Environmental Regulations in Abu Dhabi Emirate [UAE] Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

This profile has been produced with the assistance of Mohammed A.S. Al Muflehi of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

National Profile

Summary of Abu Dhabi offshore regulatory measures

• There is an emphasis on legislation to regulate the industry

• Environmental legislation applies to the offshore petroleum industry through the Federal Law No. (24) for 1999 for the Protection and Development of the Environment ("Federal Environmental Law")

• International agreements do apply

• Economic incentives are not in place

• Voluntary measures do apply

• Reporting and monitoring of environmental performance is required

Contact Information:

Mohammed A.S. Al Muflehi,
Manager E H & S Divn.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company [ADNOC]
P. O. Box 898
Abu Dhabi [UAE]
Adnoc@adnoc.com

Related Web sites:

ADNOC Web site which, outlines Environmental, Health and Safety activities of the company
www.adnoc.com

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY Web site:
http://www.fea.gov.ae

Abu Dhabi Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency [ERWDA] Web site
http://www.erwda.gov.ae

1. Major bodies that exercise regulatory control over environmental aspects of offshore operations, either directly or indirectly

• UAE Federal Environmental Agency
  

• UAE Coast guard
  

• Abu Dhabi Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency [ERWDA]
  

• ADNOC

2. Major industry associations with instruments for environmental performance of offshore oil and gas activities

ADNOC has been de-facto environmental regulator of the oil and gas industry for a number of years already and this precedes any environmental legislation in the UAE or Emirate of Abu Dhabi

3. National Regulatory Frameworks

i) Major environment legislation applying directly to offshore operations

Federal Law No. (24) for 1999 for the Protection and Development of the Environment ("Federal Environmental Law"):

• requires permitting of offshore oil and gas industry;
  

• FEA to develop environmental guidelines;
  

• requires environmental impact assessment of development projects

ii) National regulatory environmental regulations which indirectly apply to offshore operation

• Federal Law No. (24) for 1999 for the Protection and Development of the Environment ("Federal Environmental Law"):
  

• requires permitting of waste disposal;
  

• requires permitting of hazardous materials and hazardous wastes;
  

• requires environmental performance monitoring and registration

iii) Negotiated agreements on environment between industry and government

Under Article 94 of the Federal Environmental Law, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is deemed to be the environmental regulator of Abu Dhabi oil and gas industry. ADNOC does not have any oil and gas operations of its own but controls a number of operating companies and reports to the Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council.

iv) Management instruments incorporated into national legislation

Below are ADNOC requirements for the oil and gas industry; these go currently beyond the formal regulatory requirements, as the Federal Environmental Law has not been developed to the regulation level as yet.

• EIA
  

• Environmental (HSE) Management System
  

• Environmental auditing
  

• Environmental discharges and emissions monitoring and reporting
  

• Corporate environmental reporting

4. International agreements applied to offshore operations

• London (dumping) Convention
  

• Basel Convention
  

• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal

• Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
  

• Regional Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment
  

• Marine Pollution Convention (Special Areas)
  

• Note: ADNOC requirements do not specifically refer to obligations that follow from the above conventions

5. Major economic instruments applying directly to offshore environmental performance

No economic instruments are applied.

6. Voluntary environment measures adopted by the national oil industry

• ADNOC has an integrated and proactive HSE management system introduced in 1997. The ADNOC HSEMS model is based on E & P Forum HSEMS model and also complies with the quality and Environmental Management Principles of ISO 9001 and 14001 For further details see: http://www.adnoc.com/hse/managmt.htm
  

• ADNOC has also established a "Cleaner Seas Campaign" that commenced operations on the First UAE National Environment Day. The aim of the programme is to clear the sea bed of debris and enhance the quality of the marine environment by the controlled placing of harmless physical structures on the sea bed.
  

For further details see: http://www.adnoc.com/hse/cleaner.htm

Environmental Regulations for Offshore Abu Dhabi [UAE] Oil and Gas Industry-
Which instrument is used to deal with selected environmental issues.

INSTRUMENTS