The global oil and gas industry is today facing a number of varied health, safety and environmental (HSE) challenges.
For instance, when you look at reservoirs around the world, the days of easy oil and gas are coming to an end. Oil and gas will be discovered and produced under increasingly more complex and challenging circumstances, requiring our industry to keep evolving our approach to HSE, to mitigate risks to people, communities and the environment.
Meanwhile, heightened stakeholder awareness means that the industry operates under greater scrutiny than previously and, therefore, has a responsibility to forge stronger-than-ever relationships to ensure it maintains its licence to operate. In addition, the loss of experience and talent through retirement makes it critical for companies to embed the highest health, safety and environmental protection practices across their operations, so that any changes in personnel and work practices do not have any apparent negative impact.
Another demand and challenge that the industry is facing today is that fact shifts in energy market dynamics are driving oil and gas companies to examine costs and find ways to do more with less – and so this could, theoretically, impact HSE.
These shifts in market dynamics have put the onus on all oil and gas companies to manage costs to ensure they can thrive and compete in the changing energy environment. But the industry knows a single unfortunate incident, or just one act of carelessness by an individual, can undermine everything we are trying to achieve.
HSE makes commercial sense
That is why companies know that investments in HSE training, to assure safe operations, are not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. In other words, ensuring a solid HSE performance is as much an investment in people, society, and the environment, as it is in the business. Â There are countless examples, across the industry, that point to the undeniable fact that strong HSE policies and practices contribute to the commercial success of the business.
At ADNOC, for example, it is our firm conviction that HSE is fundamental to our successful transformation into a more resilient, commercially minded and performance driven company, and a pivotal enabler of our 2030 smart growth strategy.
The firm has also has implemented a 100% HSE strategy. This fundamentally expresses ADNOC’s unwavering commitment to work relentlessly to ensure the safety of our people and the communities in which we operate, the integrity of our assets and the protection of the environment. We know this is not accomplished by posters on a wall, or simple talk. It is achieved by committed people that think and act 100% HSE, supported by clear systems and procedures.
A full commitment to HSE leaves zero room for compromises, shortcuts or negotiations. It means everyone has full ownership of their work and is empowered and expected to stop any unsafe task, address the HSE risks and ensure compliance with HSE policies and procedures. For us, 100% HSE is a key driver of our four strategic imperatives – people, performance, profitability and efficiency – so our main goal is to fully embed an HSE culture of empowerment and accountability in every individual that joins the firm, so we can categorically make sure everyone goes home safe, day after day.
Expect the same from others
In every industry, there are many collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. It is entirely right and proper to expect the same level of commitment to HSE from everyone, including business partners, contractors and service providers. We want everyone we work with to proactively address and mitigate HSE risks and not only develop a culture of 100% HSE but also continuously advance their, and our, HSE standards. To encourage HSE best practice, we recognise suppliers who clearly contribute to our safety ambitions, as we develop a sustainable and long-term strategy for awarding projects and selecting contractors who demonstrate a similar adherence to HSE.
More widely, companies in the industry, whatever their scale, need to assess the impact of their operations on the environment.
We operate our facilities with the goal of preventing environmental incidents. The principal of pollution prevention and control is central to how we operate and we concentrate our efforts on taking a proactive approach towards environmental protection rather than one that focuses on remedial efforts alone.
We diligently assess the environmental impact and risks of new projects to ensure environmental risks are managed to an acceptable level and do not result in adverse consequences. This is supplemented with continuous environmental monitoring during the development and active phases of projects, through to decommissioning.
Baseline environmental impact assessment surveys are carried out before new works begin and environmental monitoring is undertaken throughout construction to ensure there are no unanticipated impacts on ecosystems. Embedding environmental protection in its operations ensures ADNOC is proactive in seeking to preserve the environment from which it draws the energy the world demands.
