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Abstract Environmental Management Plans (EMPs), in addition to being good business practice, are often required by lending institutions for certain major oil and gas exploration and production projects around the world. Lending institutions requiring EMPs include the World Bank/International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the Export Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) and others. EMPs are more than documents detailing the procedures to be used for the protection of human health and the environment. The plans will have to be implemented in the field. Therefore, effective development of these plans requires a thorough understanding of the project, which is obtained by close interaction between the various project planning groups and the EMP development team; intimate knowledge of the project environment; and familiarity with the resources available. This paper summarizes and shares experiences associated with the development and implementation of EMPs. Introduction International financing institutions frequently require prospective borrowers to conduct environmental assessments as part of the finance application process. The mission of these institutions revolves around promoting economic development in developing countries with the goal of improving the lives of the people. As such, these development projects must account for the impacts of the projects on environmental quality and socioeconomic well being. Furthermore, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) apply pressure to these lending institutions as an indirect way of holding the loan recipients accountable for their environmental performance. In addition, these lenders have recognized that the security of their loans and investments can be jeopardized by unacceptable environmental practices. Consequently, they seek to head off future environmental problems caused by their borrowers before lending money for the project. A well-conceived and executed EMP can be a useful tool in preventing environmental liabilities that compromise borrowers' ability to repay loans. Key Criteria for EMPs During the design phase of a project, the EMP should begin to consider implementation. These plan preparation efforts should include broad stakeholder participation and be driven by the following considerations:*Lending institution standards Local environmental regulations Industry standards Company environmental policy and management system requirements Project-specific objectives Input from non-governmental organizations.
- Law > Environmental Law (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)
- Banking & Finance (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (0.34)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > HSSE & Social Responsibility Management > HSSE management systems (0.50)
- Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability > HSSE & Social Responsibility Management > HSSE standards, regulations and codes (0.49)
- Management > Strategic Planning and Management > Project management (0.48)
- (3 more...)
Abstract Deepwater exploration and development activities in the Gulf of Mexico have been increasing significantly over the past 5 years and the trend is expected to continue in the future. Early in 2000, the Minerals Management Service released the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Operations and Activities Environmental Assessment Report (Deepwater EA). The Deepwater EA indentified numerous environmental issues related to deepwater operations. The Deepwater EA discussed the potential environmental concerns related to all aspects of deepwater exploration and production including seismic operations, drilling, production and transportation issues. This paper examines how environmental issues identified in the Deepwater EA will affect operations. Introduction Exploration in the Gulf of Mexico has moved from the shallow waters of the shelf to the deeper waters of the continental slope. Passage of the Deepwater Royalty Relief Act, new technologies and the prospect of large undeveloped reservoirs have attributed to expansion into deepwater. Deepwater is defined by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) as waters greater than 1000 feet in depth. The MMS sponsored a workshop in 1997 to identify natural and human socio-economic issues associated with deepwater development. The MMS also prepared the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Operations and Activities Environmental Assessment (Deepwater EA) (April 2000). The Deepwater EA was prepared to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and to provide industry an understanding of the level and extent of environmental issues associated with deepwater activities. The MMS has also issued a number of Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) that address some additional surveying requirements to protect deepwater chemosynthetic communities. A draft Environmental Impact Statement addressing the potential impacts associated with the use of floating production, storage and offloading (FPSOs) vessels in the Gulf of Mexico was completed. FPSOs are currently banned from use in the GOM for deepwater operations, however they may be the most cost effective solutions for some development projects. While most operations in deepwater will essentially be the same as those on the shelf, there are some differences between the two. These differences include increased use of synthetic-based drilling fluid (SBF), seafloor discharges of cuttings from pre-riser and riserless drilling, higher flowrate wells, greater distance from shore, larger and more powerful processing equipment, and more chemical usage. Potential impacts to chemosynthetic communities, marine mammals and sea turtles are more likely in deepwater than on the shelf. The environmental issues related to operations in deepwater are further developed in the following sections of this paper. Seismic Operations Seismic operations, both on the shelf and in deepwater, involve the use of air guns as an energy source and signal receivers, both towed below the water surface behind a vessel. Developments to seismic data acquisition could include the use of seafloor cables, vertical cables and marine vibrators.
- Law > Environmental Law (1.00)
- Government > Regional Government > North America Government > United States Government (1.00)
- Energy > Oil & Gas > Upstream (1.00)