calculator, as the tool itself is called, also identifies disparities between actual resources and that required on a risk basis.

Initial indicators have shown that this is a valuable tool and this paper describes its basis, implementation, testing and potential improvement, set in a context where it is used across Europe, Africa, Russia and the Caspian (EARC). The advantages of such a tool are discussed, as well as possible opportunities for improvement.
Saving Energy in the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Chauvin Dominique , Depraz Sophie , Buckley Hannah
Published: April 2008

Hydrocarbons will remain essential to global economic development and prosperity for decades to come. Meeting rising energy demand needs to be reconciled with the goals of energy security and environmental protection. Energy efficiency and conservation can make a major contribution to moving the world onto a more sustainable energy path. Most of the potential for saving energy lies with end users, yet the oil and gas industry continues to invest heavily in further improving the energy efficiency of its own operations, reducing waste and helping final consumers to use less fuel. Major challenges remain, notably in countering the increased use of energy to exploit less accessible crude oil resources and to meet tougher fuel quality standards. The oil and gas industry, as a stakeholder in the energy debate, will play its part in further promoting rational energy use all along the supply chain for the good of everyone.

Enhancing energy efficiency is an important issue for IPIECA members, and companies can contribute by implementing changes in their operations, planning and investments. There are many positive drivers for industry as energy efficiency can help in lowering operating costs and reducing environmental impacts. Energy efficiency can also extend the life of finite natural resources, and help keep energy affordable for consumers by lowering the investment costs and the effort required to meet rising demand.

This paper draws on the new IPIECA publication, Saving Energy in the Oil and Gas Industry, which was launched at the 15th Session of the Commission for Sustainable Development. Case studies featured in the publication are included in the appendix.
Partnerships in the Oil and Gas Industry: An IPIECA Perspective
Authors: Sykes Richard , Depraz Sophie , Buckley Hannah
Published: April 2008

The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development marked an increase in the number of partnerships targeting sustainable development goals. Partnerships have since been highlighted as an important cross-cutting theme and enabling mechanism.

This paper will focus on partnerships in the oil and gas industry and will build on the IPIECA publication Partnerships in the Oil and Gas Industry which was launched at the 14th Session of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development in New York.

The publication brings together 40 case studies, 32 company case studies and 8 industry-wide partnerships. The case studies are grouped into 9 main themes and meet a range of challenges from long-term global issues to an assortment of more local socio-economic concerns: healthcare, transport needs, sustainable jobs and livelihoods, and community development.

The paper will: –Communicate how the oil and gas industry is using partnerships to respond to the challenges of meeting global energy demand and to contribute to sustainable development–Draw out lessons learned by oil and gas industry representatives and their partners and explore the challenges and benefits of working in these many and varied partnerships–Provide practical tips for oil and gas managers engaging in any stage of the partnering process

This paper will draw on the solid base of evidence found in the publication to explore in more detail a few of the industrywide partnerships featured.
Malaria Incidence Among Oil/Gas Workers After Three Years of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and two of Improved Case Management on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea (EG)
Authors: Benavente Luis E. , Linder Brian , Kleinschmidt Immo
Published: April 2008

The Bioko Island Malaria Control Project (BIMCP) is a collaborative effort of Marathon Oil, Atlantic Methanol (AMPCO) and partners, the government of Equatorial Guinea (EG), Medical Care Development International and other non-profit partners, and academic institutions. Its aim is to reduce malaria transmission and morbidity and mortality due to malaria in oil workers and in the general population though the use of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and other control measures.

Methods:

The BIMCP conducted five rounds of IRS between 2004 and 2006 on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. It introduced artemisinin-based combination therapy in 2005 as first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria in health facilities. The BIMCP regularly monitors the mosquito population, the prevalence of malaria parasitemia, malaria incidence, and all-cause mortality in the human population. The BIMCP also monitors malaria incidence in three categories of AMPCO workers. A malaria case was defined as a worker with fever and parasitemia (according to a Rapid Diagnostic Test). Denominators consisted of the number of worker-hours of exposure.

Results, Observations, and Conclusions:

Malaria incidence among AMPCO's indigenous (EG) workers (particularly those residing in housing areas sprayed by the BIMCP IRS program) declined significantly from 8.23 cases/200,000 man-hours in 2003 to 3.07 in 2006. The corresponding decline in malaria incidence among AMPCO's non-western expatriate workers was from 2.9 to 0.92 for the same interval (overall p<0.00001). The BIMCP also was successful in reducing malaria transmission in the community (parasitemia in children).

Significance:

The BIMCP diminished the economic burden of malaria for AMPCO workers and their families, and promoted family and community well-being, as well as diminishing the impact of malaria on worker productivity. Marathon Oil, AMPCO, and the NGO and academic partners used BIMCP to strengthen the capacity of the local health system to contain any future resurgence of malaria. The elements required for a resurgence - the presence of malaria vectors, a persistent human reservoir of malaria infection, and susceptible individuals - are still present, albeit at significantly reduced levels relative to the pre-BIMCP period. This successful experience is being scaled up to the rest of EG with additional funding from other sources.
Risk-Based Environmental Aspects Assessment
Authors: Melton H. Rodger , Springer Nina K.
Published: April 2008

Environmental aspects, as defined in International Standard ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems are activities, products, or services that interact with the environment. ExxonMobil has developed a five-step, risk-based process for identifying activities that present significant environmental aspects. The five-step process is as follows: Identify and characterize environmental aspects of operating activitiesCharacterize environmental/social/regulatory contextConsider other applicable and relevant criteriaIdentify engineering or operating alternativesAssess risk-based significance of aspects

Significant environmental aspects identified through this process can then be prioritized based on relative risk.

