HEALTH, SAFETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Health, Safety and the Environment

Health, Safety and the Environment

Introduction

The oil and gas industry recognizes that some health and safety hazards are inherent in its operations and products. Companies in the industry have made many commitments to achieve excellence in managing these risks. Often these commitments go well beyond regulatory obligations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the health and safety risks associated with oil and gas development in order to support a discussion that will lead to the adoption in British countries of legislation and regulations that reflect the very best practices for health and safety.

Discussion

Sour gas wells are wells that produce hydrogen sulphide gas, which is highly toxic to humans, and in some instances, can be lethal. The research indicates that even non-lethal, low-level exposure to sour gas poses risks that include "eye, nose and throat irritation, headache, sinus, etc., nausea, hoarseness, cough, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, stress, drowsiness," as well as negative neurological effects for both animals and human beings.

Anecdotal reports from people who live close to sour gas wells suggest that people suspect that regular emissions lead to more frequent than normal chronic sinus infections, headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds, red and burning eyes, cancerous tumours, and body perspiration having an odour of sulphur. In addition, it is quite common for people to express fear and stress as a result of living near sour gas wells. Both the physical symptoms and psychological symptoms may lead to physical dislocation and disruption, as when families move in response to encroaching development. (CEFIC, 2001)

Hydrogen sulphide is not the only emission of concern, however. Regular "sweet gas" wells may also contribute to a reduction in air quality through regular emissions of gases that include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, benzene, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides as well as particulates. In addition, construction and traffic associated with oil and gas operations may increase dust levels. Together, all of these air pollutants contribute to human respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Produced water is water that is pumped from deep underground, either in preparation for, or as a by-product of, oil and gas production. It is especially associated with coalbed methane operations, as preparation for production may entail the extraction, for months at a time, of large volumes of water from the coal seam, in order to reduce the pressure underground that keeps the methane gas bound to the coal.

The primary health and safety risks include the potential contamination of stream and groundwater sources, associated with the discharge of produced water to the surface and into streams, and subsequent potential contamination of fish or other organisms in the food chain. Produced water contaminants can include sodium and arsenic, as well as traces of heavy metals, including mercury, lead and chromium.

Oil and gas exploration and operations can pose two different kinds of contamination risk for human and wildlife health: the risk that naturally occurring subsurface toxics (e.g. methane or oil) once disturbed, will contaminate the ...