PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT-GORGON LNG PROJECT CASE STUDY

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 606 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.T. Stoklosa
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Project Planning ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Environmental Risk Management

Stoklosa Engineering has been working with the petroleum industry to develop an environmental risk management methodology that can be generally applied to petroleum industry activities. In particular, the methodology is for assessing and managing ecological risk in sensitive marine environments.This paper introduces a management and technical methodology for the risk assessment process that has been applied to planning scenarios for the Gorgon LNG Project. The methodology has evolved from earlier efforts by petroleum operators and government in Western Australia to quantify ecological risk. The principles of Standards Australia risk management publications, State risk management initiatives and international approaches have been preserved in the methodology.The basis for a quantitative analysis of the likelihood of an incident is described, with a qualitative or semiquantitative analysis of the severity of the potential consequences. The technical approach adopts the principles of AS/NZS 4360 for risk management, and characterises risk for decision makers in an unambiguous manner. The methodology leads to a clear understanding of the benefits of risk management, and allows proponents the opportunity to reduce risk to acceptable levels. The risks of development should be interpreted in the context of naturally occurring hazards to environmental systems (e.g. cyclones and coral spawning slicks), human activities (e.g. recreation, fisheries and aquaculture), and the natural variability of ecosystems.The Gorgon LNG Project case study characterises risk in terms of credible incident scenarios and baseline operational activities from project planning scenarios. The inputs to the risk assessment are release scenarios, fate and transport modelling, response mechanisms in sensitive species, and recovery mechanisms following exposure. The methodology can be broadly applied to offshore and onshore development projects and environmental management programs, as it is presented as a repeatable process that can incorporate various types of risk analysis methods.

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT: A PROPOSED SCHEME

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 714
Author(s):  
H.B. Goff ◽  
R.K. Steedman
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Environmental Risk Management ◽  
The Impact

Environmental risk assessment is becoming an increasingly important factor in the assessment process for new projects. The oil and gas industry is familiar with assessing and managing risks from a wide range of sources. In particular, risk assessment and management is fundamental to the evaluation and implementation of Safety cases. Risk assessment is essential in valuing exploration acreage. Various industry and government risk management standards and criteria have been developed for public and occupational health and safety.This paper examines the extension of these approaches to environmental risk management for the offshore oil and gas industry and proposes a conceptual management scheme.We regard risk as the probability of an event occurring and the consequences of that event. The risk is classified into four categories, namely:primary risk, which relates to the mechanical oilfield equipment;secondary risk, which relates to the natural transport processes. For example dispersion of oil in the water column and surrounding sea;the tertiary risk, which relates to the impact on some defined part of the physical, biological or social environment; andthe quaternary risk, which relates to the recovery of the environment from any impact.Generally the methods of quantitatively analysing primary and secondary risks are well known, while there remains considerable uncertainty surrounding the tertiary and quaternary risk and they are at best qualitative only. An example of the method is applied to coral reef and other sensitive areas which may be at risk from oil spills.This risk management scheme should assist both operators and regulators in considering complex environmental problems which have an inherent uncertainty. It also proves a systematic approach on which sound environmental decisions can be taken and further research and analysis based. Perceived risk is recognised, but the management of this particular issue is not dealt with.

THE RELEVANCE OF RISK ASSESSMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS AND DECISION MAKING

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.T. Stoklosa
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Ecological Risk Assessment ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Environmental Hazards ◽  
Decision Makers

The relevance of ecological risk assessment is the principal subject of this paper. The petroleum industry has demonstrated expertise in characterising process safety risk, and can confidently analyse the circumstances of accidental or routine emissions to the environment. However, the task of characterising the effects of environmental hazards on ecological systems has until recently been the domain of a select group of research scientists and theoreticians.As environmental risk assessment practices evolve, they, of course, gain the attention of decision-makers that must consider the possible consequences of industrial development in potentially sensitive settings. There would appear to be an opportunity for advancing risk assessment techniques and methodologies to fill this demand. It might seem appropriate for the petroleum industry to exercise leadership in this endeavour, applying new technology in ecological risk assessment and setting new standards of performance.But what would be the purpose of refining the petroleum industry's approach to environmental risk assessment if decision makers and the public do not wish to embrace the ideology of more perfect scientific expressions of the risk of development to the environment? Decision makers seek to obtain the best possible scientific advice on which to base decisions. However, the criteria for decision-making is understandably weighted in favour of consultation with stakeholders on issues of high social significance.In order for risk assessment to constructively influence debate and decision-making on environmental issues, it is essential to recognise the features of the environment at risk that have both biological and societal relevance. Even so, the scientific practice of ecological risk assessment can only serve to highlight the issues at hand and communicate the strategy for managing risk. It does not stand to be regarded by decision-makers as the panacea for justifying industrial development in the foreseeable future.A methodology for applying the practice of risk assessment in environmental approvals and decision making is proposed. A strategy of early government participation ensures that the major scientific and social issues can be incorporated explicitly in the risk assessment process. The criteria for interpreting the acceptability of risk must be stated unambiguously at the outset to foster credibility in the results. To be a successful and relevant practice, risk must be communicated to stakeholders with both an explanation of the uncertainty in the results, and a comparison of the risk of industrial development to naturally occurring and anthropogenic environmental hazards.

