Project Planning

Seismic, drilling and construction projects worldwide are routinely supported by an appropriate level of environmental planning, to identify environmental risks and implement strategies to minimize potential impacts. This may involve baseline environmental studies, formal or informal environmental impact assessments, and attendant protection plans, depending on the local environmental setting and sensitivities. Public consultation is a key element in project planning.

Construction Practices

Areas to be cleared or otherwise disturbed are kept as small as safely possible. Topsoil is salvaged for use in (eventual) site reclamation, and runoff and erosion are properly controlled. Sensitive environmental features are avoided through routing and schedule adjustments, and the use of directional drilling techniques. In some cases, wells can be drilled from common pads to minimize footprint. Most stream crossings (for pipelines) are drilled or bored. Environmental inspectors monitor and guide work in sensitive locations.

Environmental Consents

We diligently obtain environmental (operating) permits, licences, and other consents required by regulation. Terms and conditions are integrated into project and annual operating plans. Consent expiry dates are tracked to promote timely renewal.

Environmental Monitoring

Process and ambient monitoring is undertaken at larger, more complex facilities consistent with regulatory obligations and terms of the relevant operating permits and licences. Monitoring data are scrutinized to confirm our continued compliance with process limits and ambient environmental standards.

Waste Management

We manage our wastes carefully to avoid contamination of soil, groundwater, freshwater and marine ecosystems. This involves proper handling and interim storage, manifesting, recycle and reuse where feasible, and appropriate final disposal commensurate with the nature of the waste material.

Hazardous Material Storage

Oil, condensate, produced water, liquid fuels and chemicals are stored securely. Storage tanks are bermed to contain accidental releases to the environment. We inspect our vessels and tanks regularly to confirm their integrity.

Spill Response

Our regional operations maintain spill contingency plans and have access (either directly or through contractual arrangements) to spill containment and cleanup equipment, trained personnel and other key resources.

Wellsite Reclamation and Contaminated Site Remediation

We safely decommission and abandon our inactive wells and facilities, ensuring appropriate reclamation of the land surface or seabed as part of this process. We are working voluntarily to clean up historic contamination at our older operating sites in Canada, spending over $20 million on site assessment and cleanup projects since 2007.

Asset and Corporate Acquisitions

Asset and corporate acquisitions are subject to comprehensive environmental due diligence in order to identify and properly account for attendant environmental liabilities.