Health Impact Assessment For Global Oil & Gas New Major Capital Projects: Developed Versus Undeveloped Regions

Abstract

Abstract An environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) is typically a regulatory, and often internal company, requirement for global oil and gas (O&G) new major capital project (MCP). Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is generally less understood, yet is also becoming a common requirement for global O&G MCPs. A common acronym now is environmental, social and health impact assessment (ESHIA). HIA generally refers to potential health impacts to nearby local communities (e.g., refer to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards). Worker ("inside the fence") health and safety if typically not a part of the ESHIA process, and is addressed under separate processes. That said, there are great differences between HIAs in developed versus undeveloped regions of the world. In developed regions of the world, ESHIAs for unconventional O&G are typically focused on characterization of preexisting baseline conditions and continued monitoring of those conditions during and after O&G operations. For example, many regions now have groundwater baseline and monitoring requirements for unconventional and conventional O&G developments. In contrast, global O&G developments often occur in remote, undeveloped regions. Here, the focus for the social and health impact assessment is typically on impacts to the nearby communities, potentially sensitive populations, and particularly aboriginal groups. An example would be the influx of thousands of workers during construction phase and the potential introduction of communicable diseases into the local communities. Hypothetical case studies will be presented to further explore these topics.