Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines for Onshore Oil and Gas Development Introduction The applicability of specific technical recommendations should be based on the professional opinion of qualified and The Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Guidelines are experienced persons. When host country regulations differ from technical reference documents with general and industry- the levels and measures presented in the EHS Guidelines, specific examples of Good International Industry Practice projects are expected to achieve whichever is more stringent. If (GIIP) 1. When one or more members of the World Bank Group less stringent levels or measures than those provided in these are involved in a project, these EHS Guidelines are applied as EHS Guidelines are appropriate, in view of specific project required by their respective policies and standards. These circumstances, a full and detailed justification for any proposed industry sector EHS guidelines are designed to be used alternatives is needed as part of the site-specific environmental together with the General EHS Guidelines document, which assessment. This justification should demonstrate that the provides guidance to users on common EHS issues potentially choice for any alternate performance levels is protective of applicable to all industry sectors. For complex projects, use of human health and the environment. multiple industry-sector guidelines may be necessary. A complete list of industry-sector guidelines can be found at: Applicability www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvironmentalGuidelines The EHS Guidelines for Onshore Oil and Gas Development The EHS Guidelines contain the performance levels and include information relevant to seismic exploration; exploration measures that are generally considered to be achievable in new and production drilling; development and production activities; facilities by existing technology at reasonable costs. Application transportation activities including pipelines; other facilities of the EHS Guidelines to existing facilities may involve the including pump stations, metering stations, pigging stations, establishment of site-specific targets, with an appropriate compressor stations and storage facilities; ancillary and support timetable for achieving them. The applicability of the EHS operations; and decommissioning. For onshore oil and gas Guidelines should be tailored to the hazards and risks facilities located near the coast (e.g. coastal terminals marine established for each project on the basis of the results of an supply bases, loading / offloading terminals), additional environmental assessment in which site-specific variables, such guidance is provided in the EHS Guidelines for Ports, as host country context, assimilative capacity of the Harbors, and Terminals. This document is organized environment, and other project factors, are taken into account. according to the following sections: 1 Defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence and foresight that would be reasonably expected from skilled and experienced professionals Section 1.0 — Industry-Specific Impacts and Management engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar Section 2.0 — Performance Indicators and Monitoring circumstances globally. The circumstances that skilled and experienced Section 3.0 — References professionals may find when evaluating the range of pollution prevention and Annex A — General Description of Industry Activities control techniques available to a project may include, but are not limited to, varying levels of environmental degradation and environmental assimilative capacity as well as varying levels of financial and technical feasibility. APRIL 30, 2007 1 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP 1.0 Industry-Specific Impacts compounds (VOC) methane and ethane; benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTEX); glycols; and polycyclic and Management aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This section provides a summary of EHS issues associated with onshore oil and gas development, along with recommendations Significant (>100,000 tons CO2 equivalent per year) greenhouse for their management. These issues may be relevant to any of gas (GHG) emissions from all facilities and support activities the activities listed as applicable to these guidelines. Additional should be quantified annually as aggregate emissions in guidance for the management of EHS issues common to most accordance with internationally recognized methodologies and large industrial facilities during the construction phase is reporting procedures.2 provided in the General EHS Guidelines. All reasonable attempts should be made to maximize energy 1.1 Environment efficiency and design facilities to minimize energy use. The overall objective should be to reduce air emissions and evaluate The following environmental issues should be considered as cost-effective options for reducing emissions that are technically part of a comprehensive assessment and management program feasible. Additional recommendations on the management of that addresses project-specific risks and potential impacts. greenhouse gases and energy conservation are addressed in Potential environmental issues associated with onshore oil and the General EHS Guidelines. gas development projects include the following: Air quality impacts should be estimated by the use of baseline • Air emissions air quality assessments and atmospheric dispersion models to • Wastewater / effluent discharges establish potential ground level ambient air concentrations • Solid and liquid waste management during facility design and operations planning as described in • Noise generation the General EHS Guidelines . These studies should ensure that • Terrestrial impacts and project footprint no adverse impacts to human health and the environment result. • Spills Exhaust gases Air Emissions Exhaust gas emissions produced by the combustion of gas or The main sources of air emissions (continuous or non- liquid fuels in turbines, boilers, compressors, pumps and other continuous) resulting from onshore activities include: engines for power and heat generation, or for water injection or combustion sources from power and heat generation, and the oil and gas export, can be the most significant source of air use of compressors, pumps, and reciprocating engines (boilers, emissions from onshore facilities. Air emission specifications turbines, and other engines); emissions resulting from flaring should be considered during all equipment selection and and venting of hydrocarbons; and fugitive emissions. procurement. Principal pollutants from these sources include nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulates. Additional pollutants can include: hydrogen sulfide (H2S); volatile organic 2Additional guidance on quantification methodologies can be found in IFC Guidance Note 3, Annex A, available at www.ifc.org/envsocstandards APRIL 30, 2007 2 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Guidance for the management of small combustion source Alternative options may include gas utilization for on-site energy emissions with a capacity of up to 50 megawatt hours thermal needs, export of the gas to a neighboring facility or to market, (MWth), including air emission standards for exhaust emissions, gas injection for reservoir pressure maintenance, enhanced is provided in the General EHS Guidelines. For combustion recovery using gas lift, or gas for instrumentation. An source emissions with a capacity of greater than 50 MWth refer assessment of alternatives should be adequately documented to the EHS Guidelines for Thermal Power. and recorded. If none of the alternative options are currently feasible, then measures to minimize flare volumes should be Venting and Flaring evaluated and flaring should be considered as an interim Associated gas brought to the surface with crude oil during oil solution, with the elimination of continuous production- production is sometimes disposed of at onshore facilities by associated gas flaring as the preferred goal. venting or flaring to the atmosphere. This practice is now widely recognized to be a waste of a valuable resource, as well as a If flaring is necessary, continuous improvement of flaring significant source of GHG emissions. through implementation of best practices and new technologies should be demonstrated. The following pollution prevention and However, flaring or venting are also important safety measures control measures should be considered for gas flaring: used on onshore oil and gas facilities to ensure gas and other hydrocarbons are safely disposed of in the event of an • Implementation of source gas reduction measures to the emergency, power or equipment failure, or other plant upset maximum extent possible; condition. • Use of efficient flare tips, and optimization of the size and number of burning nozzles; Measures consistent with the Global Gas Flaring and Venting • Maximizing flare combustion efficiency by controlling and Reduction Voluntary Standard (part of the World Bank Group’s optimizing flare fuel / air stream flow rates to ensure the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Public-Private Partnership (GGFR correct ratio of assist stream to flare stream; program3) should be adopted when considering flaring and • Minimizing flaring from purges and pilots, without venting options for onshore activities. The standard provides compromising safety, through measures including guidance on how to eliminate or achieve reductions in the flaring installation of purge gas reduction devices, flare gas and venting of natural gas. recovery units, inert purge gas, soft seat valve technology where appropriate, and installation of conservation pilots; Continuous venting of associated gas is not considered current • Minimizing risk of pilot blow-out by ensuring sufficient exit good practice and should be avoided. The associated gas velocity and providing wind guards; stream should be routed to an efficient flare system, although continuous flaring of gas should be avoided if feasible • Use of a reliable pilot ignition system; alternatives are available. Before flaring is adopted, feasible • Installation of high integrity instrument pressure protection alternatives for the use of the gas should be evaluated to the systems, where appropriate, to reduce over pressure maximum extent possible and integrated into production design. events and avoid or reduce flaring situations; • Minimizing liquid carry-over and entrainment in the gas flare stream with a suitable liquid separation system; 3 World Bank Group (2004) APRIL 30, 2007 3 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP • Minimizing flame lift off and / or flame lick; Methods for controlling and reducing fugitive emissions should • Operating flare to control odor and visible smoke emissions be considered and implemented in the design, operation, and (no visible black smoke); maintenance of facilities. The selection of appropriate valves, • Locating flare at a safe distance from local communities flanges, fittings, seals, and packings should consider safety and and the workforce including workforce accommodation suitability requirements as