PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION- WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS OF JOINT VENTURE PARTICIPANTS?

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 738
Author(s):  
J. H. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Joint Venture ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Management Activity ◽  
Insurance Cover ◽  
Day To Day Operations

Participants in joint venture operating agreements in Australia are potentially liable for environmental offences under State environmental statutes as well as Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Acts and State Petroleum Acts. In addition, adverse environmental impacts can affect an array of other commercial factors, including the future costs of obtaining finance, insurance cover and access to new acreage.The nature of potential risks and liabilities are such that environmental management must be regarded as an on-going risk management activity, integrated into all planning and day-to-day operations in the same way that health and safety management is now being widely incorporated in petroleum industry activities. Joint venture participants generally pay considerable attention to the calibre of the technical (geological and engineering) advice provided by the operator. It follows that they should also place considerable importance on the calibre of environmental management expertise provided by the operator and its contractors.A successful system of management should be modelled on a due diligence defence, which requires that those who are directing joint venture activities exercise due diligence, requiring the establishment of a proper system to prevent violations of the law and the effective operation of that system, including supervision, maintenance and improvements in business methods.

Is Australia Prepared for the Decommissioning Challenge? A Regulator's Perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Christensen ◽  
Andrew Re
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Regulatory Reform ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Independent Expert ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Petroleum

Abstract The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is Australia's independent expert regulator for health and safety, structural (well) integrity and environmental management for all offshore oil and gas operations and greenhouse gas storage activities in Australian waters, and in coastal waters where regulatory powers and functions have been conferred. The Australian offshore petroleum industry has been in operation since the early 1960s and currently has approximately 57 platforms, 11 floating facilities, 3,500km of pipelines and 1000 wells in operation. Many offshore facilities are now approaching the end of their operational lives and it is estimated that over the next 50 years decommissioning of this infrastructure will cost more than US$40.5 billion. Decommissioning is a normal and inevitable stage in the lifetime of an offshore petroleum project that should be planned from the outset and matured throughout the life of operations. While only a few facilities have been decommissioned in Australian waters, most of Australia's offshore infrastructure is now more than 20 years old and entering a phase where they require extra attention and close maintenance prior to decommissioning. When the NOGA group of companies entered liquidation in 2020 and the Australian Government took control of decommissioning the Laminaria and Corallina field development it became evident that there were some fundamental gaps in relation to decommissioning in the Australian offshore petroleum industry. There are two key focus areas that require attention. Firstly, regulatory reform including policy change and modification to regulatory practice. Secondly, the development of visible and robust decommissioning plans by Industry titleholders. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance and benefit of adopting good practice when planning for decommissioning throughout the life cycle of a petroleum project. Whilst not insurmountable, the closing of these gaps will ensure that Australia is well placed to deal with the decommissioning challenge facing the industry in the next 50 years.

scholarly journals Improving the Efficacy and Efficiency of the Environmental Management System in the Romanian Powerplants on Coal – the Condition of the Environmental Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana CSIMINGA ◽  
Sorin MANGU ◽  
Mirela ILOIU ◽  
Aronel MATEI
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Management System ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Quality Health

After a decade-long evolution, the use of coal for energy production is growing again. Carbon is still an important source of energyin Europe, covering about one-fourth of electricity production. There are plans to open around 50 new coal-fired power plants.But the continued use of coal has a price, we pay all, mainly with our health can be affected by excessive environmental pollutionToday more and more emphasis on the concept of „green economy” that should be reflected in improving people’s lives througheffective management of environmental issues and reducing environmental risks Thus, through the present paper we aim to highlightthose aspects that would allow the improvement of the environmental performance of coal-fired power plants in Romania byimproving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Environmental Management System (EMS) as a component of the Integrated ManagementSystem along with the Quality, Health and Safety Management System . We start from the premise that the developmentand implementation of an effective and efficient environmental management system (EMS) becomes a priority for all companies inthe field , especially since their activities based on coal burning , are considered among the most polluting.

