Oil and Gas Industry: Environmental Impacts, Mitigation and Standards

This report provides a detailed overview of the environmental impacts associated with the oil and gas industry. It explores the various stages of the industry, from exploration to refining, and highlights potential hazards and risks, including water contamination, air pollution, and the generation of noise pollution. The report outlines mitigation measures such as wastewater treatment, emission control, and waste recycling to minimize environmental damage. It emphasizes the importance of adhering to construction and environmental standards, as well as implementing a robust HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) management system to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. The report underscores the crucial role of these standards in reducing hazards and ensuring the safety of both employees and the surrounding community.

Downstream : Oil & gas industry industry
Environmental impacts
Introduction
The main aim of this poster
presentation is to present the
impacts of Oil and Gas industry
while finding the new deposits and
the stages of exploration and the
time when oil refining is done. It
also includes the risks and possible
accidents which can be raised
during the activities.
Description
in the today’s world oil plays a
vital role in everybody’d life from
cooking to travel from one place to
another.
But on the other hand, this
industry also holds a potential
hazard to the environment. It
effects the environment at
different levels like air, water, soil
and consequently all living beings.
Potential environmental effects
1) There is a problem of water contamination
due to effluent wash water and cooling water
discharge.
The contamination of water happens due to the
discharge of water effluents rich in inorganic
salts which are inappropriately treated.
3) Generation of thermal pollution due to the
discharge of effluents with temperature higher
than the recipient water bodies.
4) During the production of oil and gas the
operative plants use to emit sulfur and nitrogen
oxides, ammonia gas, acid mists and fluorine
compounds gas which are hazards since they
contribute to ozone layer depletion.
5) Occasional release of hazardous materials
such as solvents and acids or alkaline materials.
6) Generation of noise pollution caused from the
equipments and operations.
7) Mishappenings at the site during operations
like large oil spills, leaks, fires and explosions.
Mitigation measures
1) There should be not discharge of water
without treatment. The treatment of the
water effluents would be done by
neutralization, flocculation, evaporation,
separation of oil and grease or reverse
osmosis.
2) Discharges of the liquid effluents is
according to the water bodies which
complies with the standards of laws and
regulations of each country.
3) Emission of gas can be controlled with the
help of carbon adsorption or by wet
scrubbers.
5) Preventive maintenance of the equipments
will help the occasional leakage of oil from
the equipments.
6) Solid wastes which cannot be treated should
be recycles before the final disposal.
7) There should be emergency response plan for
the accidents which may occur on the sites
Standards
There are various standards which have to be
observed in the oil and gas value chain.
Observing them ensures that all risks that may
result while in the workplace are identified and
measures are put in place so as to avert such
risks. Some of this standards include
construction standards whereby the federal and
state government defines how companies in oil
and gas value chain ought to be constructed.
The other is environmental standards whereby
organization in charge of protecting the
environment puts in place measures on how
pollution to environment should be handled.
How to apply to reduce hazards
Standards are very crucial when it comes to
hazards reduction. This is because all companies
have o do so as to minimize hazards is to follow
them. For instance, construction standards
helps to reduce chances of building collapsing
since it cannot handle the pressure of the
machinery. It also ensures there is free air
circulation system which helps refresh air in the
organization thus ensuring a healthy working
environment where toxic compounds produced
as end products to the system cannot harm the
workers thus being a health and safety hazard.
Environmental standards, on the other hand,
ensure the safety of the employees as well as
the community through having a system to
reduce waste and control pollution especially
into water bodies from which society draws
water.
HSE Management
(Health, Safety, and Environment) management
system refers to the mechanism which
employers put in place in order to reduce the
risks which result from injury at work as well as
illnesses. Employers need to have an effective
HSE management system. Doing so reduces
injuries and illnesses which occur in the oil and
gas value chain.