well as their capacity to reduce gas units; leaks and fugitive emissions. Additionally, leak detection and • Implementation of burner maintenance and replacement repair programs should be implemented. Vapor control units programs to ensure continuous maximum flare efficiency; should be installed, as needed, for hydrocarbon loading and • Metering flare gas. unloading operations. In the event of an emergency or equipment breakdown, or plant Use of open vents in tank roofs should be avoided by installing upset conditions, excess gas should not be vented but should pressure relief valves . Vapor control units should be installed, be sent to an efficient flare gas system. Emergency venting may as needed, for the loading and unloading of ship tankers. Vapor be necessary under specific field conditions where flaring of the processing systems may consist of different units, such as gas stream is not possible, or where a flare gas system is not carbon adsorption, refrigeration, thermal oxidation, and lean oil available, such as a lack of sufficient hydrocarbon content in the absorption units. Additional guidance for the prevention and gas stream to support combustion or a lack of sufficient gas control of fugitive emissions from storage tanks are provided in pressure to allow it to enter the flare system. Justification for the EHS Guidelines for Crude Oil and Petroleum Product excluding a gas flaring system should be fully documented Terminals. before an emergency gas venting facility is considered. Well Testing To minimize flaring events as a result of equipment breakdowns During well testing, flaring of produced hydrocarbons should be and plant upsets, plant reliability should be high (>95 percent) avoided wherever practical and possible, and especially near and provision should be made for equipment sparing and plant local communities or in environmentally sensitive areas. turn down protocols. Feasible alternatives should be evaluated for the recovery of hydrocarbon test fluids, while considering the safety of handling Flaring volumes for new facilities should be estimated during the volatile hydrocarbons, for transfer to a processing facility or initial commissioning period so that fixed volume flaring targets other alternative disposal options. An evaluation of disposal can be developed. The volumes of gas flared for all flaring alternatives for produced hydrocarbons should be adequately events should be recorded and reported. documented and recorded. Fugitive Emissions If flaring is the only option available for the disposal of test fluids, Fugitive emissions at onshore facilities may be associated with only the minimum volume of hydrocarbons required for the test cold vents, leaking pipes and tubing, valves, connections, should be flowed and well test durations should be reduced to flanges, packings, open-ended lines, pump seals, compressor the extent practical. An efficient test flare burner head equipped seals, pressure relief valves, tanks or open pits / containments, with an appropriate combustion enhancement system should be and hydrocarbon loading and unloading operations. selected to minimize incomplete combustion, black smoke, and APRIL 30, 2007 4 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP hydrocarbon fallout. Volumes of hydrocarbons flared should be Discharged produced water should be treated to meet the limits recorded. included in Table 1 in Section 2.1 of this Guideline.4 Wastewaters Produced water treatment technologies will depend on the final The General EHS Guidelines provide information on disposal alternative selected and particular field conditions. wastewater management, water conservation and reuse, along Technologies to consider may include combinations of gravity with wastewater and water quality monitoring programs. The and / or mechanical separation and chemical treatment, and guidance below is related to additional wastewater streams may require a multistage system containing a number of specific to the onshore oil and gas sector. technologies in series to meet injection or discharge requirements. Sufficient treatment system backup capability Produced Water should be in place to ensure continual operation and or an Oil and gas reservoirs contain water (formation water) that is alternative disposal method should be available. produced when brought to the surface during hydrocarbon To reduce the volume of produced water for disposal the production. The produced water stream can be one of the following should be considered: largest waste products, by volume, managed and disposed of by the onshore oil and gas industry. Produced water contains a • Adequate well management during well completion complex mixture of inorganic (dissolved salts, trace metals, activities to minimize water production; suspended particles) and organic (dispersed and dissolved • Recompletion of high water producing wells to minimize hydrocarbons, organic acids) compounds, and in many cases, water production; residual chemical additives (e.g. scale and corrosion inhibitors) • Use of downhole fluid separation techniques, where that are added into the hydrocarbon production process. possible, and water shutoff techniques, when technically Feasible alternatives for the management and disposal of and economically feasible; produced water should be evaluated and integrated into • Shutting in high water producing wells. production design. The main disposal alternatives may include To minimize environmental hazards related to residual chemical injection into the reservoir to enhance oil recovery, and injection additives in the produced water stream where surface disposal into a dedicated disposal well drilled to a suitable receiving methods are used, production chemicals should be selected subsurface geological formation. Other possible uses such as carefully by taking into account their volume, toxicity, irrigation, dust control, or use by other industry, may be bioavailability, and bioaccumulation potential. appropriate to consider if the chemical nature of the produced water is compatible with these options. Produced water Disposal into evaporation ponds may be an option for produced discharges to surface waters or to land should be the last option waters. The construction and management measures included considered and only if there is no other option available. 4 Effluent discharge to surface waters should not result in significant impact on human health and environmental receptors. A disposal plan that considers points of discharge, rate of discharge, chemical use and dispersion and environmental risk may be necessary. Discharges should be planned away from environmentally sensitive areas, with specific attention to high water tables, vulnerable aquifers, and wetlands, and community receptors, including water wells, water intakes, and high-value agricultural land. APRIL 30, 2007 5 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP in this Guideline for surface storage or disposal pits should also Holding ponds should meet the guidance for surface apply to produced water ponds. storage or disposal pits as discussed in this Guideline; • Use the same hydrotest water for multiple tests; Hydrostatic Testing Water • Hydrostatic test water quality should be monitored before Hydrostatic testing of equipment and pipelines involves pressure use and discharge and should be treated to meet the testing with water to detect leaks and verify equipment and discharge limits in Table 1 in Section 2.1 of this Guideline. pipeline integrity. Chemical additives (corrosion inhibitors, • If significant quantities of chemically treated hydrostatic test oxygen scavengers, and dyes) may be added to the water to waters are required to be discharged to a surface water prevent internal corrosion or to identify leaks. For pipeline body, water receptors both upstream and downstream of testing, test manifolds installed onto sections of newly the discharge should be monitored. Post-discharge constructed pipelines, should be located outside of riparian chemical analysis of receiving water bodies may be zones and wetlands. necessary to demonstrate that no degradation of environmental quality has occurred; Water sourcing for hydrotesting purposes should not adversely • If discharged to water, the volume and composition of the affect the water level or flow rate of a natural water body, and test water, as well as the stream flow or volume of the the test water withdrawal rate (or volume) should not exceed 10 receiving water body, should be considered in selecting an percent of the stream flow (or volume) of the water source. appropriate discharge site to ensure that water quality will Erosion control measures and fish-screening controls should be not be adversely affected outside of the defined mixing implemented as necessary during water withdrawals at the zone; intake locations. • Use break tanks or energy dissipators (e.g. protective The disposal alternatives for test waters following hydrotesting riprap, sheeting, tarpaulins) for the discharge flow; include injection into a disposal well if one is available or • Use sediment control methods (e.g. silt fences, sandbags discharge to surface waters or land surface. If a disposal well is or hay bales) to protect aquatic biota, water quality, and unavailable and discharge to surface waters or land surface is water users from the potential effect of discharge, such as necessary the following pollution prevention and control increased sedimentation and reduced water quality; measures should be considered: • If discharged to land, the discharge site should be selected to prevent flooding, erosion, or lowered agriculture • Reduce the need for chemicals by minimizing the time that capability of the receiving land. Direct discharge on test water remains in the equipment or pipeline; cultivated land and land immediately upstream of • If chemical use is necessary, carefully select chemical community / public water intakes should be avoided; additives in terms of dose concentration, toxicity, • Water discharge during cleaning pig runs and pretest water biodegradability, bioavailability, and bioaccumulation should be collected in holding tanks and should be potential; discharged only after water-quality testing to ensure that it • Conduct toxicity testing as necessary using recognized test meets discharge criteria established in Table 1 of Section methodologies. A holding pond may be necessary to 2.1 of this Guideline. provide time for the toxicity of the water to decrease. APRIL 30, 2007 6 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Cooling and Heating Systems installed. Drip trays, or other controls, should be used to Water conservation opportunities provided in the General EHS collect run-off from equipment that is not contained within a Guideline should be considered for oil and gas facility cooling bunded area and the contents routed to the closed and heating systems. If cooling water is used, it should be drainage system. Stormwater flow channels and collection discharged to surface waters in a location that will allow ponds installed as part of the open drainage system should maximum mixing and cooling of the thermal plume to ensure be fitted with oil / water separators. Separators may include that the temperature is within 