Long-Range Rescue Capability for Operations in the Barents Sea

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigurd R. Jacobsen ◽  
Ove T. Gudmestad
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Joint Venture ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Water Immersion ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
The Barents Sea

The purpose of this paper is to examine the feasibility of providing long-range search and rescue for personnel in the Barents Sea. This may be due to a helicopter ditching or accident while en route to or from an offshore petroleum installation in the Barents Sea or a maritime accident. The paper will propose a combination of a SAR helicopter and multipurpose emergency response vessels. The paper will illustrate improved search and rescue capacity both for personnel involved in the petroleum industry and others i.e., fisheries, maritime transport and tourism. The basis for this paper is petroleum exploration activity in the far North Eastern area of the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea. The area is currently being evaluated in a process that most probably will lead to opening the area for oil and gas exploration. There is currently little or no infrastructure in the area beyond the coast. The paper considers a method to provide SAR coverage over a distance of 260 nautical miles with a minimum rescue capacity of 21 persons within two hours. Issues related to survival in cold water, immersion survival suits and performance requirements for search and rescue resources will be considered in order to provide an optimum combination and enhanced probability of survival if an incident should occur. Operational considerations involving departure criteria for helicopter transport should be developed in order to ensure that persons travelling on a helicopter to remote locations in the Barents Sea have a reasonable prospect of surviving a helicopter ditching and subsequently being rescued. Multipurpose Emergency Response Vessels, ERVs, equipped with dual Fast Recovery Daughter Craft, FRDC, capable of operating in an Arctic climate deployed at the remote location and en route together with an onshore based search and rescue, SAR, helicopter may provide a rescue capacity for 21 persons within 120 minutes. As vessels of the type proposed in this paper may be of a benefit to all stakeholders performing activities in the Barents Sea, joint venture financing by the authorities, petroleum, maritime, fishing and tourism industries could be considered.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: A QUANTUM LEAP FORWARD OR NOTHING NEW FOR THE E&P INDUSTRY?

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 771
Author(s):  
R.A.D. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Management System ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Environmental Management System ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Petroleum Exploration ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Environmental Management Systems ◽  
North West ◽  
Quantum Leap

There has been a recent tendency for an increasingly sophisticated approach to managing the socalled 'soft' issues such as quality, occupational health, safety, and the environment which are of importance to modern business enterprises. Increasing sophistication brings with it new terminology which can often confuse rather than clarify. Environmental management systems are in vogue today as evidenced by standards organisations in many countries defining their recommendations. The purpose of this paper is to explain what is meant by environmental management systems and to demonstrate that they have in fact been in place for many years in the petroleum exploration and production industry.The first part of the paper will outline the purpose and importance of having a management system to assure environmental protection. The reasons for recent interest by regulators and standards organisations will also be explored. The essential elements of an environmental management system will then be described with examples of its application to the petroleum industry. Particular reference will be made to activities associated with the North West Shelf Gas Project which is operated by Woodside Offshore Petroleum.

Information: a valuable resource in managing health, safety, and the environment in the offshore petroleum industry

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 493
Author(s):  
Nadia Ardalich
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Publishing Industry ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Government Information ◽  
Government Accountability ◽  
The Public ◽  
Learning From Others ◽  
Offshore Petroleum

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is charged with promoting occupational health and safety and responsible environmental management in the offshore petroleum industry and ensuring industry compliance with the relevant commonwealth legislation. For NOPSEMA to exercise these functions effectively and transparently, sharing information through industry experience is integral. Although NOPSEMA already publishes widely–including guidance material, industry performance data, and safety alerts–it is working towards increasing publication of more detailed and specific industry information, such as enforcement notices. Government regulators publishing industry information of this kind is not new in Australia or overseas and is often used by regulators as a tool for promoting industry compliance. Communicating and sharing information with industry and the public are important activities of governments. Information sharing can expand knowledge, enable innovation, enhance government accountability and transparency, and even save lives by learning from others' experiences. Recently, the Australian Government has shown a deeper commitment through changes to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, making government information more accessible and open to the public. This extended abstract discusses the benefits of increasing publication of industry information to promote NOPSEMA's functions and objectives for delivering a safe and environmentally responsible offshore petroleum industry.

THE THEVENARD ISLAND SAFETY CASE- APPROACHES USED TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A SAFETY CASE FOR AN EXISTING FACILITY

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
B.W. Charko
Keyword(s):  
Joint Venture ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Formal Safety Assessment ◽  
Safety Case ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
High Degree

As a proactive step in the management of Health and Safety, WAPET as operator on behalf of its Joint Venture Participants, considered it good practice to develop a Safety Case for the onshore component of the Thevenard Island facilities and operations along with the legislated offshore requirement. The development of the Safety Case utilised a process which incorporated qualitative assessment of risk, quantification of key risks and assurance that risks were as low as reasonably practicable. For this existing facility, the process clarified the quality of the existing hazard controls and provided an opportunity to make significant improvements.The process used ensured a high degree of employee and Regulator involvement throughout the Facility Description, Safety Management System and Formal Safety Assessment components of the Safety Case. This has achieved a high degree of awareness among the operations staff of risk management techniques. These techniques are now being applied routinely in the management of the operation.

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