bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges of Waste Management in Environmentally Developing Countries
Authors: Paton Wendy , Fletcher Paul
Published: April 2008

Oil and gas companies, as responsible multi-nationals, have high operating standards and detailed internal procedures. They recognise the importance of environmental protection and must ensure any risks to the environment are minimised. Due to the nature of their operations, they are also open to public scrutiny and subject to close watch by Non-Governmental Organisations.

However, oil and gas companies often find that there is a lack of facilities able to manage their wastes appropriately in the environmentally developing countries in which they operate. Furthermore, past waste management practices may have resulted in a legacy of abandoned pipelines, wastes and contaminated land.

Although measures may be implemented to minimise the amount of waste generated and to maximise recycling, inevitably a range of wastes will need to be treated or disposed. There are several methods of managing wastes from the extraction and processing of oil and gas (eg drill cuttings, some solid wastes and liquid wastes) including:

stabilisation/solidification; biological treatment; thermal treatment; subsurface disposal; and engineered landfill.

In terms of the contractual arrangements for managing wastes, oil and gas companies are also faced with a number of options:

working with local municipalities to help them upgrade existing facilities to acceptable standards; develop their own new facilities; contract out waste management to specialist local service providers; and export the waste to countries where there are existing facilities of the required standard.

Each of these technology and contractual options has its own advantages and disadvantages and the optimum solution will be dependant on the waste arisings and local circumstances. The arrangements must be integrated into a company's environmental policy, meet in-country legislative requirements and must be acceptable in terms of timing and cost. Inevitably a combination of technologies will be required to handle the range of wastes generated.

This paper examines in more detail the issues that need to be considered when a company chooses how it will manage its wastes – making the right decision is important as the wrong choice can result in excessive operational costs and potential on-going liabilities. As an example, savings of approximately US$500,000 were identified for a recent gas development project.
Executing Corporate Responsibility Projects in Remote Delta Areas: Health and Safety Lessons Learned From Working in the Orinoco Delta, Venezuela
Authors: Rodriguez F. D. , Vilera D.
Published: April 2008

SHA Venezuela partnered with HSE International LLC (HSE LLC) to support Total Venezuela (Total) in the development of a comprehensive Heath and Safety (H&S) program tailored to Total's corporate social responsibility (CSR) sustainable development projects in the Orinoco Delta, eastern Venezuela. These initiatives involve the participation of teams to transport and install necessary materials and equipment, provide capacity building, and monitor indicators of performance. Travel to the delta is difficult, lengthy and requires multiple modes of transportation due to the lack of direct and reliable overland routes. Additionally, the region presents significant logistical as well as health and safety risks, including challenges inherent to its remote location and undeveloped conditions. Much of the area is covered by forest and mangroves; is inhabited by indigenous communities; is known to have an important incidence in malaria; and is characterized by low socioeconomic indicators, limited communication and scarce health services.

Drawing on Total's corporate Health and Safety policies and HSE LLC's expertise in this area, this paper highlights the safety risks and lessons learned in the field while implementing CSR projects in remote delta environments. Significant challenges were encountered to implement the H&S measures due to a lack of a safety culture and inherent conditions and hazards in the region. Total's policies were analyzed and incorporated to ensure consistency with best practices. Employees, contractors, and members of indigenous Warao communities were engaged through inductions, training and drills during the implementation of projects. To date, Total and HSE LLC developed risk assessments, H&S Plans and checklists, risk notification and induction materials, and emergency response / evacuation plans tailored to the conditions of working in the Orinoco Delta region and, on occasion, for extended periods of time.

Results, processes implemented, lessons learned and tools developed can be leveraged by other companies seeking to assure the safety of those who help them implement CSR or social investment activities in areas with similar characteristics.
Hearts and Minds to Hands and Feet
Authors: Egbumokei Peter Ifechukwude
Published: April 2008

The Royal Dutch Shell Group has sponsored over a long period of time, research on behavioral safety, which has been reported at previous SPE conferences[2–3]. This development led to "the Hearts and Minds" programme. This development led to "the Hearts and Minds" process. The primary objective of Shell's Hearts and Minds is to develop leaders, supervisors and workforce who are intrinsically motivated to manage HSE as a personal responsibility; towards this a change process was initiated towards a better HSE culture. SPDC is the operator of Shell's joint venture with the NNPC, EPNL and Agip in Nigeria. Considering a challenging statistic of work related fatalities over an extended period the SPDC-Nigeria Management decided in 2003 to mandate the Safety department to implement Hearts & Minds in SPDC. The main risk areas were identified as well as learning from test runs done in 2001 - 2002 and a road map for Hearts & Minds in SPDC-Nigeria was developed. The strategy/ roadmap defined a change process, with the following elements:

Make a business case to change the HSE culture in the company. Create a critical mass of people who are intrinsically motivated to support this HSE culture change across the company. Embed a deep awareness of how the HSE culture change can occur. Make people understand their role in improving the HSE culture. Make H&M a sustainable philosophy for Technical and operational excellence.

