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Frogs International
Environmental Management in the International Oil and Gas Industry:
bridging cultures
Maarten Smies
Frogs InternationalEnvironmental Management & Consultancy
www.frogsinternational.com
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Waiting for Godot …Two Iranians, a Japanese, a Briton and me (in the middle) at
Hamid railway station in Azadegan in Iran, waiting in the midday heat of 45°C for a train that will never arrive …
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What I would like to do …
• is to share experience on topics of environmental management in a number of different countries
• I am a biologist by background
- BSc: biology and chemistry with mathematics and physics (Amsterdam)
- MSc: plant physiology with biological toxicology and theoretical biology (Utrecht): two years of research
• I have been with Shell since 1975
- originally as a research scientist (environmental toxicology and chemistry)
- since 1988 in environmental (and HSE) management, especially for the exploration and production business
• I am now an independent environmental managementconsultant
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Work experience
• 2008: independent environmental management consultant
• 2004: EP Global Environment Lead (policy and strategy)
• 2002: Iran: corporate HSE & SD manager
• 2001: Nigeria: HSE data management advisor
• 1997: Abu Dhabi: corporate environmental advisor (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company)
• 1996: environmental advisor for new business development in CIS; environmental auditor; principal environmental management lecturer
• 1993: environmental management advisor; environmental impact assessment
• 1990: Oman: head of environmental affairs
• 1988: environmental advisor; environmental management development and planning
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Work experience (2)
• 1984: head of the Shell Education Service in the Netherlands (extension to schools and universities)
• 1981: environmental toxicology advisor
• 1978: research scientist (environmental chemistry)
• 1975: research scientist (environmental toxicology)
• (1974: tasks analyst, Royal Dutch Army Training Command – national service)
• (1971: teacher of biology, Dutch grammar and comprehensive schools, part-time)
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Topics to be discussed
• environmental baseline studies (Kazakstan, Russia)
• environmental impact assessment (Russia, Kazakstan, Abu Dhabi, Iran)
• introducing environmental (or HSE) management systems (Kazakstan, Abu Dhabi)
• learning from environmental audits (Colombia, Australia, Thailand)
• the role of national oil companies (Oman, Abu Dhabi, Iran)
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Environmental baseline studies
• Kazakstan: offshore seismic (Caspian Sea)
- unique environment; endemic species; fisheries interests
- possibility to combine Kazak taxonomic expertise and Western ecosystem studies approach (capacity building)
• Russia: brownfield development (Western Siberia)
- use of University of Moscow botanical and soil science expertise
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Environmental impact assessment
• Russia: greenfield and brownfield development (Western Siberia)
- finding a format meeting Russian OVOS requirements while using a Western approach
- working with regulatory agency staff: personal agreement and public decisions
- “make work” and appropriate technology
• Kazakstan: offshore seismic (Caspian Sea)
- impact assessment and project development phasing; the time pressure of project development; the time value of money
- environmental management and impact assessment courses for Kazak regulatory and research personnel
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Environmental impact assessment (2)
• Abu Dhabi: self regulation in ADNOC
- corporate HSE department: regulator for oil and gas industry
- retrospective impact assessment to set baseline
- working with Abu Dhabi and UAE environmental authorities to develop legislation
- developing HSE codes of practice
• Iran: buy-back contracts and NIOC
- getting NIOC on board and to accept the cost as part of the contract
- developing a working relationship with DoE and NIOC that satisfies both
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Introducing environmental (or HSE) management systems
• Kazakstan: offshore seismic (Caspian Sea)
- Kazak operator for international consortium
- fundamental change in business management
- creating transparency using an international industry standard management system
- secondees from international consortium partners
• Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company
- ADNOC choice to ensure partnerships with international oil and petrochemical companies
- step change for ADNOC Group companies without international industry shareholders
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Learning from environmental audits
• Colombia: introducing international practice in a local operating company
- acknowledge local achievements
- maximise co-operation between international and local audit team members
- continually evaluate audit findings to optimise local learning
• Australia: dealing with upstream and downstream HSE cultures
- from blame culture to the identification of opportunities to improve performance and management structures and controls
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Learning from environmental audits (2)
• Thailand: the sensitivities of Asian culture
- ensure that interviewees have all the opportunity to make their argument
- stress achievements before addressing shortfalls
- let local audit team members lead interviews
- make sure that international audit team members do not interrupt and only bring up issues at the conclusion of audit interviews
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The role of national oil companies
• General:
- national oil companies tend to be a “state in the state”
• Oman:
- “not invented here”: the need to localise policy, strategy and procedures and work instructions
- work with company’s interest in mind, not the Shell interest
• Abu Dhabi:
- take the opportunity to set the agenda
- ensure working relationships with Abu Dhabi and federal regulatory authorities
- maximise local learning
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The role of national oil companies (2)
• Iran:
- the history of oil and gas in Iran; suspicion of being bought off
- buy-back contracts are too short for effective HSE management to be transferred to the national operator
- Iranian content requirements are a challenge and provide a long-term opportunity
- short-termism favours second-best companies as contract partners (Russia, China, Malaysia)
- long-term energy supply strategy of e.g. Japan affects commercial realities
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Conclusions
• build mutual respect and trust (on a personal basis)
• recognise the importance and sensitivities of national cultures
• optimise national contributions and the use of local expertise and look for “win-wins”
• find the right balance between self regulation and the requirements of national regulation
• capacity building is a powerful tool to gain acceptance in the long term
• maximise in-country learning and development
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