Approach to environmental risk assessment in the design and operation of oil fields in the Arctic region

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science 2021-02, Vol.678 (1), p.12032
• Main Authors: Rukavitsyn, Vadim, Ekzarian, Vladimir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Arctic environments; Arctic zone; Design analysis; Environmental assessment; Environmental impact; Environmental risk; Human influences; Hydrocarbons; Ice environments; Oil and gas fields; Oil fields; Polar environments; Risk assessment; Safety
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/678/1/012032

Environmental risk is the basis for environmental safety assessment for any object. Without a risk assessment, it is extremely difficult to control the permissibility of certain anthropogenic impacts on the environment. At the same time the active development of hydrocarbon production in the Arctic region, can lead to irreversible consequences for the environment because of the special vulnerability of this territory to man-made impacts. In this regard it became necessary to create a universal and practical methodology for the environmental risks assessment. This article proposes an approach to assessing environmental risks for the design and operation of oil fields in the Arctic region, which allows comprehensive reviewing of the environmental safety of hydrocarbon production, as well as prompt and optimal response to environmental pollution. The criteria for risk assessment, their significance, as well as the structure and methodology of the assessment itself are analyzed.