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Collaborating Authors
Biodiversity and Sensitive Areas Impact Prevention Along Project Lifecycle Through the Application of the Mitigation Hierarchy
Pelucchi, Marco (Eni Upstream and Technical Services, Milan, Italy) | Sali, Jason (Eni Upstream and Technical Services, Milan, Italy) | Consalvi, Laura (Eni Upstream and Technical Services, Milan, Italy) | Pedroni, Paola Maria (Eni Upstream and Technical Services, Milan, Italy)
Abstract Effective minimization of environmental footprint can be achieved through the timely and systematic application of innovative approaches such as the Mitigation Hierarchy (MH) along O&G project lifecycle. This ensures the presence of biodiversity and sensitive areas (such as protected areas, critical habitats and threatened species) and good management practices properly inform project activities that depend and may impact on natural environment. The MH is a framework designed to maximise impact prevention over restoration and offset, balancing development priorities with the sustainable use of natural resources. Consisting of a sequence of two preventive (avoid and minimise) and two corrective measures (restore and offset), it is adopted by the extractive sector, development banks and financial institutions as the current best available tool for achieving measurable performance objectives such as no net loss or net positive impact. However, its timely and systematic application along project lifecycle can be challenging, particularly for companies with a complex, diversified and global asset portfolio. In line with company Policy on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES), we apply the MH as early as possible in the project lifecycle. To effectively minimise project environmental footprint, we prioritize preventive over corrective measures following a risk-based approach which accounts for the complexities of each project and the natural and social environment it interacts with. Along the project lifecycle, we have faced internal and external challenges in the practical implementation of the mitigation hierarchy. Internal challenges included aligning the project engineering and financing timelines with the BES baseline and impact assessment timeline, while external challenges include balancing demands of local communities and other stakeholders, the diverse operational contexts and regulatory frameworks aligned with or lacking mitigation best practices. Innovative and collaborative approaches are therefore necessary to effectively communicate or build capacity on company science-based BES management practices. Early exploration and development phases correspond with best opportunity to identify BES priorities and apply the preventive steps of the MH. Applications include evaluating new opportunities, spatial placement or relocation of facilities and linear infrastructure, and project scheduling. During the development phase, a suite of GIS-based tools and BES assessments provide a supportive framework to apply the MH in concept selection, definition and execution. Subsequently in the operational phase, Action Plans are used to ensure the delivery and iterative evaluation of impact mitigation and the continuous improvement of BES performance. Through practical examples spanning different phases of the project lifecycle and sites located in biodiversity rich and sensitive areas (e.g. United States, Myanmar, Ghana, Egypt and Ecuador), this paper will illustrate how challenges can be overcome starting from early exploration phase (evaluation of new ventures), in project development (design and construction), and during production. We will also reflect on the contribution of the MH to value creation from operations in sensitive areas.
- North America > United States (1.00)
- Europe (1.00)
- South America (0.88)
- Africa > Middle East > Egypt (0.34)
- Law (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Transportation > Ground (0.94)
- Government (0.93)
- South America > Ecuador > Pastaza > Oriente Basin > Block 10 > Villano Field (0.99)
- North America > United States > Alaska > Nikaitchuq Field > Schrader Bluff Formation (0.98)
- Africa > Republic of the Congo > M'Boundi Field (0.94)
Aligning Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Impact Mitigation with the Operational Lifecycle of the Nikaitchuq Site (North Slope, Alaska)
Speranza, D.. (Eni Upstream SEQ/AMTE) | Gerber, V.. (Eni US Operating Co. Inc.) | Mickiewicz, C.. (Eni US Operating Co. Inc.) | Grande, W.. (Eni US Operating Co. Inc.) | Thomas, J.. (Eni US Operating Co. Inc.) | Hoppe, K.. (Eni US Operating Co. Inc.) | Pedroni, P. M. (Eni Upstream SEQ/AMTE)
Abstract Recognition and assessment of the dependencies and potential impacts on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) combined with their effective management through targeted action plans, results in significant benefits to an oil and gas company. The benefits are cost minimization, improved access to new resources and reputation enhancement. Operating in a BES-responsible manner is particularly significant when conducting exploration and production activities in sensitive environments like the Alaskan North Slope where eni Upstream, through its affiliate Eni US Operating Co. Inc., is the operator of the Nikaitchuq site since 2007. In compliance with eni Upstream BES management practice and oil and gas sector guidelines, BES evaluations are integrated along the Nikaitchuq asset lifecycle. Therefore, the BES assessment and impact mitigation are aligned with the project timeline and periodically updated following the evolution of the operations. This approach enables effective management of BES issues from the exploration phase, through development and production, until decommissioning the project. In 2009, during the development phase, a biodiversity assessment and action plan (BAP) was performed in collaboration with Fauna & Flora International (FFI). The BAP was aimed at assessing and mitigating potential impacts