This paper proposal shares some key HSE culture success stories achieved in SPDC operations during a four-year period. Also successes will be shared on how to structurally implement a HSE culture in the company.

Successful establishment of a team of intrinsically motivated employees known as the Hearts & Minds Line Champions in the whole SPDC Company. Successful embedding Hearts and Minds concept in a technical safety environment and its effects on better performance Corporate Pipelines System department celebrated 30million man-hours LTI free in 2007. Prevention of 28 fatalities in a Road Transport Accident involving a seismic crew personnel carrier and a third party truck.
A Laboratory Study on Increased Assurance and Understanding Storage Mechanisms of E&P Waste Injection into an Unconsolidated Formation
Authors: McLennan John D. , Guo Quanxin , Wang Cong , Geehan Thomas , Martin J. Wesley , Marquardt James
Published: April 2008

Injection of E&P wastes into a deep geologic repository has become increasingly important from both economic and technical perspectives – it can provide a long-term containment of the injected waste.

There have been instances where problems have developed with injection – problems that can be costly in terms of remediation. This is especially true as waste injection projects become larger and more challenging. Multi-million barrels of drilling and production wastes have been injected into individual wells raising questions about where do the injected wastes go and why can so much be injected into a single formation. There are a number of inconsistent theories and analytical models for explaining the large storage mechanisms.

A laboratory study was carried out to try to clarify these diverse models and to offer understanding on storage mechanisms for increased assurance. Drill cuttings slurries and produced water were injected, separately and commingled, into a highly permeable and weakly consolidated rock. Two experiments are summarized in this paper – one with cuttings-laden slurry only and one with cycled injections of cuttings and simulated produced water. Key observations included the following:

local formation heterogeneity controls solid deposition and containment significant near-fracture plugging (tip and flanks) for the lean, small particle slurry tested would advocate modification of conventional simulators to reflect leak-off degradation with increasing throughput sequential small volume injection falloff cycles can be processed to represent evolving reduction in fluid loss stimulation fracturing technologies can be applied to diagnose injector performance, especially tip plugging

These findings and conclusions offer the potential for refinement of models for E&P waste injector risk management and increased waste containment assurance.
Implementing Vector Control Programs in Limited Geographic Areas for Malaria Control
Authors: Dockins Richard O. , Sellers Jerry R.
Published: April 2008

Vector control in both theory and practice has traditionally been a public health activity. As the oil industry continues to move into areas where vector-borne diseases are very disruptive, industrial vector control is becoming a more important subject. Industrial vector control involving malaria and the Anopheles mosquito is becoming very important to oil operations around the world. Industrial vector control need not apply any new theories nor any new types of equipment that have traditionally been used in public health vector control; however, the way in which the theories are applied and the equipment is used is much different for a limited geographic area, such as an oil camp, than in traditional public health applications.

As an example of applying traditional techniques in a limited geographic area, an Integrated Vector Control Plan ("IVCP") was started in June of 2006 to control malaria in two small oil camps in Southern Chad. While all the equipment, surveillance techniques, and control techniques are traditional, the intensity of activity for the IVCP in the oil camps is much higher.

The results of the IVCP after 18 months (two rainy seasons) as measured by (1) relative female Anopheles populations, (2) non-immune malaria cases and (3) semi-immune malaria cases are very positive.
The Corporate Response to HIV/AIDS: A Comparison Between the Global Fortune 100 and the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: McCashin J.
Published: April 2008

HIV/AIDS is global health issue which has a direct impact on the oil and gas industry. We were interested in looking at the oil and gas sector to understand if the response of this group was similar to that of the Fortune Global 100 (FG 100). We were also interested in understanding the drivers behind corporate responses to HIV/AIDS, in particular the role of operations in high prevalence areas such as Africa. Further, we wanted to know if companies who have adopted stand alone HIV/AIDS policies were limiting their efforts to passive policies preventing discrimination or if they were taking a proactive position of committing resources to prevention and/or treatment.

