ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2013
page 10
Environment Forum Meetings
Knowledge gained through the directorate about the environmental issues associated with hydrocarbon
exploration, production and supply chain activities is shared with member companies through the
Environmental Forum meetings, held every two months. The forum meetings are designed to provide clear
communication of the relevant topics.
The provision of information serves to guide our members through regulatory change, minimising the
potential impacts and identifying opportunities, thus enhancing future competitiveness. The meetings
present an opportunity for a frank and open discussion with the primary environmental regulator for the
offshore industry as the forum is always attended by a representative from the Environmental Management
and Offshore Inspectorate Teams of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The networking
opportunities allow for improved cross-industry understanding and mutual experience sharing.
Environment Forum Work Groups
Currently, there are four work groups meeting on a regular basis as part of the Environment Forum:
•
Drilling Fluids Work Group
– works on a number of key issues with respect to drilling activities, in
particular, the disposal of oil-based mud cuttings as well as the use and discharge of chemicals under
the Offshore Chemical Regulations.
•
Atmospheric Work Group
– primarily working on European Union Emissions Trading Scheme issues.
•
Radiological Issues Group
– working with government and environment agencies to formulate the
UK strategy for disposal of Normally Occurring Radioactive Materials [NORM].
•
Southern North Sea (SNS) Environmental Group
– previously known as the SNS Environmental
Network, this group was established in 2004 and has recently come under Oil & Gas UK governance.
The aim of the group is to share problems and solutions to environmental issues and to identify
where collaboration could facilitate developments. The group maintains a database of case studies
and also provides an opportunity for engagement with offshore renewables developers. The remit
of the group may be widened to all shallow areas, such as the Irish Sea.
Harnessing technical industry experience and facilitating stakeholder collaboration enables the work groups to
respond to external requests, thus ensuring that future legislation will be appropriate for the offshore industry.
Oil Spill Response Forum
The objective of the forum is to “facilitate the development and maintenance of an effective, robust and
sustainable oil spill response capability on the UKCS”. This is delivered through a process of:
•
Reviewing and recommending response strategies relevant to the UKCS, taking global knowledge
into account
•
Maintaining liaison between industry, regulators, nature conservation bodies, response providers
and academia
Oil Spill Response Forum Work Groups
During the past year, the Oil Spill Response Forum has concentrated on specific topics through tailored work
groups. These are:
•
Environmental Sensitivities and Modelling Work Group
– one of the group’s main activities has
been to commission the Seabirds at Sea project and to validate the European Seabirds At Sea (ESAS)
data. The ESAS database holds information on seabird distribution at sea, derived from a variety