associated with the construction of production and processing facilities. When the Nikaitchuq site transitioned to production, there was the need to align the assessment and the BAP with the new project lifecycle phase. The project transition provided a good opportunity to apply newly developed tools that incorporated the most recent BES conservation concepts and international best practices. This paper illustrates how alignment was achieved and establishes a foundation for the update of the Nikaitchuq BES assessment and the re-design of the BAP from the development phase to the current project lifecycle phase. Relevant changes in the operational, environmental and social context since 2009 were identified; engineering solutions and operational practices implemented to mitigate environmental impacts, and the outcomes of the 2009 BAP monitoring/restoration activities were reviewed and evaluated against the mitigation hierarchy framework. Based on these, BES features potentially impacted by the present Nikaitchuq operations will be identified and prioritized for inclusion into the updated BAP suited for the current operational phase. Incorporation of the updated BAP into the Environmental Management Plan of the site and its adjustment, based on the monitoring/restoration outcomes, will foster continuous improvement in BES management anddemonstrate that the Nikaitchuq site is operated with No Net Loss/Net Positive Impact on biodiversity.
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
Abstract This paper describes the unique engineering design, construction and environmental and social aspects implemented to develop the Chipirón T-B oil field in Arauca, Colombia. This paper builds upon the design and construction aspects shared previously with the SPE to include the critical environmental and social factors integrated into the Occidental Colombia ("OxyCol" or "Occidental") risk management approach that have enabled learning and new innovative techniques from Chipirón to other projects. Using Occidental's Health, Environmental and Safety Management System (HESMS) to identify the project and surrounding socio-environmental risks is important so that a robust analysis of project risks leads to the development of mitigation approaches. The innovative capacity of OxyCol's engineers and the Company's respect for the environment and local communities led to a collaborative effort by multiple stakeholders achieving a successful project outcome. The knowledge and the experience gained through this project are transferable to other Occidental operations and assets.
Protecting Marine Environments Using the Framework of the Mitigation Hierarchy to Implement Barriers and Controls During Exploration and Development Projects
Sali, Jason (Eni Natural Resources, HSEQ Department) | Estrada, Gustavo Calderucio Duque (Eni Natural Resources, HSEQ Department) | Pavanel, Elena (Eni Natural Resources, HSEQ Department) | Pedroni, Paola Maria (Eni Natural Resources, HSEQ Department)
Abstract Offshore marine environments supply a major source of global oil and natural gas and will be important for the development renewable energy in future. Currently, more than a quarter of oil and gas supply is produced offshore, a rise of more than 50% since 2000. Similarly, the production of offshore wind energy is expected to increase tenfold before 2040, and even more if the targets of the Paris Agreement are to be achieved (IEA 2018). Shallow coastal waters are particularly suitable and therefore pressure from both means is expected to increase. However, despite recent advances there are some technical and environmental challenges still to overcome before wind farms are able to follow Oil and Gas production into deep water habitats. For companies able to exploit this transition, the opportunities are substantial. The challenge of exploiting these, whilst balancing the variety of pressures on the world's oceans, requires the highest level of operational safety, environmental compatibility and adherence to best-practise frameworks. The application of the mitigation hierarchy framework stands out among these as the most practical tool for balancing offshore energy development with the protection of marine environments from harmful impacts. Oceans represent over 70% of the Earth's surface and 95% of its habitat (FFI 2017). Seemingly homogenous at the surface, oceans are in-fact extremely biologically diverse. With depths ranging from a few centimetres to over 8km, communities living within, how they are interconnected, and the function of the oceans remain largely enigmatic. Marine habitats are estimated to be home to over 80% of the world's biodiversity, a small fraction of which have been scientifically described (Mora et al 2011). Oceans, particularly the most accessible coastal regions, have always been a major source of food and other biological resources. It is estimated that over 3 billion people are reliant on coastal environments for food and nutrition, and over 200 million people are engaged in livelihoods reliant on the health of marine ecosystems. Recent advances in remote sensing technology have enabled scientists to track the movement of ocean currents in a way that was previously unimaginable. Together with the ability to accurately monitor ocean temperature, and water chemistry, scientists are now beginning to understand the complexity and connectivity of ocean basins, and the influence of global currents, tides and upwellings on global weather patterns, biomass production, and other globally essential process. Analogous to the human heart, the oceans are the "biological pump" that drives weather patterns, nutrient cycling, and other functions critical for planet ecology and therefore human wellbeing. Perhaps most importantly, given the global urgency for GHG management, oceans play a critical part of the carbon cycle, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, converting it to biomass and ultimately long-term storage within sediments on the ocean floor.