3 degrees Celsius of ambient baffle type or coalescing plate type and should be regularly temperature at the edge of the defined mixing zone or within maintained. Stormwater runoff should be treated through 100 meters of the discharge point, as noted in Table 1 of an oil / water separation system able to achieve an oil and Section 2.1 of this Guideline. grease concentration of 10 mg/L, as noted in Table 1 of Section 2.1 of this Guideline. Additional guidance on the If biocides and / or other chemical additives are used in the management of stormwater is provided in the General cooling water system, consideration should be given to residual EHS Guideline. effects at discharge using techniques such as risk based assessment. • Tank bottom waters: The accumulation of tank bottom waters should be minimized by regular maintenance of Other Waste Waters tank roofs and seals to prevent rainwater infiltration. Other waste waters routinely generated at onshore oil and gas Consideration should be given to routing these waters to facilities include sewage waters, drainage waters, tank bottom the produced water stream for treatment and disposal, if water, fire water, equipment and vehicle wash waters and available. Alternatively they should be treated as a general oily water. Pollution prevention and treatment measures hazardous waste and disposed of in accordance with the that should be considered for these waste waters include: facility waste management plan. Tank bottom sludges should also be periodically removed and recycled or • Sewage: Gray and black water from showers, toilets and disposed of as a hazardous waste. kitchen facilities should be treated as described in the • Firewater : Firewater from test releases should be directed General EHS Guidelines. to the facility drainage system. • Wash waters: Equipment and vehicle wash waters should • Drainage and storm waters: Separate drainage systems for be directed to the closed drainage system. drainage water from process areas that could be • General oily water: Oily water from drip trays and liquid contaminated with oil (closed drains) and drainage water slugs from process equipment and pipelines should be from non-process areas (open drains) should be available routed to the closed drainage system. to the extent practical. All process areas should be bunded to ensure drainage water flows into the closed drainage system and that uncontrolled contaminated surface run-off Surface Storage or Disposal Pits is avoided. Drainage tanks and slop tanks should be If surface pits or ponds are used for wastewater storage or for designed with sufficient capacity for foreseeable operating interim disposal during operations, the pits should be conditions, and systems to prevent overfilling should be constructed outside environmentally sensitive locations. APRIL 30, 2007 7 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Wastewater pit construction and management measures should Waste materials should be segregated into non-hazardous and include: hazardous wastes for consideration for re-use, recycling, or disposal. Waste management planning should establish a clear • Installation of a liner so that the bottom and sides of the pit strategy for wastes that will be generated including options for have a coefficient of permeability of no greater than 1 x 10-7 waste elimination, reduction or recycling or treatment and centimeters per second (cm/sec). Liners should be disposal, before any wastes are generated. A waste compatible with the material to be contained and of management plan documenting the waste strategy, storage sufficient strength and thickness to maintain the integrity of (including facilities and locations) and handling procedures the pit. Typical liners may include synthetic materials, should be developed and should include a clear waste tracking cement / clay type or natural clays, although the hydraulic mechanism to track waste consignments from the originating conductivity of natural liners should be tested to ensure location to the final waste treatment and disposal location. integrity; Guidance for waste management of these typical waste streams • Construction to a depth of typically 5 m above the seasonal is provided in the General EHS Guidelines. high water table; • Installation of measures (e.g. careful siting, berms) to Significant additional waste streams specific to onshore oil and prevent natural surface drainage from entering the pit or gas development activities may include: breaching during heavy storms; • Drilling fluids and drilled cuttings • Installation of a perimeter fence around the pit or • Produced sand installation of a screen to prevent access by people, • Completion and well work-over fluids livestock and wildlife (including birds); • Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) • Regular removal and recovery of free hydrocarbons from the pit contents surface; Drilling Fluids and Drilled Cuttings • Removal of pit contents upon completion of operations and The primary functions of drilling fluids used in oil and gas field disposal in accordance with the waste management plan; drilling operations include removal of drilled cuttings (rock • Reinstatement of the pit area following completion of chippings) from the wellbore and control of formation pressures. operations. Other important functions include sealing permeable formations, maintaining wellbore stability, cooling and lubricating the drill bit, Waste Management and transmitting hydraulic energy to the drilling tools and bit. Typical non-hazardous and hazardous wastes5 routinely Drilled cuttings removed from the wellbore and spent drilling generated at onshore facilities other than permitted effluents fluids are typically the largest waste streams generated during and emissions include general office and packaging wastes, oil and gas drilling activities. Numerous drilling fluid systems are waste oils, paraffins, waxes, oil contaminated rags, hydraulic available, but they can generally be categorized into one of two fluids, used batteries, empty paint cans, waste chemicals and fluid systems: used chemical containers, used filters, fluorescent tubes, scrap metals, and medical waste, among others. • Water-Based Drilling Fluids (WBDF): The continuous phase and suspending medium for solids (or liquid) is 5 As defined by local legislation or international conventions. APRIL 30, 2007 8 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP water or a water miscible fluid. There are many WBDF • Storage in dedicated storage tanks or lined pits prior to variations, including gel, salt-polymer, salt-glycol, and salt- treatment, recycling, and / or final treatment and disposal; silicate fluids; • On-site or off-site biological or physical treatment to render • Non-Aqueous Drilling Fluids (NADF): The continuous the fluid and cuttings non-hazardous prior to final disposal phase and suspending medium for solids (or liquid) is a using established methods such as thermal desorption in water immiscible fluid that is oil-based, enhanced mineral an internal thermal desorption unit to remove NADF for re- oil-based, or synthetic-based. use, bioremediation, landfarming, or solidification with cement and / or concrete. Final disposal routes for the non- Diesel-based fluids are also available, but the use of systems hazardous cuttings solid material should be established, that contain diesel as the principal component of the liquid and may include use in road construction material, phase is not considered current good practice. construction fill, or disposal through landfill including landfill cover and capping material where appropriate. In the case Typically, the solid medium used in most drilling fluids is barite of landfarming it should be demonstrated that subsoil (barium sulfate) for weight, with bentonite clays as a thickener. chemical, biological, and physical properties are preserved Drilling fluids also contain a number of chemicals that are added and water resources are protected; depending on the downhole formation conditions. • Recycling of spent fluids back to the vendors for treatment Drilling fluids are circulated downhole and routed to a solids and re-use. control system at the surface facilities where fluids can be Consider minimizing volumes of drilling fluids and drilled cuttings separated from the cuttings so that they may be recirculated requiring disposal by: downhole leaving the cuttings behind for disposal. These cuttings contain a proportion of residual drilling fluid. The volume • Use of high efficiency solids control equipment to reduce of cuttings produced will depend on the depth of the well and the the need for fluid change out and minimizing the amount of diameter of the hole sections drilled. The drilling fluid is replaced residual fluid on drilled cuttings; when its rheological properties or density of the fluid can no • Use of slim-hole multilateral wells and coiled tubing drilling longer be maintained or at the end of the drilling program. These techniques, when feasible, to reduce the amount of fluids spent fluids are then contained for reuse or disposal (NADFs are and cuttings generated. typically reused). Pollution prevention and control measures for spent drilling Feasible alternatives for the treatment and disposal of drilling fluids and drilled cuttings should include: fluids and drilled cuttings should be evaluated and included in the planning for the drilling program. Alternative options may • Minimizing environmental hazards related to residual include one, or a combination of, the following: chemicals additives on discharged cuttings by careful selection of the fluid system. • Injection of the fluid and cuttings mixture into a dedicated • Careful selection of fluid additives taking into account disposal well; technical requirements, chemical additive concentration, • Injection into the annular space of a well; toxicity, bioavailability and bioaccumulation potential; APRIL 30, 2007 9 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP • Monitoring and minimizing the concentration of heavy Produced sand should be treated as an oily waste, and may be metal impurities (mainly mercury and cadmium) in barite treated and disposed of along with other oil contaminated solid stock used in the fluid formulation. materials (e.g. with cuttings generated when NADFs are used or with tank bottom sludges). The construction and management measures included in this guideline for surface storage or disposal pits should also apply If water is used to remove oil from produced sand, it should be to cuttings and drilling fluid pits. For drilling pits, pit closure recovered and routed to an appropriate treatment and disposal should be completed as soon as practical, but no longer than 12 system (e.g. the produced water treatment system when months, after the end of operations. If the drilling waste is to be available). buried in the pit following operations (the Mix-Bury-Cover disposal method), the following minimum conditions should be Completion and Well Work-over Fluids met: Completion and well work-over fluids (including intervention and service fluids) can typically include weighted brines, acids, • The pit contents should be dried out as far as possible; methanol and glycols, and other chemical systems. These