A Sheffield Hallam University Thesis
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Developing an environmental management approach to Libya's upstream petroleum industry. EMHMED, Ehmiada. Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19625/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/19625/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. 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Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Developing an Environmental Management Approach to Libya's Upstream Petroleum Industry By Ehmiada Emhmed A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Sheffield Hallam University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2008 Declaration In accordance with the regulation for presenting theses and other work of higher degrees, I hereby declare that this thesis of Doctor of Philosophy is entirely my own work and that it not has been submitted for a degree at any university. December 2008 Dedication To my family, who have continuously supported me throughout the course of this thesis. Acknowledgments I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to my supervisors, D r Ernie Jowsey and Dr Mike Heath. Their invaluable advice and careful guidance are highly appreciated. I would also like to thank those who agreed to be interviewed and the respondents of the questionnaire for their time and cooperation. A special thanks as well to all those who assisted me with this project. Finally, to my country I pledge my loyalty and devotion. M ay ALLAH grant her peace and prosperity. To all of those, I extend my deepest gratitude. ABSTRACT Concern about environmental impacts of the upstream oil and gas industry in Libya, which is an essential part of the national economy, is increasing following more intensive development of the country’s petroleum reserves. The petroleum industry recognises that potential environmental impacts and consequences are associated with their exploration and production activities. This thesis seeks to examine the environmental impacts and performance of the upstream oil and gas industry in Libya in order to establish an efficient environmental management approach to this important industry sector. The current environmental management approach to dealing with the environmental impacts of the Libyan upstream oil and gas industry is investigated. The research investigates the implementation of and compliance with environmental regulations. The research also investigates whether the Libyan National Oil Corporation (LNOC’s) recently established environmental department and the Environment general Authority (EGA) can be regarded as competent bodies in dealing with environmental issues. Management of the petroleum sector is also reviewed, especially the relationship between the LNOC and its subsidiaries. In addition, the effect of sanctions, which were imposed upon the country for more than a decade, on the environmental performance of the oil and gas industry is investigated. The research comes to conclusions and makes recommendations for environmental management of the Libyan oil and gas industry sector. These include recommendations about implementation of the existing environmental regulations. The environmental policies and management systems adopted by the industry should be greatly influenced by this work. List of Abbreviations ADMA OPCO Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company ADNOC Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CEF Communication Environmental and Fisheries CFC Chlorofluorocarbon CH4 Methane C02 Carbon dioxide EBS Environmental Baseline Studies EDM Environmental Decision-Making EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMS Environmental Management System E&P Exploration & Production EPSA Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements GDP Gross Domestic Product GHGs Greenhouse Gases HC Hydrocarbons HFCs Hydrofluorocarbons HSE Health, Safety & Environment IAOGP International Association of Oil and Gas Producers lOCs International oil companies ISO International Standards Organisation LIPETCO Libyan General Petroleum Corporation LNOC Libyan National Oil Corporation LPG Liquefied petroleum gas LPI Libyan Petroleum Institute NDC National Drilling Company in (UAE) NGOs Non-government Organisations n 2o Nitrous oxide NORM Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials OBM Oil-Based Mud OPEC The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries PFCs Perfluorocarbons SBM Synthetic Based Mud SF6 Sulphur hexafluoride SPSS The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences UAE United Arab Emirate UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNEP United Nations Environmental Programme US United States VOC Volatile Organic Compound WBM Water-Based Mud WHO The World Health Organisation ZADCO Zakum Development Company in (UAE) v Contents Declaration. ..............................................................................................................................# D edication ............................. ii Acknowledgments ...............................................................................................................Hi ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................iv List of Abbreviations........................................................................................................... v Chapter One ............................................................................................................................1 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 1.1 The Research Topic .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Aims and Objectives ...........................................................................................................2 1.2 The Research Context ............................. 3 1.3 The Libyan Petroleum Industry ..................................................................................5 1.4 Structure of the Thesis ....................................................................................................6 Chapter Two ............................................................................................................................8 2 Environmental Impact Theory and El A ................................................................ 8 2.1 Environmental Impact ......................................................................................................8 2.1.1 Conceptual Model of the Environmental Im pact ........................................................... 11 2.1.2 Environmental Impact and Sustainability ........................................................................12 2.1.2.1 Sustainable Development.......................................................................................12 2.1.2.2 Human Imprint.........................................................................................................15 2.2 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)........................................................... 17 2.2.1 The Aims and Objectives of EIA ......................................................................................20 2.3 The Environmental Impact Assessment Process ............................................21 2.3.1 Screening ...........................................................................................................................23 2.3.2 Scoping .............................................................................................................................. 24 2.3.3 Impact Prediction and Identification .................................................................................25 2.3.3.1 Biological and Physio-chemical Impacts..............................................................27 2.3.3.2 Social Impacts..........................................................................................................27 2.3.3.3 Cultural Impacts...................................................................................................... 28 2.3.3A Health Impacts........................................................................................................ 28 2.3.3.5 Economic Impacts...................................................................................................28 2.3.4 Magnitude and Significance of the Impacts