- North America > United States (0.94)
- Africa > Middle East > Egypt (0.28)
- Management > Strategic Planning and Management > Project management (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Sustainability/Social Responsibility > Social responsibility and development (0.75)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Sustainability/Social Responsibility > Sustainable development (0.68)
Addressing and managing reliance and potential impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services of Oil & Gas global operations
Palliggiano, Diana (1 eni e&p Division Environmental Department, Milan, Italy) | Baizhigitova, Assel (1 eni e&p Division Environmental Department, Milan, Italy) | Pavanel, Elena (1 eni e&p Division Environmental Department, Milan, Italy) | Marconi, Michèle (1 eni e&p Division Environmental Department, Milan, Italy) | Howard, Pippa (2 Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Cambridge, UK) | Reed, Timothy (2 Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Cambridge, UK) | Sali, Jason (2 Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Cambridge, UK) | Pedroni, Paola M. (1 eni e&p Division Environmental Department, Milan, Italy)
Abstract eni is committed to operating beyond compliance for biodiversity conservation and the retention of functional ecosystems in all areas and phases of the project lifecycle. In exploration and production (e&p) terms, this means the systematic recognition and integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) management into all site operations globally, taking into account local circumstances, international best practices and newly adopted concepts. This requires understanding how onshore and offshore activities interact with different environments (e.g. forests, deserts, deep water) through science-based assessments that take full account of BES values for company operations and local communities. These enable the detection, measurement and management, through targeted action planning, of an operation's reliance and potential impacts on BES. Outcomes are incorporated into existing environmental management practice, allowing transferability within the company. Over the past decade, FFI has worked in partnership with eni e&p Division to help use applied ecology in the development of company best practice for BES assessment and management. This has been piloted in operating sites in sensitive environments (Italy, Ecuador, Norway and Alaska) and has led to an improved environmental management system, incorporating sectoral best practices. The partnership is now focused on evaluating the company's global exposure to BES-related risks and highlighting important operating sites where BES-related opportunities exist, leading to the implementation of site-specific BES assessments and action plans at priority sites. This paper illustrates the approach developed to recognise, address and manage reliance and potential impacts of eni e&p global operations on BES. The systematic integration of BES management into onshore and offshore operations, existing and new, includes the global mapping of all operating sites against areas of high biodiversity value, the implementation of site-\specific BES risk/opportunity assessments and action plans for high priority operating sites, and the integration of these evaluations into ESHIAs in all new sites.
- Europe > Italy (0.67)
- North America > United States > Alaska (0.24)
- Europe > Italy > Basilicata > Val d'Agri Concession > Val d'Agri Field (0.99)
- Oceania > Papua New Guinea > Papuan Peninsula > Central Province > National Capital District > Petroleum Retention License 15 > P’nyang Field (0.97)
- Oceania > Papua New Guinea > Papuan Peninsula > Central Province > National Capital District > Petroleum Retention License 15 > Elk-Antelope Field (0.97)
- (10 more...)
- Management (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Sustainability/Social Responsibility > Social responsibility and development (1.00)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > Environment (1.00)
- Data Science & Engineering Analytics > Information Management and Systems > Knowledge management (1.00)