Methods: We reviewed the websites of the 2007 FG 100 and of a composite list of oil and gas related companies from the FG 500 and contacted 105 of these companies by e-mail or telephone. We looked specifically for 3 indicators; a corporate stand alone HIV/AIDS policy, HIV/AIDS initiatives and whether a company was a member of the GBC.

Key findings: We found that only 14 percent of the FG 100 had adopted stand alone HIV/AIDS policies, whereas 57 percent of the oil and gas companies in the FG 100 had policies. Twenty-six (26) percent of the broader oil and gas industry sector (OGIS) had HIV/AIDS policies. Seventy one (71) percent of FG 100 oil and gas companies document HIV/AIDS initiatives on their website compared with 36 percent of the FG 100 companies outside the oil and gas sector. The oil and gas sector were more likely to be members of the GBC than non-oil and gas companies.

Many companies indicated that they felt HIV/AIDS was better addressed as part of broader corporate non-discrimination and worker health policies. Of the 18 corporate level HIV/AIDS policies identified, all but 2 could be characterized as proactive including preventative measures and in some cases voluntary testing and treatment programs. Only 1 policy limited the corporate role to preventing discrimination. One (1) policy did not require the company to take an active role beyond philanthropic support of community based programs.

The data suggest that the oil and gas industry has demonstrated leadership in the corporate response to HIV/AIDS. Nevertheless, there continues to be room for improvement as many companies in the sector are still not engaged. Better metrics and benchmarking opportunities may prove the best path forward for increasing the level of response and generating a more consistent approach across the oil and gas industry sector.
Food Safety Management
Authors: Yarmamedov Eldar , Minkin Oleg
Published: April 2008

The purpose of this article is to provide information of the activities and methods applied by BP Azerbaijan Strategic Performance Unit (BP Az SPU) to get food safety into a place of confidence and compliance with laws and regulations. The scope of this article also includes the business impact and subsequent changes made in the BP Az SPU in Azerbaijan and Georgia related to catering activities. This includes immediate and latent impacts upon the organization, the workforce and related contractors and accompanied with the corrective mechanisms implemented and the subsequent business benefit.

So, what was the background that instigated interests in food safety?

BP Az SPU working area was distributed across three countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and spread from the offshore of the Caspian Sea, through the Caucasus Mountains and across the Eastern regions of Turkey to the Mediterranean Sea and the work activity covered more than 1700 kilometers in predominantly remote locations.
Improving the Quality of the Medical Emergency Response (MER) in Global Exploration and Production Operations
Authors: Ponsonby Will , Sixma Eelco , Bhojani Faiyaz
Published: April 2008

Shell has a comprehensive health and safety management system for it's global operations, and has a policy of no harm to people. However there are still a number of work and non-work related deaths in Shell's Exploration and Production (EP) operations. In the Hazards and Effects Management Process (HEMP), Medical Emergency Response (MER) is the recovery measure for ill and injured workers. To improve medical aid and to optimize this recovery measure it was decided to assess the existing system, and develop and implement an improved MER standard for Shell EP operations.

The pre-existing Shell standard followed the industry standard for tiered response. However it was recognized that this standard had little specific requirements in terms of competence or requirements for medical equipment. A new standard was developed to address this, and included prescriptive minima for the numbers of first aiders, and trained medical staff, and laid down specific requirements for competence and levels of equipment. It was also recognized that in some cases there were delays caused by workers not being aware of how to mobilize medical help. To address this there was a requirement for all staff working in EP operations (Shell staff and contractors) to be trained in first response so they would know who to contact, and what they should and should not do.

A Gap analysis process was carried out in early 2007, and the implementation of the new MER Standard was begun in Q3 2007 and is ongoing. Some of the gaps that were identified were levels of training and competency, medical equipment and health infrastructure, medical organization (including reporting) and medical emergency response planning. It was also identified that there was also a need to carry out more frequent MER drills.
Methodology of Health Impact Assessments in Development Projects: Getting it Right at the Front End
Authors: Divall Mark
Published: April 2008

A Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is defined as a combination of procedures, methods and tools by which a policy, programme or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population and the distribution of these effects in that population. It has the objective to deliver evidence based recommendations to maximise potential positive health benefits and prevent or mitigate any detrimental health impacts that a project may have on any potentially impacted communities.

While the concept of Health Impact Assessments is relativity well defined for policy, it is still a relatively new field for assessing the impacts of development projects. Unlike the process of environmental and social impact assessments that are well regulated, but that have a very narrow view of the health impacts, there is no legal requirement for a formal more in depth health impact assessment.

