Page 101 - Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Second Edition

88 Environment

may exist, or hot work in potentially explosive environments, a permit must be
obtained that

defines scope of work
identifies hazards and assesses risk
establishes control measures to eliminate or mitigate hazards
links the work to other associated work permits or simultaneous operations
(SIMOPS)
is authorised by the responsible person(s)
communicates above information to all involved in the work
ensures adequate control over the return to normal operations.
Accident investigation shows that the majority of accidents occur because
procedures are not followed, and this contributes mostly to the base of the safety
triangle introduced at the end of Section 5.1.

5.3. Environment

Environmental standards have become a critical part of any business. Many
companies account for their performance as part of an annual ‘sustainability report’
which is audited independently and scrutinised by stakeholders. Whilst individual
companiestendtohavetheir ownspecific environmental management system (EMS),
global standards have been established, such as ISO 14001. This is an EMS that helps an
organisation to identify environmental risks and impacts that may occur as a result of its
activities and ensure they are routinely managed. ISO 14001 is designed to support
environmental protection and the prevention of pollution in balance with socio-
economic needs. Since its principles are generic they can be applied to almost any type
of organisation and many large oil and gas companies have adopted its framework.
Adherence to environmental standards is not only required to meet the legislative
requirements in host countries, but is also viewed as good business because it is
cost effective
providing a competitive edge
essential to ensuring continued operations in an area
helpful in gaining future operations in an area.

The approval of loans from major banks for project finance is usually conditional
on acceptable environmental management.
Environmental vulnerability varies considerably from area to area. For example,
the North Sea, whose waters are displaced into the Atlantic over a 2 year period,
is a much more robust area than the Caspian Sea which is enclosed. The EMS of an
operating company should reflect those differences.

5.3.1. Environmental impact assessment (EIA)

EIAs have already been introduced in Section 4.4, Chapter 4. The objective of an
EIA is to document the potential physical, biological, social and health effects of a