fluids • If necessary, the waste should be mixed with an are used to clean the wellbore and stimulate the flow of appropriate quantity of subsoil (typically three parts of hydrocarbons, or simply used to maintain downhole pressure. subsoil to one part of waste by volume); Once used these fluids may contain contaminants including • A minimum of one meter of clean subsoil should be placed solid material, oil, and chemical additives. Chemical systems over the mix; should be selected with consideration of their volume, toxicity, • Topsoil should not be used but it should be placed over the bioavailability, and bioaccumulation potential. Feasible disposal subsoil to fully reinstate the area. options should be evaluated for these fluids. Alternative disposal • The pit waste should be analyzed and the maximum options may include one, or a combination of, the following: lifetime loads should be calculated. A risk based • Collection of the fluids if handled in closed systems and assessment may be necessary to demonstrate that shipping to the original vendors for recycling; internationally recognized thresholds for chemical exposure are not exceeded. • Injection to a dedicated disposal well, where available; • Inclusion as part of the produced water waste stream for Produced Sand treatment and disposal. Spent acids should be neutralized Produced sand originating from the reservoir is separated from before treatment and disposal; the formation fluids during hydrocarbon processing. The • On-site or off-site biological or physical treatment at an produced sand can be contaminated with hydrocarbons, but the approved facility in accordance with the waste oil content can vary substantially depending on location, depth, management plan. and reservoir characteristics. Well completion should aim to reduce the production of sand at source using effective Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials downhole sand control measures. Depending on the field reservoir characteristics, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) may precipitate as scale or sludges in process piping and production vessels. Where APRIL 30, 2007 10 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP NORM is present, a NORM management program should be of noise and vibration pollution are likely to emanate from flaring developed so that appropriate handling procedures are followed. and rotating equipment. Noise sources include flares and vents, pumps, compressors, generators, and heaters. Noise prevention If removal of NORM is required for occupational health reasons and control measures are described in the General EHS (section 1.2), disposal options may include: canister disposal Guidelines, along with the recommended daytime and night during well abandonment; deep well or salt cavern injection; time noise level guidelines for urban or rural communities. injection into the annular space of a well or disposal to landfill in sealed containers. Noise impacts should be estimated by the use of baseline noise assessments for developments close to local human Sludge, scale, or NORM-impacted equipment should be treated, populations. For significant noise sources, such as flare stacks processed, or isolated so that potential future human exposures at permanent processing facilities, noise dispersion models to the treated waste would be within internationally accepted should be conducted to establish the noise level guidelines can risk-based limits. Recognized industrial practices should be be met and to assist in the design of facility siting, stack heights, used for disposal. If waste is sent to an external facility for engineered sound barriers, and sound insulation on buildings. disposal, the facility must be licensed to receive such waste. Field related vehicle traffic should be reduced as far as possible Hazardous Materials Management and access through local communities should be avoided when General guidance for the management of hazardous materials is not necessary. Flight access routes and low flight altitudes provided in the General EHS Guidelines. The following should be selected and scheduled to reduce noise impacts additional principles should be followed for chemicals used in without compromising aircraft and security. the onshore oil and gas sector: The sound and vibration propagation arising from seismic • Use chemical hazard assessment and risk management operations may result in impacts to human populations or to techniques to evaluate chemicals and their effects. wildlife. In planning seismic surveys, the following should be Selected chemicals should have been tested for considered to minimize impacts: environmental hazards; • Select chemicals with least hazard and lowest potential • Minimize seismic activities in the vicinity of local environmental and / or health impact, whenever possible; populations wherever possible; • Use of Ozone Depleting Substances6 should be avoided. • Minimize simultaneous operations on closely spaced survey lines; Noise • Use the lowest practicable vibrator power levels; Oil and gas development activities can generate noise during all • Reduce operation times, to the extent practical; phases of development including during seismic surveys, • When shot-hole methods are employed, charge size and construction activities, drilling and production, aerial surveys and hole depth should be appropriately selected to reduce air or road transportation. During operations, the main sources noise levels. Proper back-fill or plugging of holes will also help to reduce noise dispersion; 6As defined by the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer. APRIL 30, 2007 11 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP • Identify areas and time periods sensitive to wildlife such as footprint is not significantly increased. In addition, consider feeding and breeding locations and seasons and avoid suitable paint color for large structures that can blend with the them when possible; background. General guidance on minimizing the project • If sensitive wildlife species are located in the area, monitor footprint during construction and decommissioning activities is their presence before the onset of noise creating activities, provided in the General EHS Guidelines. and throughout the seismic program. In areas where Additional prevention and control measures to minimize the significant impacts to sensitive species are anticipated, footprint of onshore oil and gas developments may include the experienced wildlife observers should be used. Slowly following: buildup activities in sensitive locations. • Site all facilities in locations that avoid critical terrestrial and Terrestrial Impacts and Project Footprint aquatic habitat and plan construction activities to avoid Project footprints resulting from exploration and construction sensitive times of the year; activities may include seismic tracks, well pads, temporary • Minimize land requirements for aboveground permanent facilities, such as workforce base camps, material (pipe) storage facilities; yards, workshops, access roads, airstrips and helipads, • Minimize areas to be cleared. Use hand cutting where equipment staging areas, and construction material extraction possible, avoiding the use of heavy equipment such as sites (including borrow pits and quarries). bulldozers, especially on steep slopes, water and wetland crossings, and forested and ecologically sensitive areas; Operational footprints may include well pads, permanent • Use a central processing / treatment facility for operations, processing treatment, transmission and storage facilities, when practical; pipeline right-of-way corridors, access roads, ancillary facilities, • Minimize well pad size for drilling activities and satellite / communication facilities (e.g. antennas), and power generation cluster, directional, extended reach drilling techniques and transmission lines. Impacts may include loss of, or damage should be considered, and their use maximized in sensitive to, terrestrial habitat, creation of barriers to wildlife movement, locations; soil erosion, and disturbance to water bodies including possible • Avoid construction of facilities in a floodplain, whenever sedimentation, the establishment of non-native invasive plant practical, and within a distance of 100 m of the normal species and visual disturbance. The extent of the disturbance high-water mark of a water body or a water well used for will depend on the activity along with the location and drinking or domestic purposes; characteristics of the existing vegetation, topographic features • Consider the use of existing utility and transport corridors and waterways. for access roads and pipeline corridors to the extent possible; The visual impact of permanent facilities should be considered in design so that impacts on the existing landscape are • Consider the routing of access roads to avoid induced minimized. The design should take advantage of the existing impacts such as increased access for poaching; topography and vegetation, and should use low profile facilities • Minimize the width of a pipeline right-of-way or access road and storage tanks if technically feasible and if the overall facility during construction and operations as far as possible; APRIL 30, 2007 12 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP • Limit the amount of pipeline trench left open during should be selected, but soft soil locations should be construction at any one time. Safety fences and other carefully assessed to prevent excessive compaction; methods to prevent people or animals from falling into open • Install temporary and permanent erosion and sediment trenches should be constructed in sensitive locations and control measures, slope stabilization measures, and within 500 m of human populations. In remote areas, install subsidence control and minimization measures at all wildlife escape ramps from open trenches (typically every 1 facilities, as necessary; km where wildlife is present); • Regularly maintain vegetation growth along access roads • Consider use of animal crossing structures such as and at permanent above ground facilities, and avoid bridges, culverts, and over crossings, along pipeline and introduction of invasive plant species. In controlling access road rights-of-way; vegetation use biological, mechanical and thermal • Bury pipelines along the entire length to a minimum of 1 m vegetation control measures and avoid the use of chemical to the top-of-pipe, wherever this is possible; herbicides as much as possible. • Carefully consider all of the feasible options for the If it is demonstrated that the use of herbicides is required to construction of pipeline river crossings including horizontal control vegetation growth along access roads or at facilities, directional drilling; then personnel must be trained in their use. Herbicides that • Clean-up and fully reinstate following construction activities should be avoided include those listed under the World Health (including appropriate revegetation using native plant Organization recommended Classification of Pesticides by species following construction activities) the pipeline right- Hazard Classes 1a and 1b, the World Health Organization of-way and temporary sites such as workforce recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard Class II accommodation camps, storage yards, access roads, (except under conditions as noted in IFC Performance Standard helipads and construction workshops, to the pre-existing 3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement;7), and Annexes A and B topography and drainage contours; of the Stockholm Convention, except under the conditions noted • Reinstate off-site aggregate extraction facilities including in the convention.8 borrow pits and quarries (opened specifically for construction or extensively used for construction); Spills • Implement repair and maintenance programs for reinstated Spills from onshore facilities, including pipelines, can occur due sites; to leaks, equipment failure, accidents, and human error or as a • Consider the implementation of low impact seismic result of third party interference. Guidelines for release techniques (e.g. minimize seismic line widths (typically no prevention and control planning are provided in the General wider than 5 m), limit the line of sight along new cut lines in EHS Guidelines , including the requirement to develop a spill forested areas (approximately 350 m)); prevention and control plan. • Consider shot-hole methods in place of vibroseis where preservation of vegetation cover is required and when access is limited. In areas of low cover (e.g. deserts, or tundra with snow cover in place), vibroseis machinery 7 IFC Performance Standard 3: Pollution Prevention and Abatement (2006). Available at www.ifc.org/envsocstandards 8 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001). APRIL 30, 2007 13 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Additional spill prevention and control measures specific to actions should be undertaken to prevent reoccurrence. A Spill onshore oil and gas facilities include: Response Plan should be prepared, and the capability to implement the plan should be in place. The Spill Response Plan • Conduct a spill risk assessment for the facilities and should address potential oil, chemical, and fuel spills from design, drilling, process, and utility systems to reduce the facilities, transport vehicles, loading and unloading operations, risk of major uncontained spills; and pipeline ruptures. The plan should include: • Ensure adequate corrosion allowance for the lifetime of the facilities or installation of corrosion control and prevention • A description of the operations, site conditions, logistic systems in all pipelines, process equipment, and tanks; support and oil properties; • Install secondary containment around vessels and tanks to • Identification of persons responsible for managing spill contain accidental releases; response efforts, including their authority, roles and contact • Install shutdown valves to allow early shutdown or isolation details; in the event of a spill; • Documentation of cooperative measures with government • Develop automatic shutdown actions through an agencies as appropriate; emergency shutdown system for significant spill scenarios • Spill risk assessment, defining expected frequency and so that the facility may be rapidly brought into a safe size of spills from different potential release sources; condition; • Oil spill trajectory in potentially affected surface water • Install leak detection systems. On pipelines consider bodies, with oil fate and environmental impact prediction for measures such as telemetry systems, Supervisory Control a number of credible most-probable spill simulations and Data Acquisition (SCADA9), pressure sensors, shut-in (including a worst case scenario, such as blowout from an valves, and pump-off systems, oil well) using an adequate and internationally recognized • Develop corrosion maintenance and monitoring programs computer model; to ensure the integrity of all field equipment. For pipelines, • Clear demarcation of spill severity, according to the size of maintenance programs should include regular pigging to the spill using a clearly defined Tier I, Tier II and Tier III clean the pipeline, and intelligent pigging should be approach; considered as required; • Strategies and equipment for managing Tier I spills at a • Ensure adequate personnel training in oil spill prevention, minimum; containment, and response; • Arrangements and procedures to mobilize external • Ensure spill response and containment equipment is resources for responding to larger spills and strategies for deployed or available for a response. deployment; • Full list, description, location, and use of on-site and off-site All spills should be documented and reported. Following a spill, response equipment and the response time estimates for a root cause investigation should be carried out and corrective deploying equipment; • Sensitivity mapping of the environment at risk. Information 9 SCADA refers to supervisory control and data acquisition systems, which may should include: soil types; groundwater and surface water be used in oil and gas and other industrial facilities to assist in the monitoring resources; sensitive ecological and protected areas; and control of plants and equipment. APRIL 30, 2007 14 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP agricultural land; residential, industrial, recreational, A preliminary decommissioning and restoration plan should be cultural, and landscape features of significance; seasonal developed that identifies disposal options for all equipment and aspects for relevant features, and oil spill response types to materials, including products used and wastes generated on be deployed; site. The plan should consider the removal of oil from flowlines, • Identification of response priorities, with input from the removal of surface equipment and facilities, well potentially affected or concerned parties; abandonment, pipeline decommissioning and reinstatement. • Clean up strategies and handling instructions for recovered The plan should be further developed during field operations oil, chemicals, fuels or other recovered contaminated and fully defined in advance of the end of field life, and should materials, including their transportation, temporary storage, include details on the provisions for the implementation of and treatment / disposal. decommissioning activities and arrangements for post decommissioning monitoring and aftercare. Decommissioning Decommissioning of onshore facilities usually includes the 1.2 Occupational Health and Safety complete removal of permanent facilities and well abandonment, Occupational health and safety issues should be considered as including associated equipment, material, and waste disposal or part of a comprehensive hazard or risk assessment, including, recycling. General guidance on the prevention and control of for example, a hazard identification study [HAZID], hazard and common environmental impacts during decommissioning operability study [HAZOP], or other risk assessment studies. activities is provided in the General EHS Guidelines. Specific The results should be used for health and safety management additional requirements to consider for oil and gas facilities planning, in the design of the facility and safe working systems, include well abandonment and pipeline decommissioning and in the preparation and communication of safe working options. procedures. Wells should be abandoned in a stable and safe condition. The Facilities should be designed to eliminate or reduce the potential hole should be sealed to the ground surface with cement plugs for injury or risk of accident and should take into account and any known hydrocarbon zones should be isolated to prevailing environmental conditions at the site location including prevent fluid migration. Aquifers should also be isolated. If the the potential for extreme natural hazards such as earthquakes land is used for agriculture, the surface casing should be cut or hurricanes. and capped below plow depth. Health and safety management planning should demonstrate: Decommissioning options for pipelines include leaving them in that a systematic and structured approach to managing health place, or removing them for reuse, recycling or disposal, and safety will be adopted and that controls are in place to especially if they are above ground and interfere with human reduce risks to as low as reasonably practical; that staff are activities. Pipelines left in place should be disconnected and adequately trained; and that equipment is maintained in a safe isolated from all potential sources of hydrocarbons; cleaned and condition. The formation of a health and safety committee for purged of hydrocarbons; and sealed at its ends. the facility is recommended. APRIL 30, 2007 15 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP A formal Permit to Work (PTW) system should be developed for Fire and Explosion the facilities. The PTW will ensure that all potentially hazardous General guidance on fire precautions and prevention and control work is carried out safely and ensures effective authorization of of fire and explosions is provided in the General EHS designated work, effective communication of the work to be Guidelines . carried out including hazards involved, and safe isolation procedures to be followed before commencing work. A lockout / Onshore oil and gas development facilities should be designed, tagout procedure for equipment should be implemented to constructed, and operated according to international standards10 ensure all equipment is isolated from energy sources before for the prevention and control of fire and explosion hazards. The servicing or removal. most effective way of preventing fires and explosions at oil and gas facilities is by preventing the release of flammable material The facilities should be equipped, at a minimum, with and gas, and the early detection and interruption of leaks. specialized first aid providers (industrial pre-hospital care Potential ignition sources should be kept to a minimum and personnel) and the means to provide short-term remote patient adequate separation distance between potential ignition sources care. Depending on the number of personnel present and and flammable materials, and between processing facilities and complexity of the facility, provision of an on-site medical unit and adjacent buildings11, should be in place. Facilities should be medical professional should be considered. In specific cases, classified into hazard areas, based on international good telemedicine facilities may be an alternative option. practice,12 and in accordance with the likelihood of release of flammable gases and liquids. General facility design and operation measures to manage principal risks to occupational health and safety are provided in Facility fire and explosion prevention and control measures the General EHS Guidelines . General guidance specific to should also include: construction and decommissioning activities is also provided along with guidance on health and safety training, personal • Provision of passive fire protection to prevent the spread of protective equipment and the management of physical, fire in the event of an incident including: chemical, biological and radiological hazards common to all o Passive fire protection on load-bearing structures, fire- industries. rated walls, and fire-rated partitions between rooms o Design of load-bearing structures taking into account Occupational health and safety issues for further consideration explosion load, or blast-rated walls in onshore oil and gas operations include: o Design of structures against explosion and the need for blast walls based on an assessment of likely • Fire and explosion explosion characteristics • Air quality • Hazardous materials 10 An example of good practice includes the United States (US) National Fire • Transportation Protection Association (NFPA) Code 30: Flammable and Combustible Liquids • Well blowouts Code. Further guidance to minimize exposure to static electricity and lightening is American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice: Protection • Emergency preparedness and response Against Ignitions Arising out of Static, Lightning, and Stray Currents (2003). 