Making the Connection: Oil and Gas Management of Natural Resources

Abstract

Abstract IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, develops shares and promotes good practice and knowledge to help the industry improve its environmental and social performance. Through its member led working groups and executive leadership, IPIECA brings together the collective expertise of oil and gas companies and associations on a number of issues relevant to onshore and offshore operations. Two specific areas of focus for IPIECA are the topics of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) and Water Management. In recognition of the cross-cutting nature of these two topics, and to coincide with the UN International Day for Biodiversity’s 2013 theme of "Water and Biodiversity", IPIECA developed a communications tool - Making the connection: oil and gas management of natural resources. The interactive illustration highlights the interface between the management of BES and water issues throughout upstream onshore oil and gas operations. This tool outlines the key management steps for identifying and assessing both dependencies and potential impacts of operations on BES and water risks, as well as how to implement these practically. The purpose is: To highlight the relevance and importance of ecosystem services for oil and gas operations;To illustrate the synergies and alignment in the approach and management steps for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES) and water throughout the operational lifecycle;To present the range of practices and tools available to implement the management steps. The management steps are based on the "Plan, Do, Check, Act" cycle for continuous improvement in the management of natural resources. Stakeholder engagement is fully integrated into the process. HSE professionals, managers and practitioners can click through each stage of the cycle to understand the IPIECA approach whilst also discovering IPIECA tools and products that are available to help manage BES and water issues effectively. This paper provides more detail on the rationale behind the different components of the management cycle and uses examples to illustrate its practical application.