The process can be applied to environmental management through all phases of the business life-cycle, from initial feasibility assessment, through new facility siting, design, and construction, through the operation and modification of existing facilities, to eventual decommissioning and reclamation.

This paper presents considerations for carrying out the five-step process. Emphasis is placed on successful identification of both episodic and continuous environmental aspects, including both inputs to the environment (releases, discharges, waste disposal, energy emissions, dust, etc.) as well as environmental resource demand (water use, energy use, land conversion, placement of barriers, etc.). The importance of the environmental, social, and regulatory setting in identifying potential environmental impacts is addressed, including consideration of biodiversity and sensitive ecosystems and species. The process incorporates identification of engineering or operating alternatives that can lead to determination of additional environmental aspects through an iterative process. Finally, an approach to assessing potential impact severity and likelihood is presented. Examples are incorporated to illustrate the relative environmental risk of a broad range of potential impact scenarios.

Successful environmental management depends on the appropriate identification of significant environmental aspects. This process facilitates identification and provides a sound business basis for addressing aspects that pose the highest potential risk.
Harmonizing Efforts to Evaluate Contractor HSE Performance: The API PIDX Revision of RP 76
Authors: Schey J. , Knode T. , Simon F. , Ring E. , Elsen T. , Campbell D. , Carter M. , Bell M. , Light R.
Published: April 2008

A key element in managing contractors is evaluating their policies, management systems, and statistical performance. Many companies use a questionnaire that is either submitted to the contractor directly or through an agent. The depth of these questionnaires varies, which has led to efforts within our industry to consolidate and agree upon a standardized questionnaire. However, despite these efforts there are still many questionnaires that are used annually, quarterly, monthly, and ad hoc.

In 2005 a project to create a harmonized HSE Questionnaire was launched within American Petroleum Institute's (API) Petroleum Industry Data Exchange Committee (PIDX). Appendix B to API Recommended Practice (RP) 76 Contractor Safety Management for Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Operations was used as the base questionnaire.

In the first phase of the project, representatives from operators, service companies and third party providers reviewed a variety of questionnaires and consolidated questions. Additional categories and questions were added or regrouped as necessary. A comprehensive list of definitions was also created for the questionnaire to narrow the range of interpretations of the questions. This process took a core group more than one and a half years to complete and included a review by a consultant as a means of objective oversight.

Phase 2 of the project is the creation of an electronic message that will allow companies to exchange the information in a much more expeditious manner. Contractors will have the option to provide data electronically to customers or their agents using a standard XML message format.

In addition to the PIDX standard XML message, an Exceltm format document will be available that includes formatting and rules that comply with the API standard. The Exceltm document will enable companies to provide data using the standardized questionnaire even if they do not wish to develop the XML message. The Exceltm document may also be converted to the PIDX standard XML message to enable receivers to easily map data to their applications.

The entire industry benefits from the updated RP 76 and data standards. Contractors can respond more quickly to requests for information. Operators may use the standardized questionnaire in its entirety or a subset, depending on their requirements. Companies wishing to transact electronically benefit from the standardized XML format based on the industry standard, and operators and their agents can receive data electronically.
Risk Assessment for Livestock in the Oriente Region of Ecuador
Authors: Pattanyek M. , McMillen S. J.
Published: April 2008

Potential risks to livestock may occur if they are exposed to releases of petroleum hydrocarbons at or near oil production facilities. In 2004, the American Petroleum Institute (API) published Risk Based Screening Levels for the Protection of Livestock Exposed to Petroleum Hydrocarbons [1]. The API framework, conceptual site model, and screening-level procedures were used in a case study to evaluate potential risks to livestock at the oilfield sites in northeastern Ecuador.

API's toxicity reference values (TRVs) as well as their drinking water and soil risk-based screening levels (RBSLs) for livestock were used to evaluate whether levels of hydrocarbons in soil and water could pose a health risk to cattle, calves, sheep, goats, or horses. RBSLs are threshold concentrations in site media (e.g. soil, water, and air) below which no significant unacceptable risks to livestock are expected. Since pigs, chickens, and ducks are also commonly raised in northeastern Ecuador, new TRVs were calculated for them based on a review of all published toxicity values. RBSLs for pigs, chickens, and ducks were then calculated using exposure assumptions aligned with API's conceptual site model.

The evaluation presented herein was a screening-level risk assessment using a conservative approach to evaluate potential risks to livestock from exposure to petroleum at the oilfield sites. The RBSLs and TRVs were conservative because they are based on non-lethal endpoints protective of individual livestock, and the mammalian RBSLs for TPH were based on fresh crude oil rather than on the weathered, less toxic oil that is typically found in soils in tropical climates.

In this case study, data from over 300 surface soil and 100 surface water samples from seven oilfields in northeastern Ecuador were collected during field inspections conducted from 2004 through 2006. Potential hydrocarbons of concern included: crude oil or total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH); benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX); and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).