11 Further information on safe spacing is available in the US NFPA Code 30. 12 See API RP 500/505 task group on electrical area classification, International Electrotechnical Commission, or British Standards (BS) . APRIL 30, 2007 16 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP o Specific consideration of blast panel or explosion • Protection of accommodation areas by distance or by fire venting, and fire and explosion protection for walls. The ventilation air intakes should prevent smoke wellheads, safe areas, and living areas; from entering accommodation areas; • Prevention of potential ignition sources such as: • Implementation of safety procedures for loading and o Proper grounding to avoid static electricity buildup and unloading of product to transport systems (e.g. ship lightning hazards (including formal procedures for the tankers, rail and tanker trucks, and vessels16), including use and maintenance of grounding connections)13 use of fail safe control valves and emergency shutdown o Use of intrinsically safe electrical installations and equipment; non-sparking tools14 • Preparation of a fire response plan supported by the • A combination of automatic and manual fire alarm systems necessary resources to implement the plan; that can be heard across the facility; • Provision of fire safety training and response as part of • Active fire protection systems strategically located to workforce health and safety induction / training, including enable rapid and effective response. The fire suppression training in the use fire suppression equipment and equipment should meet internationally recognized technical evacuation, with advanced fire safety training provided to a specifications for the type and amount of flammable and designated fire fighting team. combustible materials at the facility.15 A combination of active fire suppression systems can be used, depending on Air Quality the type of fire and the fire impact assessment (for Guidance for the maintenance of air quality in the workplace, example, fixed foam system, fixed fire water system, CO2 along and provision of a fresh air supply with required air quality levels, is provided in the General EHS Guidelines. extinguishing system, and portable equipment such as fire extinguishers, and specialized vehicles). The installation of Facilities should be equipped with a reliable system for gas halon-based fire systems is not considered current good detection that allows the source of release to be isolated and the practice and should be avoided. Firewater pumps should inventory of gas that can be released to be reduced. Equipment be available and designed to deliver water at an isolation or the blowdown of pressure equipment should be appropriate rate. Regular checks and maintenance of fire initiated to reduce system pressure and consequently reduce fighting equipment is essential; the release flow rate. Gas detection devices should also be • All fire systems should be located in a safe area of the used to authorize entry and operations into enclosed spaces. facility, protected from the fire by distance or by fire walls. If the system or piece of equipment is located within a Wherever hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas may accumulate the potential fire area, it should be passive fire protected or fail- following measures should be considered: safe; • Explosive atmospheres in confined spaces should be • Development of a contingency plan for H2S release events, avoided by making spaces inert; including all necessary aspects from evacuation to resumption of normal operations; 13 See International Safety Guide for Oil Tankers and Terminals (ISGOTT) Chapter 20. 14 See ISGOTT, Chapter 19. 16An example of good industry practice for loading and unloading of tankers 15 Such as the US NFPA or equivalent standards. includes ISGOTT. APRIL 30, 2007 17 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP • Installation of monitors set to activate warning signals be monitored for the presence of NORM at least every five whenever detected concentrations of H2S exceed 7 years, or whenever equipment is to be taken out of service for milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). The number and maintenance. Where NORM is detected, a NORM management location of monitors should be determined based on an program should be developed so that appropriate handling assessment of plant locations prone to H2S emission and procedures are followed. Procedures should determine the occupational exposure; classification of the area where NORM is present and the level • Provision of personal H2S detectors to workers in locations of supervision and control required. Facilities are considered of high risk of exposure along with self-contained breathing impacted when surface levels are greater than 4.0 Bq/cm2 for apparatus and emergency oxygen supplies that is gamma/beta radiation and 0.4 Bq/cm2 for alpha radiation.17 The conveniently located to enable personnel to safely interrupt operator should determine whether to leave the NORM in-situ, tasks and reach a temporary refuge or safe haven; or clean and decontaminate by removal for disposal as • Provision of adequate ventilation of occupied buildings to described in Section 1.1 of this Guideline. avoid accumulation of hydrogen sulfide gas; Well Blowouts • Workforce training in safety equipment use and response A blowout can be caused by the uncontrolled flow of reservoir in the event of a leak. fluids into the wellbore which may result in an uncontrolled Hazardous Materials release of hydrocarbons. Blowout prevention measures during The design of the onshore facilities should reduce exposure of drilling should focus on maintaining wellbore hydrostatic personnel to chemical substances, fuels, and products pressure by effectively estimating formation fluid pressures and containing hazardous substances. Use of substances and strength of subsurface formations. This can be achieved with products classified as very toxic, carcinogenic, allergenic, techniques such as: proper pre-well planning, drilling fluid mutagenic, teratogenic, or strongly corrosive should be logging; using sufficient density drilling fluid or completion fluid identified and substituted by less hazardous alternatives, to balance the pressures in the wellbore; and installing a Blow wherever possible. For each chemical used, a Material Safety Out Preventor (BOP) system that can be rapidly closed in the Data Sheet (MSDS) should be available and readily accessible event of an uncontrolled influx of formation fluids and which on the facility. A general hierarchical approach to the prevention allows the well to be circulated to safety by venting the gas at of impacts from chemical hazards is provided in the General surface and routing oil so that it may be contained. The BOP EHS Guidelines . should be operated hydraulically and triggered automatically, and tested at regular intervals. Facility personnel should conduct A procedure for the control and management of any radioactive well control drills at regular intervals and key personnel should sources used during operations should be prepared along with a attend a certified well control school periodically. designated and shielded container for storage when the source is not in use. During production, wellheads should be regularly maintained and monitored, by corrosion control and inspection and pressure In locations where naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) may precipitate as scale or sludges in process piping 17US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 49 CFR 173: Surface Contaminated Object (SCO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and production vessels, facilities and process equipment should Safety Standards Series No. ST-1, §508 APRIL 30, 2007 18 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP monitoring. Blow out contingency measures should be included other agencies and organizations that may be involved in in the facility Emergency Response Plan. emergency response. Transportation Personnel should be provided with adequate and sufficient Incidents related to land transportation are one of the main equipment that is located appropriately for the evacuation of the causes of injury and fatality in the oil and gas industry. Traffic facility and should be provided with escape routes to enable safety measures for industries are provided in the General EHS rapid evacuation to a safe refuge. Escape routes should be Guidelines . clearly marked and alternative routes should be available. Exercises in emergency preparedness should be practiced at a Oil and gas projects should develop a road safety management frequency commensurate with the project risk. At a minimum, plan for the facility during all phases of operations. Measures the following practice schedule should be implemented: should be in place to train all drivers in safe and defensive driving methods and the safe transportation of passengers. • Quarterly drills without equipment deployment; Speed limits for all vehicles should be implemented and • Evacuation drills and training for egress from the facilities enforced. Vehicles should be maintained in an appropriate road under different weather conditions and time of day; worthy condition and include all necessary safety equipment. • Annual mock drills with deployment of equipment; • Updating training, as needed, based on continuous Specific safety procedures for air transportation (including evaluation. helicopter) of personnel and equipment should be developed and a safety briefing for passengers should be systematically An Emergency Response Plan should be prepared that contains provided along with safety equipment. Helicopter decks at or the following measures, at a minimum: near to facilities should follow the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). • A description of the response organization (structure, roles, responsibilities, and decision makers); Emergency Preparedness and Response • Description of response procedures (details of response Guidance relating to emergency preparedness and response, equipment and location, procedures, training requirements, including emergency resources, is provided in the General EHS duties, etc.); Guidelines . Onshore oil and gas facilities should establish and • Descriptions and procedures for alarm and maintain a high level of emergency preparedness to ensure communications