However, many companies are adopting the HIA process and as a minimum standard, and it is increasingly required for the external financing of projects. It is thus essential to understand the concept of a HIA.

The procedures and methods of a HIA are generally well defined, but the objectives and deliverables are often not that well understood by the project proponents that commission these assessments. Thus; it is essential that the first stages of the assessment procedures are conducted in a meticulous fashion, as the design of the assessment will reflect the final result. This may require initial training in the concept of HIA and what it does and does not deliver.

The design of the HIA should be guided by determining if the project warrants a HIA and to what extent it should be conducted. This must be conducted through a screening process managed by a standard tool completed by the assessor in conjunction with the project proponent.

The final terms of reference for the assessment must be defined through a scoping phase. This must incorporate the use of a standard tool to ensure that most considerations are addressed, but it also needs to include a variety of stakeholders in a steering group to ensure that different perspectives of the project and its potential health impacts on the community are considered. This is an essential step as it defines the final outcome of the assessment and guides the project proponent into their final expectations of the deliverables.
Waste Management in a Desert Environment, Yemen
Authors: Ravishankar Krish , Thurber Mark William , Brower Rick Allan , McClurg Jon
Published: April 2008

An integrated waste management plan was developed and implemented in a remote desert petroleum-producing region of Yemen. Challenges included: an absence of in-country contractors that recycle, handle hazardous, non-hazardous, and mixed waste; sensitive receptors including nearby communities, groundwater and desert ecosystems; limited options for safe disposal within the petroleum block; logistical challenges of transporting waste long distances in sand sea environments, and historical ad hoc disposal practices by previous operators that created waste liabilities. Occidental of Yemen (Oxy) and Walsh Environmental Scientists and Engineers (Walsh) consulted in-house stakeholders (geophysical exploration, exploration drilling, production managers, operations, and HES) and external stakeholders (Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, local tribal leaders and government officials, contractors, and NGOs) and developed an integrated waste management plan that is functional, cost effective, and addresses concerns of local and national stakeholders in the logistically challenging sand sea environment. The Waste Management Plan was developed consistent with Oxy's Worldwide Standard of Care that involves the principle elements consisting of: regulatory compliance; segment/business unit HES performance objectives; correction or cessation of any activities that pose an unacceptable risk to health, safety, or to the environment; and a risk evaluation and mitigation program that achieves consistent results worldwide. The waste management plan presents clear principals for managing waste streams, which include reuse, recycling, incineration, proper storage, and final disposal to prevent exposure to sensitive receptors. The important improvements in waste management are: construction of a centralized waste management facility that collects and processes waste streams from nearby production areas and remote drilling pads; lining of pits, and location outside active channels of wadis away from houses and agricultural fields; re-injection of some liquid wastes, and an active program of remediating pre-existing environmental impacts from previous operations.
Waste Management Standards Enhance Environmental Performance
Authors: Conrad D. L. , Hoffmann R. E. , McHugh S.
Published: April 2008

Chevron Global Upstream is developing standardized processes for health, environment, safety, reliability, and efficiency. Waste management is addressed as a performance standard within one of these processes. Having written standards for management of upstream wastes enhances environmental performance by ensuring consistency amongst global upstream operations, conformance with world-class standards, and the continuous pursuit of waste minimization.

The Chevron Global Upstream (GU) Waste Management Environmental Performance Standard consists of three tiers of documents: a process guide; a table listing preferred waste management methods; and technical standards for waste treatment and disposal facilities and activities.

The process guide lists the steps involved in implementing the standard, prohibits practices and materials which generate problematic waste streams, and institutionalizes Waste Management Planning for new projects from inception.

The first technical component of the standard is the list of preferred waste management methods for 50 common oil and gas industry waste types. A waste management method could involve equipment (e.g. drum crusher), a facility (e.g. landfill), a practice (e.g. return to supplier) or combination thereof (e.g. oil recovery followed by bioremediation). The pollution prevention hierarchy (reduce → replace → re-use → recycle → recover → treat → dispose) was considered in the selection of the preferred management methods for each waste type, recognizing that a range of technically acceptable alternatives is a necessary provision to accommodate the range of regulations and circumstances existing globally.

A set of technical performance standards were developed for the most common treatment and disposal methods and activities: Bioremediation; Construction Incorporation; Downhole Disposal; Incineration; Landfill; Pits; and Waste Transport and Storage.

