Towards Sustainable Excellence & Biodiversity Protection in Upstream O & G Facility
Authors: Alsinan Ali , Rehman Khalilur , Bakodah Ahmad 
Published: March 2023

Objective

The objective is to showcase the Abu Ali facility's commitment to protecting and preserving the Abu Ali biodiversity ecosystem. The project demonstrates a modern sustainable, circular, innovative and systemic approach to target the biodiversity threats in multi-dimensional aspects and transform these threats into opportunities to improve the island's ecosystem. The island is important to Aramco's upstream operations because it houses an oil and gas production facility. The organization has determined its environmental goals from the corporate policies and vision to be as follows.

Contribute to reaching the company's and the kingdom's vision for being a net zero-carbon operating facility by 2050 and 2060, respectively, by reducing and offsetting greenhouse gases' impact on climate. Support the Saudi Green Initiative by planting mangroves and trees in the Abu Ali Island and seeking for sourcing out the mangrove seeds to other entities. Align and adapt with carbon circular economy (CCE) approaches in reusing/repairing/recycling wasted materials and resources turning them into valuable products. Protect, preserve and enhance the Abu Ali biodiversity area to create an integrated ecosystem for wildlife, marine life, and birds. Be recognized at the corporate, nationally, and internationally as a role model in environmental protection stewardship.

Background

North of Jubail, a city in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, close to a large offshore oil field, sits Abu Ali Island. There are two large islands in the archipelago which are potentially preservational. The larger one is Abu Ali Island located to the north and the southern one is called Al Batinah Island.

Abu Ali Island is a unique isolated island with one of the most diversified habitats in the Arabian Gulf, a home for a variety of creatures, and Aramco's oil and gas operational area. Aramco has designated Abu Ali Island as the country's first and biggest biodiversity stewardship island. The island is a sabkha semi-dry grassland. The coral reefs that encircle Abu Ali Island were formed naturally, making it an excellent habitat for marine life. The island's ecological and biological systems benefit from the variety of marine life. Birds nest on the island, turtles lay eggs, and foxes hunt for food. Abu Ali Island is on birds' migratory paths, and the island has become a resting area during migratory seasons. Furthermore, Abu Ali Island has been a fishing harbor for local fishermen for decades.

Wildlife Habitat

Mammals, reptiles, and rodents are just a few of the many biological species found on Abu Ali Island. Numerous other species, including the Cerastes Gasperettii/Arabian horned viper "Um Jounab" and the Arabian Red Fox, were also commonly observed on the island. The island is covered with vegetation, including native plants, cultivated trees, and herbs such as Ziziphus spina-christi "Sidir," Rhanterium epapposum "Arfaj," and Zygophyllum qatarense.

Migratory Birds

The island is situated in one of the main flyways of migratory birds that travel seasonally from Siberia & Eastern Europe to Africa. The migratory birds settle down for a couple of days/weeks to take a rest and food supply, then continue their long journey. The following migratory bird species have been spotted at Abu Ali Island: Black-necked Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Black Kite, Slender-billed Gull, Greater Flamingo, Western Reef-egret, Lesser Crested Tern, White-cheeked Tern, Saunders's Tern, Little Tern, Grey Plover, Lesser Sandplover, Greater Sandplover, Kentish Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Dunlin, Terek Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Ruddy Turnstone, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Crab-plover and Osprey.

Marine Life

Abu Ali Island is a territory of a critically endangered creature, the Hawksbill sea turtle. The turtles travel to various sites in the Arabian Gulf and lay their eggs on an island like Abu Ali Island during the year's roosting season. Besides that, coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves thrive around Abu Ali Island creating attractive habitats for fishes and other organisms to reproduce and enrich marine life.