Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are commonly applied throughout the oil and gas industry to ensure that the likely significant environmental (and social) effects of projects are identified and assessed and, where possible, mitigation measures are defined in order to avoid, reduce, control or compensate for adverse effects or enhance positive benefits.

 

EIA should be seen as a continuous process throughout the project lifecycle.  As such, we feel that by being involved in the early stages of a project and fostering a close working relationship with our clients, we are able to effectively:

 

• Engage with the project team to support the concept selection and project design process
• Co-ordinate or participate in Environmental Issues Identification (ENVID) studies to identify issues for significance assessment
• Prepare stakeholder engagement strategies and drive the engagement process with external stakeholders including Government and statutory authorities and Non-Government Organisations
• Prepare EIA Scoping Reports to provide stakeholders with an overview of the project and invite them into input into the identification of key issues, areas of concern and additional data that may be required in order to inform the EIA process
• Prepare work scopes for specialist surveys/studies and help manage third-party specialist companies (e.g. Environmental Baseline Survey Contractor)
• Characterise the baseline environment which could be impacted by the project using a combination of published data sources and site specific survey data in order to assess potentially sensitive receptors
• Conduct the assessment to identify all potential impacts, determine their significance and select appropriate mitigation control measures
• Document the results of the EIA in Environmental Statements (ESs)
• Develop Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans to help clients achieve the targets and objectives identified in the EIA
• Help clients ensure compliance with environmental (and social) regulatory and internal requirements as the project progresses

 

Orbis personnel have worked on numerous EIAs for projects of varying scales (from single exploration wells in sensitive areas to full-scale field development projects) within a wide range of countries.  We are very familiar with UK EIA Regulations and, internationally, have worked in compliance with the Equator Principles, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.