The role of the energy sector in supporting a sustainable environmental agenda in the Gulf region will be a major focus at the three-day ‘9th Annual HSE Forum in Energy’, which takes place at the Grand Hyatt Doha from September 30.
“Environmental issues have long been, and will remain a crucial focus for the region’s energy sector as the world wakes up and takes on board the consequences of inaction. Commitment to these issues and the investment needed to achieve sustainable outcomes will be a hot ticket item at this year’s forum event,” said Zenab Husain, conference director of the forum, which is organised by Fleming Gulf.
Kaushik Deb, head (environment) at RasGas, will present a case study on the company’s coral relocation programme for its high-profile Barzan Gas Project, which, when its first train is launched in 2014, will be one of the largest integrated gas processing plants in the world.
As part of efforts to preserve the marine life in its project waters, RasGas relocated around 1,600 corals living along the proposed pipeline route prior to construction, working in consultation with Qatar’s Ministry of Environment, the body responsible for overseeing the protection of marine heritage and biodiversity.
Deb will also address environmental sector challenges, touching on the need for regional resource development as well as improving stakeholder engagement to drive sustained activity initiated by the oil and gas industry.
“For the Barzan Gas coral relocation project, we had to bring in external contractors as the complex nature of this exercise called for specific expertise, but the issue of developing local resources is currently being addressed and capacity building is in progress, supported at the highest levels of government,” he said.
“The Ministry of Environment is looking to us for guidance and project expertise in executing this kind of project off Qatari waters, and it is important for the oil and gas community to continue to show how it is working to mitigate its environmental footprint through sustainable initiatives. If you look at Maersk’s whale shark project and Dolphin Energy’s Ras Laffan turtle habitat protection programme from Shell, these are just a couple of active examples of positive environmental handling,” he added.
Deb believes that increased dialogue and involvement between government, the corporate world, local communities and international organisations is key to driving the environmental sustainability agenda in the region, and the common thread that unites stakeholders under the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The other day-two speakers include Brian Sullivan, IPIECA’s executive director, who will discuss enabling improvement in social and environmental performance in the oil and gas industry; the UNEP’s Regional Climate Change co-ordinator, Abdul-Majeid Haddad, on managing climate change risks and opportunities; and Dr Mohammad Aref, Weatherford QHSE manager UAE, speaking about effective hazardous waste management.
Held under the patronage of HE Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, the two-day conference and exhibition, which culminates with a series of workshops on day-three, is designed to help support initiatives to reduce workplace fatalities and maintain employee well-being in the region’s energy sector.