Many of our global oil reserves are located north of the Arctic Circle. |
Our Approach to Biodiversity Conservation
We recognize the importance of protecting and promoting
biodiversity, particularly in sensitive areas. During 2007, we
are developing a corporate biodiversity conservation position.
We follow widely accepted guidelines from the International
Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association
(IPIECA) and the International Association of Oil and Gas
Producers (OGP) in our approach to biodiversity conservation.
We also have been working with IPIECA’s biodiversity working
group to develop tools and materials to help companies across
our industry enhance their biodiversity conservation activities.
We are a founding member of the OGP’s Sound and Marine
Life program, which is investigating the possible impact of
sound produced by offshore exploration and production on
marine mammals, fish, turtles, seabirds, invertebrates and other
marine life. The joint industry program is researching a range
of sound sources, including seismic air guns, drilling, dredging,
pile-driving, construction and decommissioning.
We are chairing a workgroup of the Environmental Studies
Research Fund, which is conducting laboratory tests of the
potential impact of seismic surveys on monkfish eggs. Monkfish
are of great commercial importance in the Newfoundland area,
but little is known of their biology. This study will not only
help industry learn how to avoid impacting the monkfish
population, but also advance knowledge of monkfish biology.
We have developed the SPIRIT of Conservation program,
which builds on our long-term partnership with the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation and aims to preserve and protect
the habitats of birds all over the world. (See
Community
Investment section.)
Environmental Conservation in the Arctic
Many of our global oil reserves are located north of the Arctic
Circle. We believe it is important to balance our presence in Arctic
ecosystems with responsible conservation measures to protect
them. This requires open dialogue between environmentalists,
industry, governments and other interested parties.
We are participating in the International Polar Year, a 24-month
scientific research program focused on the Arctic and the
Antarctic. Organized by the International Council for Science
and the World Meteorological Organization, the program
involves over 200 projects from March 2007 to March 2009,
with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a
wide range of physical, biological and social research topics.
In January 2007, we sponsored the first annual Arctic Frontiers
conference in Tromsø, Norway, which provided a forum for
communication and collaboration among Arctic stakeholders
to promote sustainable development in Arctic regions based on
scientific knowledge and cultural sensitivity.
In 2006, we participated in an IPIECA/OGP biodiversity
workshop in Tromsø, Norway, which brought together
environmental experts from the oil industry, government and
nongovernment organizations, as well as representatives from
indigenous communities, to share information and improve
understanding of biodiversity conservation issues in the Arctic.
Within ConocoPhillips, we formed an Arctic Technology
Council in 2005 to exchange best practices among our
businesses in Russia, Norway, Canada and Alaska. One of the
council’s key tasks is to compile a computer-based geographic
information system of environmental data to serve as a
management planning tool for the Arctic region.
A tribeswoman of the Nenets, an indigenous group located in the Arctic
regions of Russia. We are investing in the creation of an environmental
database for the Nenets region for use in impact assessment and oil
pollution prevention planning in the region. |
Barents Sea – In Norway and Russia, we are investing
$2 million a year on Arctic environmental research projects in
the Barents Sea region. Among them is a study to monitor the
effect of oil and gas activities on polar cod in the Barents Sea.
Polar cod is a key species for environmental risk assessment
because it is the only fish whose life cycle is closely associated
with the ice-edge ecosystem.
Another project is exploring the feasibility of transferring
environmental information to a central laboratory from remote
biological sensors on marine life. One idea is to monitor the
heart rate of crabs using noninvasive infrared light to detect
signs of stress caused by oil pollution and to transmit this
information in real time back to the laboratory. The experiment is
being conducted at the Ny-Ålesund marine research laboratoryon the west coast of Spitzbergen in Norway. We donated
$1 million to build the laboratory, which opened in 2005 to
provide Arctic marine research facilities to the international
research community.
We are creating an environmental database for the Nenets
region on the east coast of Russia. The database will be used
for impact assessment and oil pollution prevention planning
in the region, which has significant hydrocarbon reserves and
exceptional wildlife habitat, including walrus rookeries and
coastal marsh areas.
Another project will assess the long-term impact of pollution
on the Pechora River, a unique Arctic fresh-water ecosystem,
which was affected by an industry pipeline oil spill in the
1990s. The information will be used to develop contingency
plans in the event of a future incident.