systems; incidents are responded to effectively and without delay. • Precautionary measures for securing the wells; Potential worst case accidents should be identified by risk • Relief well arrangements, including description of assessment and appropriate preparedness requirements should equipment, consumables, and support systems to be be designed and implemented. An emergency response team utilized; should be established for the facility that is trained to respond to • Description of on-site first aid supplies and available potential emergencies, rescue injured persons, and perform backup medical support; emergency actions. The team should coordinate actions with • Description of other emergency facilities such as emergency fueling sites; APRIL 30, 2007 19 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP • Description of survival equipment and gear, alternate installed around permanent facilities and temporary structures. accommodation facilities, and emergency power sources; Public training to warn of existing hazards, along with clear • Evacuation procedures; guidance on access and land use limitations in safety zones or • Emergency Medical Evacuation (MEDIVAC) procedures for pipeline rights of way should be provided. injured or ill personnel; Community risk management strategies associated with the • Policies defining measures for limiting or stopping events, transport of hazardous materials by road is presented in the and conditions for termination of action. General EHS Guidelines (refer specifically to the sections on “Hazardous Materials Management” and “Traffic Safety”). Guidance applicable to transport by rail is provided EHS 1.3 Community Health and Safety Guidelines for Railways while transport by sea is covered in Community health and safety impacts during the construction the EHS Guidelines for Shipping. and decommissioning of facilities are common to those of most other industrial facilities and are discussed in the General EHS Hydrogen Sulfide Guidelines . The potential for exposure of members of the community to facility air emissions should be carefully considered during the Physical Hazards facility design and operations planning process. All necessary Community health and safety issues specific to oil and gas precautions in the facility design, facility siting and / or working facilities may include potential exposure to spills, fires, and systems and procedures should be implemented to ensure no explosions. To protect nearby communities and related facilities health impacts to human populations and the workforce will from these hazards, the location of the project facilities and an result from activities. adequate safety zone around the facilities should be established based on a risk assessment. A community emergency When there is a risk of community exposure to hydrogen sulfide preparedness and response plan that considers the role of from activities, the following measures should be implemented: communities and community infrastructure as appropriate • Installation of a hydrogen sulfide gas monitoring network should also be developed. Additional information on the with the number and location of monitoring stations elements of emergency plans is provided in the General EHS determined through air dispersion modeling, taking into Guidelines. account the location of emissions sources and areas of Communities may be exposed to physical hazards associated community use and habitation; with the facilities including wells and pipeline networks. Hazards • Continuous operation of the hydrogen sulfide gas may result from contact with hot components, equipment failure, monitoring systems to facilitate early detection and the presence of operational pipelines or active and abandoned warning; wells and abandoned infrastructure which may generate • Emergency planning involving community input to allow for confined space or falling hazards. To prevent public contact with effective response to monitoring system warnings. dangerous locations and equipment and hazardous materials, access deterrents such as fences and warning signs should be APRIL 30, 2007 20 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Security Combustion source emissions guidelines associated with Unauthorized access to facilities should be avoided by perimeter steam- and power-generation activities from sources with a fencing surrounding the facility and controlled access points capacity equal to or lower than 50 MWth are addressed in the (guarded gates). Public access control should be applied. General EHS Guidelines with larger power source emissions Adequate signs and closed areas should establish the areas addressed in the Thermal Power EHS Guidelines. Guidance where security controls begin at the property boundaries. on ambient considerations based on the total load of emissions Vehicular traffic signs should clearly designate the separate is provided in the General EHS Guidelines. entrances for trucks / deliveries and visitor / employee vehicles. Means for detecting intrusion (for example, closed-circuit Environmental Monitoring Environmental monitoring programs for this sector should be television) should be considered. To maximize opportunities for implemented to address all activities that have been identified to surveillance and minimize possibilities for trespassers, the have potentially significant impacts on the environment, during facility should have adequate lighting.2.0 Performance In normal operations and upset conditions. Environmental 2.0 Performance Indicators and monitoring activities should be based on direct or indirect indicators of emissions, effluents, and resource use applicable Monitoring to the particular project. 2.1 Environment Monitoring frequency should be sufficient to provide Emissions and Effluent Guidelines representative data for the parameter being monitored. Table 1 presents effluent and waste guidelines for onshore oil Monitoring should be conducted by trained individuals following and gas development. When one or more members of the World monitoring and record-keeping procedures and using properly Bank Group are involved in a project, these EHS Guidelines are calibrated and maintained equipment. Monitoring data should be applied as required by their respective policies and standards. analyzed and reviewed at regular intervals and compared with The guidelines are assumed to be achievable under normal the operating standards so that any necessary corrective operating conditions in appropriately designed and operated actions can be taken. Additional guidance on applicable facilities through the application of pollution prevention and sampling and analytical methods for emissions and effluents is control techniques discussed in the preceding sections of this provided in the General EHS Guidelines. document. Effluent guidelines are applicable for direct discharges of treated effluents to surface waters for general use. Site-specific discharge levels may be established based on the availability and conditions in use of publicly operated sewage collection and treatment systems or, if discharged directly to surface waters, on the receiving water use classification as described in the General EHS Guidelines. APRIL 30, 2007 21 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Table 1. Emissions, Effluent and Waste Levels from Onshore Oil and Gas Development Parameter Guideline Value Drilling fluids and cuttings Treatment and disposal as per guidance in Section 1.1 of this document. Produced sand Treatment and disposal as per guidance in Section 1.1 of this document. Treatment and disposal as per guidance in Section 1.1 of this document. For discharge to surface waters or to land: o Total hydrocarbon content: 10 mg/L o pH: 6 - 9 o BOD: 25 mg/L Produced water o COD: 125 mg/L o TSS: 35 mg/L o Phenols: 0.5 mg/L o Sulfides: 1 mg/L o Heavy metals (total)a: 5 mg/L o Chlorides: 600 mg/l (average), 1200 mg/L (maximum) Treatment and disposal as per guidance in section 1.1 of this document. Hydrotest water For discharge to surface waters or to land, see parameters for produced water in this table. Treatment and disposal as per guidance in Section 1.1 of this document. Completion and well work- For discharge to surface waters or to land: : over fluids o Total hydrocarbon content: 10 mg/L. o pH: 6 – 9 Stormwater runoff should be treated through an oil/water separation system able to achieve oil & grease concentration of 10 Stormwater drainage mg/L. The effluent should result in a temperature increase of no more than 3° C at edge of the zone where initial mixing and dilution Cooling water take place. Where the zone is not defined, use 100 m from point of discharge. Sewage Treatment as per guidance in the General EHS Guidelines, including discharge requirements. Treatment as per guidance in Section 1.1 of this document. Emission concentrations as per General EHS Guidelines, and: Air Emissions o H2S: 5 mg/Nm 3 Notes: a Heavy metals include: Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, vanadium, and zinc. APRIL 30, 2007 22 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP 2.2 Occupational Health and Safety published sources (e.g. US Bureau of Labor Statistics and UK Occupa Health and Safety Executive)22. Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines Occupational health and safety performance should be Occupational Health and Safety Monitoring evaluated against internationally published exposure guidelines, The working environment should be monitored for occupational of which examples include the Threshold Limit Value (TLV®) hazards relevant to the specific project. Monitoring should be occupational exposure guidelines and Biological Exposure designed and implemented by accredited professionals23 as Indices (BEIs®) published by American Conference of part of an occupational health and safety monitoring program. Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH),18 the Pocket Facilities should also maintain a record of occupational Guide to Chemical Hazards published by the United States accidents and diseases and dangerous occurrences and National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH),19 accidents. Additional guidance on occupational health and Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) published by the safety monitoring programs is provided in the General EHS Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United Guidelines . States (OSHA),20 Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Values published by European Union member states,21 or other similar sources. Particular attention should be given to the occupational exposure guidelines for hydrogen sulfide (H2S). For guidelines on occupational exposure to Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM), readers should consult the average and maximum values published by the Canadian NORM Waste Management Committee, Health Canada, and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association or other internationally recognized sources. Accident and Fatality Rates Projects should try to reduce the number of accidents among project workers (whether directly employed or subcontracted) to a rate of zero, especially accidents that could result in lost work time, different levels of disability, or even fatalities. Facility rates may be benchmarked against the performance of facilities in this sector in developed countries through consultation with 18 Available at: http://www.acgih.org/TLV/ and http://www.acgih.org/store/ 19 Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/ 22 Available at: http://www.bls.gov/iif/ and 20 Available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/index.htm http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDAR 23 Accredited professionals may include Certified Industrial Hygienists, DS&p_id=9992 Registered Occupational Hygienists, or Certified Safety Professionals or their 21 Available at: http://europe.osha.eu.int/good_practice/risks/ds/oel/ equivalent. APRIL 30, 2007 23 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP 3.0 References and Additional Sources Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB). 