Implementation of this waste management standard is currently underway within Chevron Global Upstream, ensuring that waste management activities performed throughout the operating life of a GU asset achieve the highest degree of environmental protection.
The Design and Value of a Medical Fitness-for-Duty Program
Authors: Frangos Stephen , Bardarson Trevor , Bunch Richard
Published: April 2008

Medical providers make recommendations every day to employers regarding employee medical fitness. These recommendations are based on the practitioner's clinical training and experience; however, there is often insufficient objective information available about the workers' physical ability to perform those requirements, thereby reducing the effectiveness and efficacy of the medical providers' recommendations. Chevron has developed a process for more accurately assessing medical fitness-for-duty based on the objective and specific physical requirements of individual jobs. The process includes job evaluation, medical exams, functional capacity evaluations (FCE), remedial action plans, and program evaluation that are applied to medical fitness determinations. This process will be described, followed by results-to-date and lessons learned from the implementation of twelve programs from 1997 – 2007 at Chevron. Additionally, several case examples including an analysis of the risks and costs will be presented from the files of ISR Institute, one of Chevron's key vendors in its medical fitness-for-duty programs. Finally, the paper will present Chevron's global health strategy, focusing on the specific programs and processes for the implementation of globalized best practice standards for medical fitness for duty.

Definitions:

– Job evaluation – documentation of a job's physical requirements and working conditions – Remedial action plans – recommended exercises and activities to enable an individual to pass the FCE; also includes consideration of work accommodations and / or alternate work – Program evaluation – collection of date to assess program compliance, evaluate consistency of testing application and quality of provider services, documentation of testing outcomes and analysis of the potential financial impact on the company
Influence From the Top: Senior Managers and Safety Leadership
Authors: Reid H. , Flin R. , Mearns K. , Bryden R.
Published: April 2008

Interest in the safety leadership skills of supervisors and managers does not seem to have been extended to senior managers, who have been described as a ‘neglected species’ in safety research. There are a few studies emerging from other sectors but very little from the energy sector. The Energy Institute has recently sponsored a new research project on senior managers' safety leadership in the oil and gas industry. This paper presents early findings from this project based on a literature review of both scientific studies and major accident inquiries and addresses the following questions: Does safety need to be managed in a different way to other aspects of the business, such as productivity? Is there a particular leadership style for senior managers (e.g. transformational) that influences the level of safety in their organizations? Are there particular characteristics of senior managers who achieve good safety performance in their organizations?
Meeting the Challenge of Technology Advancement: Innovative Strategies for Health, Environment and Safety Risk Management
Authors: Bruney J. M. , Jones D. W.
Published: April 2008

The oil and gas industry is rapidly developing innovative technologies – new types of fuels and distribution systems, technologies to produce in the most remote and harsh environments, integrated gas developments on scales never before achieved. While the world demands innovation to meet its energy needs, society also holds increasingly higher expectations. Energy must be supplied not only reliably and affordably but safely, in a manner that protects health and the environment and with due consideration to the concerns of stakeholders.

To meet the challenge of protecting workers, communities and the environment, Chevron has broadened its vision of health, environment and safety (HES) risk management. This new approach draws on best practices, experience, and science across a range of technical specialty areas within the HES fields, and it integrates this knowledge into a single, structured comprehensive procedure, RiskMan2. Within the context of a corporate-wide risk management process, the RiskMan2 procedure will ensure rational and consistent HES risk management.

A key to RiskMan2 is the recognition that HES risks do not act as independent variables, but they are highly interdependent. A holistic view of risk with clearly defined mechanisms for assessment, prioritization and action is critical. RiskMan2 provides the structure and tools to achieve this integrated picture and to understand risk trade-offs. RiskMan2 also provides a framework for identifying and appropriately applying continually advancing HES science and technology. More than ever, it is critical to have a robust decision framework to guide the use of HES tools so that they can be optimally applied in a business context. Finally, RiskMan2 provides a structured process for consideration of societal values outside of the science and technology arenas. This new and comprehensive approach will critically assist Chevron in managing HES risks across its evolving business.
Promoting Health Awareness Among Employees and Families by Partnering with NGOs—The Schlumberger India Success Story
Authors: Akaya Jim
Published: April 2008

Managing the health of employees in a growing economy is posing a greater challenge. With changes in the economy, lifestyle changes, a greater propensity to spend, and a global multicultural infiltration of habits contribute to many health issues.

Managing the health of employees requires not just treating diseases, but also addressing the root causes— reducing the probability of exposure to illness and diseases.

The emphasis has also shifted to focusing more on the family, not just on employees, to help manage health risks. Part of the challenge was identifying the most effective means of reaching out to a group of employees and families and emphasizing the seriousness of the issues that we face. The solution was to get employees and families together in the workplace and partner with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who promote awareness of lifestyle issues and help with management of these issues.