 In Alaska, we conduct aerial surveys of various bird species, such as
spectacled eiders (an endangered species of sea duck, pictured here),
tundra swans and yellow-billed loons. |
Alaska – We conduct multidisciplinary environmental
studies to support exploration, development and operations
activities on the North Slope. The most extensive program is
the documentation of baseline conditions prior to new
developments in environmentally sensitive areas. An
archaeological survey is always conducted to ensure that we
avoid culturally important sites or artifacts.
Key wildlife species are studied and their habitats mapped to
help project engineers plan the routing and placement of gravel
roads and drilling pads to minimize environmental impact.
For example, to comply with federal regulations that require
us to avoid polar bear dens during winter activities, we provide
support to the U.S. Geological Survey’s polar bear team to
place satellite or GPS transmitters on the animals. These
biologists then conduct aerial surveys to locate polar bear dens
in the early winter. In addition to data from monitoring the
tagged bears, we use infrared equipment mounted on our fixed
wing aircraft to detect a heat signature from the bears in the
den. With all these data in hand, we can direct our ground
crews to stay at least a mile away from a polar bear den.
Several fish species found in the streams, rivers and lakes, and
along the Arctic coastline, support subsistence, commercial,
and recreational fisheries. We have conducted and supported
numerous fisheries studies since 1985. We work closely with
the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Habitat Division
and other interested agencies, such as the National Marine
Fisheries Service, during development or exploration in new
areas to avoid impacting any of these important fisheries.
One of the ways we mitigate our impact on the delicate tundra
is by reducing our “footprint” – the amount of land needed for
operations. Today our sites are significantly smaller than those of
early North Slope developments. On the western North Slope,
for example, the Nanuq drill site in our Alpine oil field was
constructed with rounded contours, which the local community
felt would make it less of an obstacle to migrating caribou than
the traditional square configuration. To minimize its footprint,
the Alpine field has been constructed without a permanent
access road to the rest of the state and other North Slope
infrastructure. Instead, equipment and supplies are brought in
by aircraft for most of the year. At Fiord, a roadless drill pad
located in the Colville Delta, flights are restricted during
key nesting periods to minimize disturbance to the area’s
spectacled eider population.
Since heavy or bulky loads can only be transported over land,
during the winter we build ice roads, ice bridges and ice pads
to protect the tundra. Drilling rigs are modified for disassembly
into many loads for transport using low-ground-pressure
vehicles and are then reassembled at the drill site. We open our temporary roads for use by indigenous North Slope residents
each winter to bring in essential supplies.
We operate air-monitoring stations on the North Slope to
measure pollutants, and their results show that air quality is
consistently better than national standards. In 2005, we signed
an agreement with the state of Alaska to reduce sulfur dioxide
emissions on the North Slope. Under the agreement, we will
use ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel in virtually all combustion
sources beginning in June 2010 or before. The agreement is
expected to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions on the North
Slope by 363 metric tons per year.
Our Alpine development will also supply natural gas to the
indigenous Inupiat community of Nuiqsut through a utility
system built and operated by the North Slope Borough. The
gas will replace expensive heating oil, reducing the annual
utilities expense for the borough and providing clean,
convenient and economic fuel to village residents.
Canada – In 2006, we contributed $45,000 to a regional caribou
collaring program as part of our predevelopment monitoring
activities for the proposed Parsons Lake gas field in the
Northwest Territories. GPS collars were placed on caribou so
that the herd’s movements and numbers could be monitored.
The information will be used to help plan the proposed gas
field development, which overlaps with the over-wintering area
of the Cape Bathurst and Blue-nose West caribou herds.
Environmental Conservation Across the Globe
Venezuela – We have left a legacy of biodiversity conservation
through our contributions to research, knowledge dissemination
and management of aquatic biodiversity, birdlife and threatened
species in the Gulf of Paria and the Orinoco Delta.
As part of this effort, we partnered with Conservation
International to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable
development in the Gulf of Paria, one of the Caribbean’s
richest areas of aquatic life. This included a study which showed
that the Gulf of Paria and adjacent Orinoco Delta sustain a
unique variety and abundance of aquatic species, including
some new to science and many of which were previously not
known to exist in the region. This resulted in the launch of a
biodiversity action plan in 2004 to promote environmental
protection and regional economic development. We continued
to work in consultation with key stakeholders to generate interest
and support for the plan and to implement its recommendations,
including the establishment in 2005 of an ongoing pilot
biodiversity community participatory monitoring program.
The Sakernan pipeline route in Indonesia before and after revegetation. |
Indonesia – We are working closely with local stakeholders
on a revegetation project in Sumatra, Indonesia, designed to
reduce land erosion, improve soil stability and decrease
illegal land use. During a 16-month program, 450 acres of land
along the route of the Sakernan pipeline were replanted with
quick-growing native evergreen plants suited to the acidic soil
and sloping terrain.
