Oil and gas development and social responsibility—aligning project and community goals for mutually beneficial outcomes

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 699
Author(s):  
Danielle Martin
Keyword(s):  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Social Impact Assessment ◽  
Community Interactions ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
Petroleum Development

Even on the most high-risk projects in the some of the most challenging locations, it is possible and advantageous to progress the social and environmental aspirations of host communities and contribute to improving the lives of those communities. This paper case studies a number of complex projects that have prompted and contributed to long-term, sustainable development. In particular, the paper presents the case study of an Indigenous Australian community’s efforts to pro-actively prepare for, and promote, oil and gas development on Indigenous-owned land, progressed with joint development goals and aspirations. This experience essentially establishes a new approach to company-community interactions for land access and petroleum development and provides a new model that many communities and developers will undoubtedly be keen to emulate. The case study considers: the importance of establishing the broader social aspirations of communities in relation to the petroleum development at the outset; the criticality of establishing a mutual understanding the commercial, non-negotiable parameters of the developer; the cumulative impacts and opportunities for both developer and community of multiple, large scale projects; the role of government and donors; and, the limitations of developers in contributing to broader social development. Through the analysis of case studies, the paper examines environmental and social impact assessment and performance techniques used to understand and manage the risks and opportunities of oil and gas development.The paper expands the boundaries of leading practice in respect to environmental and social impact assessment, community engagement and social responsibility in the oil and gas industry.

Early social impact management of an oil and gas development in a NT Aboriginal society—a case study

2008 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 271 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S D Kernaghan
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Social Impact Assessment ◽  
Oil And Gas Development ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range

In 2005 a draft Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) for the Blacktip Project was prepared by James Kernaghan on behalf of the Blacktip Joint Venture. The SIMP was prepared for the purpose of providing a basis for consultation with the communities that would be potentially affected by the project and the means through which social impacts could be managed. After Eni Australia became 100% owner and operator of the project in December 2005, the SIMP was revised to reflect the values and practices of Eni globally. This paper presents a case study of the early development of social impact management practice for the Blacktip Project in the southern Bonaparte Gulf, northern Australia, in the period from discovery to the middle of the construction phase (end 2001 to end 2007). The primary outcomes, so far, of the social impact management process for the Blacktip Project have largely been positive and work continues to ensure that this remains the case. From a management perspective, the key outcomes have been a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) report, a Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) and the establishment of an Social Impact Advisory Committee incorporating representatives from the key external stakeholder groups. The paper starts with descriptions of the project and affected communities and the law and policy context in which the project sits. This is followed by a detailed account and discussion about the land acquisition process and the social impact assessment and management plan development, including the scope, methodology and analytical framework used in the SIMP. The paper then provides an account and discussion of the nexus between project development and social impact management. The conclusion gives some observations about the experiences had in the SIMP implementation to date, during the first two construction phases of the project. Often there are a very wide range of social and economic issues that get touched upon in the development of a social impact management plan for a resource project. The resolution of these broader issues is naturally beyond the scope and capability of any company or project and there are often misconceptions in communities about what can be done. The best that a company can do is to approach the management of social impact in a way that tries to build a practical foundation for community development, through consultation with stakeholders in an open and participatory process. The people and organisations that live and work in a region are responsible for the social and economic development of that region, as a part of that community. Some contributions can be made by resource developers, however it is up to the people themselves, the individuals and the families in any community to choose and then pursue their individual and collective destiny. Others cannot do it for them. The paper attempts to provide some insight into the cultural, political, social and commercial realities associated with the development of the project in the particular society involved. In doing so, it is hoped that a useful early case study in the field of social impact management will emerge that may be useful for oil and gas developments and developing communities elsewhere in Australia and the world.

Balancing De Jure and De Facto Arctic Environmental Law Applied to the Oil and Gas Industry: Linking Indigenous Rights, Social Impact Assessment and Business in Greenland

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Cassotta ◽  
Mauro Mazza
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Social Impact Assessment ◽  
The Social

What will take place in the Arctic in the next decade will have consequences for us all, as the changing of the “Albedo effect” is altering the global climate, disrupting many equilibria both in the ecosystem and in the social sphere. Changes in the Arctic will not stay in the Arctic, but will affect the rest of the planet. The need to exploit resources, the emergence of new actors in the Arctic and the discovery of abundant oil, gas, mineral and renewable energy resources mean that we have to literally rethink and reconstruct the “Arctic” as a concept. Huge promises are made, but big questions are also raised about how we are to rethink and regulate our “blue planet.” A new regulatory framework is thus inevitable. This article deals with the social aspects of the climate change’s effects and the understanding of human adaptation to climate change by explaining how the problem of exploration and exploitation of oil and gas and their use by indigenous people are strictly interconnected with Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and environmental protection. The article focuses on the social dimension of climate change coupled with business development of oil and gas firms in the Arctic with Greenland as a case study to illustrate opportunities and tensions affecting the indigenous Greenlandic people. Some conclusions are drawn with the formulation of recommendations on the urgent need for direct participation of Arctic indigenous people in the decision-making policy creation on environmental protection measures and culture and advice on how to implement such recommendations. A solution to implement such recommendation would be to develop an interdisciplinary research programme to be implemented through an interdisciplinary research centre susceptible to be turned into an international organization after a certain period of working activity at the academic level.

A Guide to Social Impact Assessment in the Oil and Gas Industry

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Consiglio ◽  
Benoit Witchalls ◽  
Kit Armstrong ◽  
Marco Stampa ◽  
Andre Madec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Social Impact Assessment ◽  
Gas Industry
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