Schlumberger's commitment to improving the world around us was the main driver of the educational initiative. Schlumberger is a citizen of a global community. We strive to positively influence the nuclear family with the potential to influence the world at large.

Analysis of employee preemployment and periodic examination data revealed an alarming rate of smoking-, alcohol-, and weight-related issues. The occurence of HIV/AIDS and diabetes as they affect our immediate environment and global community is increasing rapidly and cannot be downplayed. In addition, all age brackets in India suffer from stress, resulting in a very high suicide rate. All these issues were addressed at the Schlumberger family health awareness day called "Health in Your Hands." The NGOs shared from their wealth of experience, bringing much color to the presentation of the hard facts.

Analysis of recent medical examination records has shown remarkable improvement over previous years. The testimonials received from the employees that participated also show good effects from communicating the message. We are convinced that, little by little, we are making a difference for the global citizenry.
High Performance Safety Culture
Authors: Reavis Clay , Douzenis Pete , Fournier George , Griffiths Tim , Momie Mosley Andre'
Published: April 2008

Certainly every large corporation has recognized the need to build a strong safety culture in today's business climate. The senior management teams of these corporations implemented policies, standards, and processes to facilitate building this culture. Both leading and lagging systems have been developed to measure the improvement. Additionally, line management is expected to set the example and be actively involved in the process.

Patrick Hudson has written about the stages of organizational development, the highest level being the generative organization. E. Scott Geller has written of the need to keep the right people on the bus and ask those who do not fit to please get off the bus. While both of these philosophies are accurate, organizational development must occur at the local level. It must start at the grass roots of an organization and work its way outward to a global level.

Some localized groups have indeed created and maintained a culture of performance excellence, not just in the realm of safety but in every facet of operation. These groups all share several common traits: The reputation of the group is paramount to everyone and accomplishments are celebrated with a strong sense of pride.Communication constantly flows through the group at all levels and includes immediate peer-to-peer coaching and mentoring.Diversity is embraced. There is respect for everyone, rooted in the knowledge that every team member brings individual strength and contribution.Group members recognize that they must be adaptive to maintain peak performance in an ever-changing workplace.

This is a case study of how several groups have achieved excellence.

Major corporations operating in the oil and gas industry today, both exploration and production companies, as well as service companies, have developed and implemented management systems. This frame work provides the documents, tools and processes that make success possible. This is the Schlumberger vision statement for the Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) Management System: "QHSE, a line management responsibility, requires visible commitment, leadership and involvement. Our proactive QHSE culture shall be understood, shared and practiced by all employees as an integral part of everyday business. Fundamental to this culture is our belief that all losses of people, property and process result from management failure and are preventable."

The words indicate a company that understands the corporate responsibilities and the executive management team will lead the organization on a course to achieve vision. Policy documents signed by senior management can point the organization in the right direction and shape the culture, but the real culture must be developed at the grass roots level and bubble up through the organization.
Safety Interventions—A Status Challenge for Managers and Supervisors
Authors: Pullwitt Tanja , Mearns Kathryn , Lauche Kristina
Published: April 2008

Communication skills and the ability to stop the job and conduct safety conversations are found in many safety management systems in the offshore oil and gas industry. The skill to perform safety interventions is a crucial part of a supervisor's and manager's role. This research looks at managers' and supervisors' performance levels to conduct these interventions and identifies the key aspects that lead to a successful conversation outcome. The performance levels of 62 managers and supervisors who conducted safety interventions were evaluated. Each conversation was rated using an observational rating scheme including thirteen elements (e.g. express own concern, ask open questions, etc.). An analysis of variance and multiple regressions were conducted to determine critical communication elements that would lead to a positive safety conversation outcome. In a second step discourse analysis methods were applied to ten conversations for an in depth analysis in order to determine particular communication strategies and linguistic realisations that would foster or hinder the positive development of a safety conversation.

Results showed that two particular communication strategies (the use of open questions and the creation of "what if"-scenarios) are important for a positive safety conversation outcome. The results also indicated that strategies used to reduce one's own status foster positive development of the conversation whereas strategies used to increase one's own status hinder a positive conversation process. This research identifies the specific skills managers and supervisors require in order to conduct successful safety conversations. Suggestions for an advanced intervention agenda that allows positive conversation outcomes in order to improve safety performances are made.
HSE Performance Measurement and Proactive Reporting System within In Amenas Operations
Authors: Bouacha Farid
Published: April 2008

The reactive reporting system is widely used to introduce HSE performances and to notify the robustness of management aspects in place. However, lagging indicators are not sufficient to measure employees' perception and to demonstrate organizational efforts or leadership commitment to HSE requirement.

