Abstract

All operations especially in oil and gas developments will have direct and indirect impacts on the environment. The need for high environmental standards and the considerable public attention focused on oil and gas companies means that compliance to environmental regulations alone is insufficient

An effective Environmental Management System (EMS) is required to manage a company’s environmental impacts resulting from its operations. Environmental audits are an essential part of this system. This paper will discuss requirements for an EMS, Standards, types of environmental audits, definitions and objectives of an audit

The Draft ISO 14001 and BS 7750 are Environmental Management System (EMS) Standards. Certification to these Standards will demonstrate that companies have met minimum requirements with regards to management of the environmental issues resulting from their operations.

The primary motivation for certification to an EMS Standard is to enable a company to have operational control, to manage the significant environmental effects and for continuous improvement in environmental performance.