Community Responses to New Energy Sources: role of IA: Presentation 2

Non-technical risks of tight and shale gas exploration

All risks and opportunities associated with regulatory, public, socio-economic, governmental and environmental aspects of project operations.

 

1. Design of facilities
2. Protecting water resources
3. Using IA process and stakeholder engagement
4. ...
5. ...

 

• Tight and shale gas has low porosity and permeability therefore the facilities needed above ground are larger than traditional wells.
  
• Hydraulic fracturing required to 'flow' the gas by forcing water (99%) and sand (1%) through small holes in illed pipe sent through the sandstone/shale layer.
• Fracking used in I nous try for over 60 years.
  
• 1 to 1.5km underground and length of fractures relatively small (?1-300m)

 

IA process is over and beyond legal compliance, as needed.

HSSE and Social Performance Control Framework

Use industry good practice

 

IA includes local experts

Independent expert group informs IA

Peer review of findings

 

Community concerns:

• Use of water - reuse, recycling, waterless approaches
• Contamination of water sources
• Footprint of the facility
• Visual impact

Community is very important and ensure that we engage with them and have detailed long term monitoring. have citizen participation forums. Allow them to inform mitigation plans and involvement in monitoring.

Also have social performance plans to support communities.


 

Wrap Up

• Increase in energy demand
• Need to recognise the need to develop unconventional sources
• Need everyone to come to the table and regulators need to have fair regulations and consistent enforcement