We also are collaborating with the Indonesian government and
the Zoological Society of London to survey the Bentayan and
Dangku forests of South Sumatra, which adjoin our onshore
operating areas, for signs of the endangered Sumatran tiger,
whose numbers are threatened by deforestation and poaching.
Early results show that the Dangku forest supports at least five
adult tigers. Other forest conservation projects include mapping
disturbed areas and revegetating old roads to restore habitat for
tigers, birds and other wildlife. Support has been financial, as
well as in-kind. These efforts will help us plan future operations
in this area of rich biodiversity and focus our revegetation
programs where they will do the most good.
Scientists number and tag relocated coral off the coastline of Qatar for
future monitoring. |
Qatar – In 2006 and 2007, ConocoPhillips, along with
Qatargas and Shell, took part in a major environmental
initiative to relocate more than 4,500 coral colonies off the
coast of Qatar. The corals were discovered as plans were being
developed for the future pipeline corridors of the Qatargas 3 and
Qatargas 4 projects. Coral preservation is of great importance
because natural “hot water” events in 1998 and 2002 had
decimated the coral population in these shallow waters.
Removal and relocation operations began in October 2006
and continued for five months. First, the coral colonies were
carefully detached by scientists from the seafloor and placed in
basket-shaped storage containers that remained at the bottom
until ready for transport. The baskets were then lifted aboard a
ship and placed in large, circulating seawater pools. The corals
then were transported to the new location and reattached to the
seafloor, where scientists numbered and tagged the sites for
future monitoring.
At six and 12 months after the relocation, an environmental
survey will be conducted to determine the project’s success.
The corals’ color and health, as well as any major changes to
the surrounding habitat, will be monitored. Qatargas has
recommended that the new area be designated as a natural
marine reserve.
Environmental Responsibility in Oil Sands
Anticipating future growth in production from oil sands,
in 2006, we conducted analysis of potential environmental
impacts that could arise both from our development and from
that of industry as a whole. From this, we identified a number
of environmental issues that need management, including
carbon dioxide emissions, water quality and impact on caribou.
We also identified mitigation measures for these issues that
we believe will enable us to produce oil sands in a
responsible manner.
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Seismic lines are now laid in a narrower zigzag pattern and felled
trees left in the cutline to protect the caribou (inset) from line-ofsight
attacks by wolves and to discourage the lines’ adoption as
pathways and trails. |
ConocoPhillips recognizes that the Woodland Caribou
are a threatened species in Canada. Contributing factors
to the decline of the caribou in Canada’s boreal forests
include predation by wolves, coyotes and bears; habitat
disturbance caused by human development; hunting;
and disease. Stakeholders have expressed concerns to
ConocoPhillips about our presence in areas of caribou
habitat and our efforts to protect caribou near our
operations, particularly the Little Smoky Caribou herd,
whose numbers have been declining.
We have been working collaboratively with a broad
group of stakeholders, including government, research
organizations, aboriginal communities, environmental
organizations and our industry peers, for over 15 years
to address the issue of caribou protection. We began our
formal caribou protection program in 2004, which
continues today.
Our commitments include restoration of habitat in
already disturbed areas, minimizing our footprint for
new projects and research into helping the herd expand
its numbers. For example, we recently needed to lay a
60-mile pipeline through caribou habitat. We defined a
route that followed existing rights-of-way for more than
90 percent of its length and had the fewest critical water
crossings. With project partner Suncor Energy, we also
committed $1.5 million to assess, and where needed,
restore and replant some 250 miles of former oil industry
“cutlines” – long, straight clearings through the trees to
facilitate seismic surveys.
The restoration, which received a Steward of Excellence
Award from the Canadian Association of Petroleum
Producers in 2005, was conducted in consultation with
other land users such as forestry industry representatives,
recreational users and importantly, wildlife scientists
from the Biological Sciences and Renewable Resources
Departments of the University of Alberta.
In early 2007, we met with a panel of experts to seek
their input, specifically on the Little Smoky Caribou herd.
We are a founding member of the Caribou Landscape
Management Association, in which we collaborated with
other oil and natural gas companies, forestry companies
and regulators to develop a cooperative access-andrestoration
plan for caribou habitat in Alberta and fund
the first captive caribou calf birthing program in the
province of Alberta, aiming to reverse the decline of the
Little Smoky caribou herd.
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