Being proactive throughout leading indicators is the most appropriate way to perform reporting process and to assess HSE performance measurement. Hence, proactive reporting system contributes effectively to explain the attitudes and to establish essential attempts to improve the whole HSE features.

This paper examines both the existing findings and the HSE performance measurement linked to In Amenas Operations with a further benchmarking assessment of leading and lagging indicators.

In addition, a survey has been carried out to gauge both HSE culture on site and familiarity of employees with the elements of proactive reporting system in place. And while the human factors take an immense part when conducting the reporting process, a human reliability analysis was pursued to evaluate such contribution.

The findings show that the management targets are not achieved as a whole; for this reason more effort must be focused within the reporting practices, regarding procedures, defining responsibilities and allocating crucial resources with no blame culture and contractors' involvement.

The current study serves as a baseline reference to evaluate forthcoming progress effort and to weigh against prospect improvement areas.
Sustainable Development: End Game Is Good Governance
Authors: Ristau Carolyn A. , Knight Bill
Published: April 2008

Previous papers have described the process facilitated by Pro-Natura International – Nigeria, an NGO working in the Niger Delta: in 1997 entering the Ijaw swamp community of Akassa, staying to learn from them, befriending them, helping them to understand the problems they described and potential solutions; and, assisting them to build the institutions and grow the capacity they needed to implement their own programmes according to their own perceived priorities. As Lao Tzu predicted, centuries ago, the people then said "We have done this ourselves." Also described is how, 2002-07, elsewhere in this troubled region, other communities have demonstrated that this attractively revolutionary process could be adopted and adapted by communities choosing what a commentator described as "an African solution to an African problem".

This paper examines two essentials revealed by our experience: the need for a socially responsible "exit strategy" for the oil industry from the tangled network of community development programmes muddled through with disastrous results over several decades in Nigeria; and, how the process, as it gradually gains wider acceptance, can be made sustainable.

It is argued, using field examples, that for the process to work, the oil industry's concept of "host communities" must be abandoned in favor of inclusive, whole communities, less prone to conflict. Such "whole communities" likewise include all ethnicities and clans, thus not pitting one against another with dangerous short and long-term consequences. The paper discusses in detail some of the pitfalls created by utilizing clans as the unit for development; this strategy has unfortunately been adopted by some major oil companies in their community development work in Nigeria.

We note that for effective development, three types of funding are required ("seed", "establishment of Community Based Organization" and "development"). While multiple, cross-sectoral stakeholder partnering with communities is highly desirable now, in the long run sustainability can be guaranteed only by government.

In Nigeria, where governance has become an extractive industry of a sort, communities and the private sector, including the oil companies, now have to seize the nettle, together, to leverage good governance, development, peace…and a good operating environment.
Health Impact Assessment in the Business Process
Authors: Uberti Filippo , Gomez Guillermo , Madera Angelo
Published: April 2008

All Eni-E&P division business units, subsidiary, participated companies and contractors have a commitment to protect and promote the health of those impacted either directly or indirectly by field operations in the oil and gas activities. The Health Impact Assessment aims at assessing the potential risks and benefits deriving from operations to the local population.

The principal aim of Health Impact Assessment is to avoid any negative impacts and maximize any positive impacts of the project on the host community. Consequently, health impact assessment must be conducted before any field operations commence.

Health Impact Assessment is an integral component of the Eni E&P-Division Integrated Health Safety Environment Management System and in the process of risk management the Company shall: ■"Systematically identify the hazards, effects and impacts which may affect, or arise from, processes and activities, and from the materials which are used or encountered in them.■Evaluate (assess) risks and effects from identified hazards.■Select, evaluate and implement measures to reduce risks, effects and impacts."

Screening is a procedure to determine whether HIA is to be performed in a project. A number of factors need to be considered by the project team to assess whether formal health impact assessment is required. These factors are: Geographic location, Historical precedents, Known hazards of the project, and Public health services.

The company performs the HIA in steps: ■Conduct health baseline study■Assessing the likely impact■Establishing priorities■Recommendations for health risk management / mitigation■HIA deliverables and reporting (EIA + SIA = Health Impact Statement)

As a part of the Health Management System, Eni will ensure that all health risks associated with field operations are managed and health is optimised.
Testing the Effectiveness of Risk Perception Training
Authors: McGrath T. , Dennon S.
Published: April 2008

After incident investigations many companies that identify contributing root causes such as "lack of risk awareness" remedy this situation by providing their workers with interventions in the form of "risk awareness" and "hazard identification" training courses and workshops.

