Paper Example on Oil and Gas Company: Risk Assessment and Management Plan

Introduction

Before establishing an oil and gas company, the first thing in the mind of the person intending to build such a company is to assess the risks involved in managing the wastes. The one major problem in the industry is that the streams which are meant for wastes can be contaminated by oily fluids thus making disposal and treatment quite tricky. Objectives are therefore supposed to be made before setting up the company. The very first objective should be to identify the existing challenges that are facing the oil industry in making efforts to achieving sustainable waste management from facilities of production. The next goal would be to contrast critical factors which affect oil waste management in the well-developed companies and the infant companies that are trying to make it in the field. It is therefore imperative to note that sustainably dealing with oil wastes from industries during production is a cumbersome work and requires a well-assessed plan so that the harmful effects of spillage are reduced to minimum levels.

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Identification of the Risks

In establishing a waste management area and a recycling project for an oil and gas company it is advisable first to consider the risk of the oil getting spilled into the water source. If waste from oil and gas is not handled carefully, there are chances that the environment could face the risk of oil wastes into the water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and even oceans. It is therefore advisable that before building a waste management project, the chances of oil spillage into water bodies should be carefully assessed and evaluated to avoid the other harmful effects that could arise when toxic gases and oil released during production plants find their way into the waters (Hui, et al., 2006).

Another critical risk that should be carefully checked is the risk of soil erosion. When establishing waste management procedures, it is vital to take note of the soil losing its fertility during construction or the soil's physical beauty loss. Land can be easily contaminated from the oil spills if not carefully handled. Small leaks in factories are also releasing hazardous substances that could ruin the fertility of the soil in the surrounding environment forever (Chang, Pires & Martinho, 2011).

There is also the possibility of noise pollution during the construction of waste management projects in an area. Heavy machinery that is majorly used to drill holes makes a lot of noise if not there is no measure taken to reduce the noise. Additionally, electrical generators and tankers also make a lot of noise during their movements. It is therefore advisable that the risk of causing noise pollution to the community that lives around the sites that are set aside to build project for waste management are adequately taken care of (Mathur, et al., 2011).

The probability of having the air polluted when a waste management project is set is very high. When a waste management system is not adequately assessed and then wrongly placed, the people living around could be significantly inconvenienced by air pollution (Hossain, et al., 2011). Again, toxic gases are known for their pungent smell that could choke someone. If sewer lines and the means of handling the gases carefully are not taken into consideration, then the plague of inhaling such gases is imminent and cannot be ruled out.

Chances of the Risks Occurring

According to Arvanitoyannis (2010) oil spillage into water source is the most severe risk that has ever been associated waste management procedures. The chances of oil and gases polluting waters can be rated eight out of ten. Because most of the waste products are channeled out of the factories through pipes in liquid forms, if not correctly managed there are very high chances of the water bodies around being polluted. On the same not, an emulsion of toxic gases during the production face cannot be ruled out. When managing waste, gases are most likely to escape than any other waste on earth. They are capable of escaping so fast because they can readily dissolve into anything like water or air or even corrode metal.

Noise pollution is another risk that its control should be well assessed before any development is made in establishing the waste management project. Chances of a waste management project polluting the environment can be rated as nine point five out of ten. However, noise pollution is not as severe as oil and gas spillage into water sources. That should not be a factor or reason as to ignore the potential noise pollution in establishing a project to manage wastes for an oil and gas company (Arvanitoyannis, 2010). Because protection of the environment is a crucial component in promoting biodiversity, the chances of noise pollution should, therefore, be carefully assessed and managed.

Soil pollution is another imminent danger that when not considered its effects could be fatal to the surrounding communities. The chances of soil pollution happening are very slim when compared with other risks of waste management procedure. Soil pollution spreads very fast from one point to the other. Oil and gases emitted can increase the salinity of soils if not treated when released. The salinity due to pollution can spread to the surrounding areas affecting other parts which could interfere with potential agricultural activities to the communities living around.

Air pollution is one risk of waste management that cannot be wholly prevented from occurring. Gases from the factory cannot be controlled entirely. Some must escape into the air without the knowledge of the people trying to control it. The effect of air pollution is very severe to both animals and plants. The chances of air pollution occurring can be rated nine point nine out of ten (Arvanitoyannis, 2010). When assessing the management procedure, it is very critical that facilities are put in place so that a minimum amount of toxic gases are released.

