World Petroleum Congress Abstract

Operational Solutions in Sensitive Environments

Chris Herlugson, BP HSE Group Resource, Houston, Texas, United States of America John Addy, BP Upstream Technology Group, Sunbury, United Kingdom Peter Zimmerman, BP Canada Energy, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Caroline Mitchell, BP Global Business Centre, London, United Kingdom Louise Johnson, BP Global Business Centre, London, United Kingdom

Operational Solutions in Sensitive Environments

Every environment is sensitive in some way and the success or failure, in environmental terms, of an exploration, production or restoration activity will be determined by how the operator responds to those environmental sensitivities. As a global energy company, BP is faced with unique environmental challenges on a daily basis, whether in its operations in the Arctic, the tropics, in urban areas, or in the unexplored deep ocean. BP has structured its approach to these environmental challenges around three key strategic themes: Partnerships, Responsible Operations and Capacity Building. At the Wytch Farm oilfield in Dorset, England, seismic surveys were conducted successfully in urban areas with numerous local, national and international conservation designations, largely as a result of extensive consultation and BPs sensitivity to local concerns. In Canada, BP is working with local resource managers, academics and NGOs to study and better understand the life history requirements of grizzly bears, which will allow oil and gas operations to be conducted with adequate safeguards for the bears and for the people working in the field. In deepwater operational areas such as Gulf of Mexico and offshore Angola, BP recognised the need to fill important scientific data gaps and is funding two research fellowships to build needed academic capacity in deepwater marine taxonomy and ultimately increase our understanding of the organisms that inhabit these environments. From these and other operational experiences, BP continues to develop and refine its operating practices to minimise and/or eliminate the environmental impacts resulting from our operations.

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03/07/2002