1996. Drilling Waste Management. Exploration and Production (E&P) Forum (now OGP). 1991. Oil Industry Directive 050. Calgary, Alberta: EUB. Operating Guideline for Tropical Rainforests. Report No. 2.49/170. London: E&P Forum/UNEP. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB). 1999. Upstream Petroleum Industry Flaring, Venting and Incineration. Directive 060. Calgary, Alberta. E&P Forum. 1993. Exploration and Production (E&P) Waste Management Guidelines. Report No. 2.58/196. London: E&P Forum. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB). 2005a. Requirements and Procedures for Pipelines. Directive 066. Calgary, Alberta: EUB. E&P Forum/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2000. Environmental Management in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production: An Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB). 2005b. Requirements and Procedures overview of issues and management approaches. Joint E&P Forum/UNEP for Oilfield Waste Management Facilities. Directive 063. Calgary, Alberta: EUB. Technical Publication. London: E&P Forum. American Petroleum Institute (API). 1997. Environmental Guidance Document: Government of Italy. 2006. 506/9 Codice Ambiente Decreto Legislativo Waste Management in Exploration and Production Operations. API E5. Second (Ministerial Decree) 3 April 2006 n. 152 (Norme in Materia Ambientale) e relativi Edition. Washington, DC: API. decreti attuativi. Rome. API. 1997. Management and Disposal Alternatives for Naturally Occurring Health Canada, Canadian NORM Working Group of the Federal Provincial Radioactive Material (NORM) Wastes in Oil Production and Gas Plant Territorial Radiation Protection Committee. 2000. Canadian Guidelines for the Equipment. API Publ. 7103. Washington, DC: API. Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). Ottawa, Ontario: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. API. 2003. Recommended Practice: Protection Against Ignitions Arising out of Static, Lightning, and Stray Currents (6th edition, December 1998). Washington, International Association for Geophysical Contractors (IAGC). 2001. DC: API. Environmental Manual for Worldwide Geophysical Operations. Houston: IAGC. Asociatión Regional de Empresas de Petroleo y Gas Natural en Latinoamérica y International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP). 2000. Guidelines for el Caribe (ARPEL). 1993. Environmental Guideline #5. Control and Mitigation of Produced Water Injection. Report No. 2.80/302. January 2000. London: OGP. Environmental Effects of Deforestation and Erosion. Montevideo, Uruguay: Available at http://www.ogp.org.uk/pubs/302.pdf ARPEL. International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP). 2004a. ARPEL. 2005. Environmental Guideline #11. 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Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / World Bank. APRIL 30, 2007 25 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Annex A: General Description of Industry Activities The primary products of the oil and gas industry are crude oil, string suspended from the rig’s derrick, is rotated in the well. natural gas liquids, and natural gas. Crude oil consists of a Drill collars are attached to add weight and drilling fluids are mixture of hydrocarbons having varying molecular weights and circulated through the drill string and pumped through the drill properties. Natural gas can be produced from oil wells, or wells bit. The fluid has a number of functions. It imparts hydraulic can be drilled with natural gas as the primary objective. Methane force that assists the drill bit cutting action, and it cools the bit, is the predominant component of natural gas, but ethane, removes cuttings rock from the wellbore and protects the well propane, and butane are also significant components. The against formation pressures. When each well section has been heavier components, including propane and butane, exist as drilled, steel casing is run into the hole and cemented into place liquids when cooled and compressed and these are often to prevent well collapse. When the reservoir is reached the well separated and processed as natural gas liquids. may be completed and tested by running a production liner and equipment to flow the hydrocarbons to the surface to establish Exploration Activities reservoir properties in a test separator. Seismic Surveys Seismic surveys are conducted to pinpoint potential Field Development and Production hydrocarbon reserves in geological formations. Seismic Development and production is the phase during which the technology uses the reflection of sound waves to identify infrastructure is installed to extract the hydrocarbon resource subsurface geological structures. The surveys are conducted over the life of the estimated reserve. It may involve the drilling through the generation of seismic waves by a variety of sources of additional wells, the operation of central production facilities ranging from explosives that are detonated in shot-holes drilled to treat the produced hydrocarbons, the installation of flowlines, below the surface, to vibroseis machinery (a vibrating pad and the installation of pipelines to transport hydrocarbons to lowered to the ground from a vibroseis truck). Reflected seismic export facilities. waves are measured with a series of sensors known as Following development drilling and well completion, a geophones laid out in series on the surface. “Christmas tree” is placed on each wellhead to control flow of Exploration Drilling the formation fluids to the surface. Hydrocarbons may flow freely from the wells if the underground formation pressures are Exploratory drilling activities onshore follow the analysis of adequate, but additional pressure may be required such as a seismic data to verify and quantify the amount and extent of oil and gas resources from potentially productive geological sub-surface pump or the injection of gas or water through formations. A well pad is constructed at the chosen location to dedicated injection wells to maintain reservoir pressure. Depending on reservoir conditions, various substances (steam, accommodate a drilling rig, associated equipment and support nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and surfactants) may be injected into services. The drilling rig and support services are transported to the reservoir to remove more oil from the pore spaces, increase site, typically in modules and assembled. production, and extend well life. Once on location, a series of well sections of decreasing diameter are drilled from the rig. A drill bit, attached to the drill APRIL 30, 2007 26 Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines ONSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT WORLD BANK GROUP Most wells produce in a predictable pattern called a decline used to transport liquids or gas from the oil and gas fields to curve where production increases relatively rapidly to a peak, downstream or export facilities. During commissioning, and then follows a long, slow decline. Operators may flowlines, pipelines, and associated facilities (e.g. block valves periodically perform well workovers to clean out the wellbore, and meters, regulators and relief devices, pump stations, allowing oil or gas to move more easily to the surface. Other pigging stations, storage tanks) are filled with water and measures to increase production include fracturing and treating hydrotested to ensure integrity. Pipeline operation usually the bottom of the wellbore with acid to create better pathways requires frequent inspections (ground and aerial surveillance, for the oil and gas to move to the surface. Formation fluids are and facility inspections) and periodic ROW and facility then separated into oil, gas and water at a central production maintenance. Production and pipeline operation is usually facility, designed and constructed depending on the reservoir monitored and controlled from a central location through a size and location. supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) which allows field operating variables to be monitored such as flow Crude oil processing essentially involves the removal of gas and rate, pressure, and temperature and to open and close valves. water before export. Gas processing involves the removal of liquids and other impurities such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and Decommissioning and Abandonment hydrogen sulfide. Oil and gas terminal facilities receive The decommissioning of onshore facilities occurs when the hydrocarbons from outside locations sometimes offshore and reservoir is depleted or the production of hydrocarbons from that process and store the hydrocarbons before they are exported. reservoir becomes unprofitable. Parts of the onshore facilities, There are several types of hydrocarbon terminals, including such as the aboveground facilities located in the oil or gas field inland pipeline terminals, onshore / coastal marine receiving area and along the transmission lines, are treated to remove terminals (from offshore production), barge shipping, or hydrocarbons and other chemicals and wastes or contaminants receiving terminals. and removed. Other components, such as flowlines and pipelines, are often left in place to avoid environmental Produced oil and gas may be exported by pipeline, trucks, or rail disturbances associated with removal. Wells are plugged and tank cars. Gas-to-liquids is an area of technology development abandoned to prevent fluid migration within the wellbore or to that allows natural gas to be converted to a liquid. Gas is often the surface. The downhole equipment is removed and the exported as liquefied natural gas (LNG). Pipelines are perforated parts of the wellbore are cleaned of soil, scale, and constructed in a sequential process, including staking of the other debris. The wellbore is then plugged. Fluids with an right-of-way (ROW) and pipeline centerline; ROW clearing and appropriate density are placed between the plugs to maintain grading; trenching (for buried pipeline); pipe laying, welding, and adequate pressure. During this process, the plugs are tested to bending; field coating of welded joints; testing; lowering; trench verify their correct placement and integrity. Finally, the casing is backfilling; and ROW reinstatement . Pumps or compressors are cut off below the surface and capped with a cement plug. APRIL 30, 2007 27