Risks in Priority

The first risk that should be highly prioritized is the chances of oil and gas spillage into the waters. The reasons as to why this should be the number one risk to be dealt with are because water is the source of life and many living things depend on it to survive. Crops in the fields depend on water to germinate and reproduce. When water that is highly contaminated is used to water plants, then there are very high chances of the crops failing. Addressing the same issue humans and other animals also require water for their daily survival. Drinking water that is full of toxic gases and oil can lead to instant death or other oil-related diseases. Water pumps that are used to pump water into homesteads and the fields can also be corroded by a mixture of gases, oil, and water. This would, in turn, make it very expensive to maintain the pumps because buying a new one is equally costly.

Corroded Pipes Due to Oil Spilage

Noise pollution is another risk that should be assessed very carefully after taking care of gas and oil spillage. Noise pollution should be prioritized because it interferes with most human activities such as learning (Hossain,et al., 2011). When noise is not controlled, then students are not able to fully concentrate on their studies due to interferences. Parents with young children to a great extent are also inconvenienced since the infants are always startled by noises. In a nutshell, when assessing a waste management program, the sound should be taken into consideration and reduced to the minimum levels so that it cannot affect the human activities.

Another risk that could have fatal consequences for both plants and animals if not properly managed is the risk of air pollution. First and for most, when the air is polluted by toxic gases, humans run the risk of contracting respiratory diseases. When the gases are inhaled there are high chances that they could block the respiratory tracts to make people suffer from conditions such as Asthma (Barea, Montoro & Navarro, 2014). Plants are equally affected because they also need the air to reproduce. When the purity of the air is affected, there are chances of crops not producing to their expected potential. Some could have slow growths due to consuming air that is already polluted. Humans could again be affected indirectly if they consume plants that have produced using the toxic air (LaGrega, Buckingham & Evans, 2010). This could lead to fatal diseases such as cancer.

Response Plan to the Risks

To efficiently manage noise pollution, all vehicles to be used for dumping the waste products should be well equipped with mufflers to reduce the amount f noise produced. When operations are carried out, noise is expected from all directions due to the drilling, welding and evening running off generators. The project should henceforth be designed to reduce the ability of noise to interfere with the neighboring communities. This can be done efficiently by installing silencers and fans (Hoornweg & Bhada-Tata, 2012. Additionally, acoustic enclosures could be constructed to cast out radiated noise or apply sound insulation methods.

The risk of soil pollution can be managed by the immediate reclamation of land as soon as it has been used to its former glory. The topsoil which is deemed to be very fertile can be stockpiled above water tanks, so that are able to be washed away very quickly into the water streams. The washed away soils can then be prevented from being dumped into large water bodies by using recommended measures as constructing sediment barriers or trying the method of silt fencing (Hoornweg & Bhada-Tata, 2012. The reclaimed soil can then be taken manually to other parts of the land where they are required for crop production.

Because oil spills and gases tend to cause more damage than any other listed above problem, its management should be well assessed and adequately enacted. First before the release of the gases into the air they should be carefully treated so that their toxicity levels are reduced (Barea, Montoro & Navarro, 2014). Oils should also be prevented from getting into the waters by continually checking the pipes that transport them and repair to avoid any chances of leakage. Lastly, the ducts that are used to move oil and gases from one point to another should also be properly cleaned.

Controlling air pollution and noise pollution is almost similar (Hoornweg & Bhada-Tata, 2012. The pipes that are meant to release gases into the air should be fitted with air filters to filter the gases for impurities before their release. Again, a chamber should be set aside to efficiently monitor the treatment of the toxic substances before being allowed into the pipes before release.

To ensure that the procedures e followed for effective management of the wastes, qualified individuals in the field of environmental management and conservation will be employed so that they are at the center of any activity that is related to preventing these dangerous risks from happening. On that note, health inspectors will also be continually invited to come and monitor the progress of the project and recommend other new developing procedures for effective waste management (Hoornweg & Bhada-Tata, 2012). Lastly, materials used to manage these risks will be continuously replaced and managed correctly to reduce the chances of any harm the project could cause to the surrounding.

Conclusion

In conclusion, waste management procedures are very complicated and hence require a well-assessed plan so that all the risks associated with them are reduced. More research should also be done on modern and proper ways of dealing with wastes from industries especially oil spillage and gas release into the atmosphere. These are too dangerous risks that could make the human race have life complications that are very difficult to manage and cont...