Our approach to waste management is based on a simple set
of priorities: first, eliminate waste where possible, then reuse,
recover, recycle and, as a last resort, dispose of it safely.
In 2006, we introduced a global Waste Management Standard
which requires all operations to evaluate the waste they
generate and the suitability of the waste facilities they use.
Businesses can only use commercial waste contractors that
meet our standards for operational integrity, have environmental
protection measures in place, implement monitoring and
institutional controls, and comply with relevant regulations.
The Waste Management Standard also requires businesses to
develop comprehensive management plans for companyowned
or -operated waste units. The standard applies to all
our operations worldwide. In ventures where we are not the
operator or hold a minority interest, we will strive to influence
our partners to implement similar programs.
In implementing our standard, we developed a commercial
waste management program to track our waste-disposal
activity. In the United States, we have compiled a list of
company-approved commercial waste management facilities.
We inspect potential new waste sites and periodically audit those
we choose. We prefer contractors that provide cost-effective
commercial alternatives to landfill disposal, but when this is
the only option, we use sites that are operated to strict
environmental standards.
The amount of waste we generated is relatively similar to
years past, increasing slightly with our growth in operations. In
2006, 5 percent of our total waste was categorized as hazardous
– this includes any material that is potentially harmful, toxic or
requires special treatment.
(figs. 16 & 17) The quantity
of hazardous waste managed by ConocoPhillips’ businesses
in 2006 was 64,318 metric tons, an increase of 2 percent from
2005. The increase was mainly in the exploration and production
sector due to the addition of the Burlington Resources assets,
partially offset by refining’s reduction in maintenance-related
waste, increased reclamation of residuals and reclassification
of some waste streams as recycled waste.
Of the remaining 2006 waste, 80 percent was nonhazardous
and 15 percent was recycled material.Waste that is designated
as nonhazardous by a regulatory agency is disposed of
conventionally. Recycled materials are the residual materials
that are not sold as product or disposed of as waste, but reused,
reclaimed or recovered for beneficial use.
We generate most waste from our refining operations, in
which major shutdowns and varying maintenance schedules
can result in significant fluctuations in waste generation from
year to year. This business sector also is where the biggest
opportunities for waste reduction and elimination occur.
For example, during 2006 our U.S. refineries recycled 6,177
metric tons of spent processing catalyst for metals recovery.
In exploration and production, changes in drilling activity
levels also can cause periodic variations in the quantity of
waste generated.
In 2005, waste management experts from our U.S. refineries
attended a Best Waste Practices Conference in Ponca City,
Oklahoma, to share ideas for new procedures and potential
cost reductions on environmental issues related to air
emissions, management of solid waste and wastewater, and
remediation techniques.
In Shenzhen, China, we sponsored a local school-based campaign to
collect used batteries. In just a month, students from seven schools
collected 50,000 batteries for specialized disposal. Battery collection bins
were subsequently placed in the schools and communal living areas.
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Our annual Stamp Out Waste campaign, first launched in 2003,
rewards employees who come up with good ideas to reduce
waste. Ideas are then shared throughout the company. In 2006,
the campaign attracted 69 submissions from individuals
and teams worldwide and generated one-time savings of
$12.5 million and annual recurring savings of $6.7 million.
The projects were rated against the pollution prevention hierarchy
of waste reduction, recycling, reuse or safe disposal, with waste
reduction the priority. Cost benefit, risk reduction, innovation
and applicability to other facilities also were considered. A
higher value was placed on projects that already had been
implemented, although four awards were given for good ideas.
The winning submissions were projects already implemented
to recover oil from refinery tank bottom sludge, reduce fuel
consumption in ocean tankers and company aircraft, optimize
gas field operations, recover unpumpable crude oil and recycle
obsolete electronic equipment. Awards also were given for
ideas to recover drilling mud, recycle scrap steel, conserve and
recycle print-shop materials and use refinery facilities to clean
up water from marketing and transportation operations.
Around the world, we manage the disposal of surplus or
obsolete electronic equipment in a process known as e-cycling.
As part of this process, we negotiate contracts with vendors for
the remarketing and recycling of electronic equipment, such
as computers, televisions, microwave ovens, copiers, fax
machines and telephones which no longer have value to
ConocoPhillips but may have for others.
In many locations, we have partnered with our recycling
contractor to provide similar services for the public using our
locations as collection points. Our employees help their local
communities collect household waste and recyclable material
that cannot be disposed of in regular household garbage.
Many of our refineries host household hazardous waste collection
events for their local communities.
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For example, the Lake Charles refinery in Louisiana holds an
annual “Trash Bash” where items collected included computers,
paint, used tires, old oil, car batteries, antifreeze and small
appliances. Discarded paint is separated by type, mixed
together onsite and donated to local schools and charities. In
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 50 volunteers took part in a similar
event which filled two tractor-trailers with discarded electronic
equipment and helped collect over 9 metric tons of hazardous
waste from the community. And, at the Wood River refinery in
Illinois, more than 400 carloads of waste, such as used oil,
household chemicals, paint and electronic equipment were
brought in by the public.
Decommissioning
We aim to manage all projects, products and processes
throughout their life cycles in a way that protects safety and
health and minimizes environmental impact. In doing so, we
strive to find new uses for obsolete or redundant assets.
When we retired the
Polar Alaska and
Polar California – the
last single-hulled tankers in our fleet – they were converted to
floating production, storage and offloading vessels, extending
their lives by at least 15 years. The tankers will be converted
to work in Asia at offshore fields, separating water and gas
from crude oil production and offloading the oil for shipment
in tankers.
Ekofisk I Cessation
Although our Ekofisk field in the North Sea will remain in
production for many years, we already have started decommissioning
redundant structures. Stakeholder consultation was a
key part of the decision-making process in determining the
Ekofisk I cessation plan.
The plan involves the removal of 15 steel platforms, including
the Ekofisk Tank topsides. Removal of gangways, flares,
tripods and other light structures already has begun and is due
for completion in 2009. The Ekofisk Tank topsides, some
25,000 metric tons, have been removed and approximately
98 percent have been recycled. The larger platforms should
be removed by the end of 2013.
The material is sorted, then processed in a facility equipped to
handle any chemicals and residual oil. Vessels are scanned for
potential radioactivity before further processing. Most of the
steel is sent to a local works for smelting to make reinforcing
steel. Other metals and grades of steel are sent for specialist
processing at facilities throughout Northern Europe. The goal
is to recycle 96 percent of the material.
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Reviewing the Ekofisk Tank cessation activity are a panel of
scientists. Pictured here are Jacob de Boer, Institute for Environmental
Studies (IVM) at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam;
Eileen Arctander Vik, Aquateam, Norway; Paul E. Kingston,
Herriot-Watt University, United Kingdom; Günter F. Clauss, Berlin
University of Technology; and Torgeir Bakke, NIVA, Norway.
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In developing the Ekofisk
Tank cessation plans, we
involved key stakeholders,
including academia,
environmental nongovernmental
organizations,
government, industry
groups and the media.
To facilitate dialogue, we
produced presentations,
newsletters and a Web site
explaining the proposals.
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