scholarly journals Input-output model based ecological risk assessment for ecological risk management of watersheds: a case study in the Taihu Lake watershed, China

Water Policy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 556-573
Author(s):  
Jianchuan Qi ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Ping Yang ◽  
Bo Lai
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Ecological Risk Assessment ◽  
Taihu Lake ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Large Scope ◽  
Internal Interaction ◽  
Ecological Risk Management

To achieve advanced watershed ecological management, policy-makers have struggled to predict ecological impacts for a long time. As a process of ecosystem analysis, ecological risk assessment (ERA) has been widely adopted to analyse the possibility of adverse ecological effects. ERA has developed from considering only a few indicators in an area to multiple sources and receptors in large-scope regions. However, the transfer of risk in large-scope regions caused by internal interaction has not been deeply analysed, especially in regions with complex internal interaction structures. This would lead to extensive management, where watershed-level policies may not be fit for some subregions, thus leading to limited management efficiency. In this study, we integrate an Input-Output (IO) model into the Relative Risk Model (RRM), and propose an IO model based ERA (IO-ERA) methodology, which would reveal the intensity of ecological risk caused by local sources, direct water flows and indirect transfers. An IO-ERA is conducted in Taihu Lake watershed as a case study, in which we could demonstrate that IO-ERA is capable of providing advanced insights of risk analysis in large-scope regions. The outcome of IO-ERA would support watershed administration to transfer from single standard regulation to diverse, dynamic and lean ecological risk management.

THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RISK MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

2002 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN HOOD ◽  
SCOTT NICHOLL
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Environmental Management ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk Assessment ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Environmental Reporting ◽  
Environmental Risk Management ◽  
Risk Assessment And Management

In recent years, there have been significant developments in the field of environmental risk assessment and management. Its role in the corporate setting has been strengthened by claims that financial results and corporate reputation can be significantly improved through environmental management. Risk assessment and management provides one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective mechanisms for managing environmental issues and has subsequently led to the adoption of risk-based environmental management. This research examines the current discussion in the field of environmental risk management and undertakes a survey of 112 UK companies to ascertain how environmental risk assessment is perceived and what role it has in environmental management, including environmental reporting and accounting. The paper concludes that whilst there have been some positive developments in the area, companies, governments and regulators still have work to do in ensuring the adoption of best practice.

scholarly journals Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution in Sediments from Reservoirs of the Olt River as Tool for Environmental Risk Management

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (12) ◽  
pp. 4153-4162
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Contamination Factor ◽  
Potential Ecological Risk ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Risk Assessment Code ◽  
Environmental Risk Management

Heavy metals are among the most persistent pollutants in the ecosystem due to their resistance at decomposition in natural condition. They have low solubility in water and tend to be adsorbed and accumulated on bottom sediments. Anthropogenic actions conduct to the discharge of heavy metals from various sources (industrial, urban, and/or agriculture) to rivers water that are ultimately immobilized in marine sediments under current action. In this work, an investigation of pollution and ecological risk in the Olt River waters is performed based on assessing the accumulation of heavy metals in sediments. Therefore, sediment samples were collected from 22 locations on the Olt River, in its middle and lower basin, and investigated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry which allows us to measure very low elements concentration levels. Two main aspects were foreseen in this study: (i) determining the content and spatial distribution of heavy metals in the Olt River surface sediments, and (ii) assessing the pollution level based on various parameters, namely the contamination factor, the geo-accumulation, pollution load and Nemerow pollution indexes, the potential ecological risk, and risk assessment code. This methodology proves to be an appropriate tool to apply in decision-making on environmental risk management. Keywords: heavy metals, ecological risk, pollution, ecosystem, sediments

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