[Oil and Gas Standardisation]

by

Acknowledgement

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

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Abstract

The petroleum and natural gas industries use a great number of standards developed by industry organisations, through national and regional standardisation bodies, by the individual companies in the industries and by international standards bodies. The use of these standards enhances technical integrity, improves safety, reduces environmental damage, and promotes business efficiencies that result in reduced costs. The current, intensified period of international standards development reflects the global nature of the industry and the imperative to operate more effectively and reduce costs further. International standards for the petroleum and natural gas industries are the area that is the focus of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP) through its Standards Committee.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT2

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION4

Background4

Problem Statement4

Standardization Issues5

Oil & Gas Industry-Outlook6

Aims & Objectives7

Research Questions7

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW9

International Environmental Management Practices Of Relevance To The Oil And Gas Industry11

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment12

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)18

Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE)23

Summary26

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY28

Research Philosophy30

Inductive or Deductive Approach30

Ethical issues31

CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS & ANALYSIS33

Findings33

Sources Of International Industry And Guidelines Regarding Oil Industry Exploration And Production Practices38

Environmental Monitoring and Auditing Monitoring41

Auditing42

Environmental and Social Reporting45

Recommendations for the Future50

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS55

Conclusions55

APPENDIX66

REFERENCES73

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

Background

The Standard Agreements have been developed by Oil & Gas UK and are issued in good faith for use in the UK offshore oil and gas industry. However, they may not be appropriate for every circumstance and do not deal with every eventuality. By accessing a copy of any of these Standard Agreements, the user accepts that the individual members of Oil & Gas UK and their respective companies, organisations and associated bodies shall have no liability, whether in contract, tort/delict (including negligence) or howsoever, for any loss arising out of their use and that it is the user's responsibility to take legal advice in each instance, in particular but without limitation on any relevant changes in law since the Standard Agreement was issued.

Problem Statement

The OGP has prepared several guidelines regarding onshore oil operations, on its own and in conjunction with IGOs and NGOs such as UNEP and IUCN, which represent “internationally acceptable operating practices” and “internationally acceptable goals and guidance on environmental protection during oil and gas exploration and production operations”, including guidelines addressing: oil operations in tropical rainforests; exploration and production operations in mangrove areas; oil exploration in arctic and subarctic onshore regions; waste management; and decommissioning for onshore exploration and production sites.

This section examines five emerging “best practices” for protection of the environment in the area of environmental management procedures and systems. These practices are: environmental and social impact assessment (EIA/SIA); environmental management systems ...