Page 12 - Environmental Control in Petroleum Engineering

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to

Environmental

Control in the

Petroleum Industry

The upstream petroleum industry, which conducts all exploration
and production activities, provides essential petroleum products that
are used for transportation fuels, electrical power generation, space
heating, medicine, and petrochemicals. These uses of petroleum are
major contributors to our present standard of living. The activities of
finding and producing petroleum, however, can impact the environ-
ment, and the greatest impact arises from the release of wastes into
the environment in concentrations that are not naturally found. These
wastes include hydrocarbons, solids contaminated with hydrocarbons,
water contaminated with a variety of dissolved and suspended solids,
and a wide variety of chemicals. While some of these wastes can have
significant adverse effects on the environment, some have little impact,
and others are actually beneficial. In virtually all cases, the adverse
impact can be minimized or eliminated through the implementation
of proper waste management.
The most important steps in minimizing adverse environmental
impact are for the industry to take a proactive approach to managing
operations and become educated about those activities that can potentially
harm the environment. The proactive approach involves adopting an
attitude of environmental responsibility—not just to comply with
regulations but to actually protect the environment while doing business.