Environmental assessments in the oil and gas industry

The general public, government regulators, and environmental organizations are increasingly demanding industries to reduce their environmental impacts and report progress. This in turn resulted in numerous requirements for reporting environmental data. Environmental assessments are a useful tool in gathering and documenting this data. The assessments also assist decision makers to quantify impacts of their activities and plan for appropriate mitigation measures. There are different types of environmental assessments, each having specific purpose(s) and addressing specific audience(s). This paper gives an overview of common environmental concerns associated with oil and gas industry and shares insights on types of environmental assessments that are widely used. It discusses general methodologies to define the scope, approach, measurement standards, and reporting. Potential challenges encountered in conducting these assessments in an international arena and under a wide variety of regulatory requirements are addressed. Practical approach in execution of these assessments is described here, and strategy in dealing with the challenges is presented.