The effectiveness of such interventions has traditionally been determined by monitoring lagging and, more recently, leading safety performance indicators. However, this can only be accomplished over a long time period and results in a low statistical significance due to the small population and the (thankfully) low incident frequency rates.

Risk perception of an individual can be quickly determined by analysis of responses to realistic workplace scenarios presented via a computer virtual reality simulator. The computer requirements are a standard desktop or laptop personal computer which can easily be taken into the field and provides instantaneous analysis.

Participant's ability to detect, assess and react appropriately to the hazardous situations presented together with their knowledge and willingness to follow rules and procedures provides an immediate technique to determine whether attendees have benefited from the intervention provided.

This technique enables employers to proactively select personnel requiring non-technical skills training, then test its effectiveness and gauge the necessity for and effectiveness of existing hazard controls. It also enables the development of specific interventions which target the needs of each individual worker rather than the traditional "one size fits all" approach. This will assist in the reduction of incidents and accidents where root causes include ‘poor risk assessment’ and contribute to a step change from the current plateau in safety performance.
Protection of Biodiversity in the Caspian Sea—Oil and Gas Development in Kazakhstan
Authors: Mutysheva G. , Walker C.
Published: April 2008

Agip KCO is involved in appraisal and development activities in the Kazakhstan sector of the North Caspian Sea and recognizes its responsibility in protection of unique biodiversity of the region. As a part of its sustainable development strategy and environmental protection / management program, the Company has produced a Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2007-8. The primary objective of the Company Biodiversity Strategy and related actions is to efficiently and effectively avoid threats to biodiversity. The interaction between biodiversity, local communities and other interested or affected parties is crucial to this process. This strategy assists the Company to develop synergies between internal biodiversity programs and external local and regional environmental programs; and secondly optimise the links between operational biodiversity programs and community relations programs. The Company carries out environmental monitoring, impact assessment studies and supports key external biodiversity conservation projects. The integrated long-term Biodiversity program will allow Agip KCO to evaluate and reduce the potential direct and indirect effects (both marine and terrestrial) of operations in the area; identify mitigation / restoration actions to reduce current impacts and measures to improve biodiversity conservation in the future; and finally integrate the outcome of studies into our daily operations.
Risk-Weighted Safety Culture Profiling
Authors: Cooper M. Dominic
Published: April 2008

Much organizational effort is directed toward the notion of safety culture, with many being uncertain of what a safety culture is, what is comprises and how to develop one that is ‘good'. Making use of theoretical models of safety culture and accident causation a method for ‘Risk Weighted Safety Culture Profiling’ is presented in the form of a case study The profiling method described provides a common framework for assessing safety culture that [1] Is based on Safety Science; [2] Uses existing methodologies; [3] Facilitates benchmarking within and between industries; and [4] Makes the concept of safety culture more tangible for industry.
Uncertainty and Accuracy of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Estimation for Oil and Natural Gas Operations
Authors: Ritter Karin , Keating James , Lev-On Miriam
Published: April 2008

The global Oil & Gas industry has been an active contributor to the development of sectoral guidance for accounting and reporting of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and has participated with multiple stakeholders in the developments of international and national GHG standards and protocols. With the emergence of emissions trading systems and new GHG reporting and disclosure schemes, attention is now being focused on the inherent uncertainty of the data used for emission estimates. For the Oil & Gas Industry, the accuracy of calculating GHG emissions is determined by the uncertainties of the estimates of the key (largest) contributing sources. Those, in turn, depend on the quality and availability of sufficient data, or on the ability to measure emissions, or related activity parameters, and properly account for their variability.

The Oil & Gas industry, through its global and regional associations, is pursuing these issues on many fronts, from global workshops, dialogue forums and other collaborative activities with peer associations and regulatory bodies. The goal of these activities is to gather information – and diverse perspectives - from all stakeholders. Issues that were discussed include cost-effective methods for quantifying uncertainty and data quality expectations (and level of significance sought) by regulators and by industry.

This paper discusses a range of activities undertaken by the industry to investigate key sources of uncertainty and address issues of lowering data uncertainty, including some joint efforts with other trade associations and with the U.S. EPA. It also provides highlights from the International Workshop on ‘Addressing Uncertainty’ (held in Brussels, January 2007), which resulted in a list of key issues that were prioritized for future collaboration.