Discharges to sea
In 2000, Statoil implemented EIF as a risk management tool for produced water discharges. EIF has been developed as an indicator of the potential impact of produced water releases. The environmental risk is expressed as EIF, and the EIF related to the release of produced water from all Statoil-operated fields was reduced by 75% between 2000 and 2007.
In cooperation with other companies, we have extended the EIF concept to include discharges to sea from drilling activities and oil spills. The EIF tool was most recently tested during exploration operations in Brazil.
Emissions to air
EIF Air is the result of close cooperation between StatoilHydro, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). It indicates which installations/locations should be prioritised in relation to reducing emissions. EIF Air has been tested on four different installations on the Norwegian continental shelf. The aim was to identify the best location for implementation of cost efficient measures to reduce NOx. In September 2008 the company EIF Air AS launched a commercial product, a web-based software package for national, and in future for international, use.
Impact assessments
Environmental risk assessments are based on generic knowledge and understanding of ecosystems and the sensitivities of species. The risk assessment tools (i.e. EIFs) are primarily used as management tools to support management decisions for prioritising mitigation measures. Due to lack of data and knowledge, the risk management tools have significant limitations, constraining their area of application.
In certain areas in which we operate, more specific knowledge and understanding of the condition and sensitivity of the ecosystems is required. In StatoilHydro's opinion, true impact assessments address the ecosystems at higher levels, such as population dynamics and biodiversity.
A number of R&D activities have been initiated to improve our understanding of functions and interactions of pelagic (fish and zooplankton) and benthic ecosystems, such as the StatoilHydro-ARCTOS Arctic Research Programme (SAARP) and VISTA, StatoilHydro's basic research programme conducted in close collaboration with the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. StatoilHydro recently took the initiative for a gathering of the leading Norwegian institutes and universities with expertise in this field, addressing knowledge gaps and further research needs. A research programme addressing important areas of improvement in the understanding of ecosystems is under development.
