Abstract: Environmental Best Practices: Lessons Learned for the Future

Elliott, R. H. - Chevron Niugini Pty Ltd.; Kolmehl, M. H. and Armstrong, K. - Chevron Overseas Petroleum Inc.

The Kutubu Petroleum Development Project was the first commercial oil production in Papua New Guinea. Because of the characteristics of the project area — remote, ecologically fragile, and biologically diverse, a comprehensive approach to assess and manage the environmental, as well as the social impact of the project was used from the beginning. This meant that strict environmental and safety practices had to be fully integrated into all plans for construction and operation.

We are guided by a deeply held philosophy, called the "Chevron Way" that has evolved over many years and reflects the ideas and experiences of many of our employees. A key component of this is the program called "Protecting People and the Environment." This document pledges that we are committed to protecting the safety and health of people and the environment and to conducting our business in a socially responsible manner. We have also developed a corporate-wide process for the efficient development of resource projects, referred to as "Upstream Development Process" or UADP. While it considers front-end engineering is critical, it also requires that environmental, safety, and community issues are evaluated, understood and included in the front-end engineering.

A number of several key environmental protection measures that we incorporated into the design, construction, and operation of the project included:

- A careful assessment of socioeconomic, cultural, and archaeological impacts.

- A buried export pipelines for better protection and minimize clearing of tropical rain forest.

- Facilities design such that, in the unlikely event of a spill, no oil would enter pristine Lake Kutubu.

- The produced water and gas are re-injected to avoid any discharges and flaring.

- Programs to monitor and rehabilitate disturbed areas.

We have also developed a joint program with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to establish integrated conservancy areas and programs for the local people for ecologically sustainable development. We are proud to say there has been no environmental incident and impact to the environment has been minimal. This has been substantiated by the WWF in their surveys.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90933©1998 ABGP/AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil