A sustainable approach to environmental protection
Understanding the full life cycle of our operations is important to operating in an environmentally sustainable manner. There are four key steps, which are integral to the life cycle of our operations. The first step is to assess the surroundings prior to development. The second step is to design and construct facilities to minimize their environmental footprint. The third is to ensure the integrity of the facilities we operate, and the fourth is to restore the environment when operations are concluded. We have numerous examples of incorporating this full life cycle concept into our projects around the world.
Assessing our surroundings
Because our business spans the globe, we operate in a variety of ecosystems, some with sensitive characteristics. Our approach to environmental protection begins with a thorough understanding of our surroundings and operating environment.
Designing our facilities and operations
Wherever we operate, we meet local regulations for environmental performance, and where there are no local regulations, we operate to standards that we believe are protective of the environment. We base these standards on sound science and comprehensive risk assessments.
For example, ExxonMobil Development Company, which manages ExxonMobil’s major new upstream projects worldwide, has developed Environmental Standards for nitrogen oxides emissions, flare and vent reduction, energy efficiency, drill cuttings discharge, water, waste, land use, and socioeconomic management. The Standards, which are being expanded for application across all upstream operations, allow us to identify environmental improvement opportunities early in project planning when they can be implemented
most effectively.
Up Close: Evaluating our leased land
All over the world, ExxonMobil looks to develop and to actively pursue commercially producible oil in an environmentally responsible way, including activities on leased land.
It costs millions of dollars to acquire and maintain leases, and many millions more to evaluate resource potential and develop new technologies to make production possible in increasingly challenging environments.
A typical lease-term held by ExxonMobil, in the United States, is five or 10 years and must be relinquished if production or other activity does not occur within a specified term. We are either producing or evaluating 78 percent of our leased acreage; most of the remainder that we have analyzed and deemed not prospective expires within the next 12 months, and will be returned to the government.
Operating with integrity
Operating our facilities with integrity is critical to minimizing potentially adverse environmental impacts. OIMS helps us manage our safety, health, and environmental risks worldwide. Through OIMS, we communicate expectations, measure progress, and drive continuous improvement in environmental performance. OIMS meets the standard for environmental management systems (ISO 14001:2004) established by the International Organization for Standardization.
Up Close: Developing oil sands responsibly
Globally, about 13 percent of the world's known oil reserves are buried in oil sands — bitumen embedded in sand and clay. To help meet the world's growing energy demand, we are developing oil sands reserves in Canada. Where deposits are found near the surface, oil extraction operations use open-pit mining, which has a visible impact on the land while in operation. We are working to minimize these impacts through concurrent reclamation efforts.
Our Canadian affiliate, Imperial Oil Limited, is one of several companies funding leading-edge reclamation research conducted by the Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development. We invest millions of dollars annually to research revegetation, watershed management, and improved reclamation materials.
Imperial Oil Limited has a 25 percent interest in Syncrude, which operates an oil sands project in northern Alberta. Our improved reclamation activities make better use of the first few inches of top soil — home to the seeds, roots, and nutrients vital to forest health. So far, the project has permanently reclaimed 22 percent of its original mining area lease — the largest share in the oil sands industry. In 2008, Syncrude received the industry's first provincial land reclamation certificate for a 104-hectare parcel known as Gateway Hill. We have planted 5 million seedlings and are in the process of reclaiming 4500 hectares. Reclaimed land is being put to productive reuse, including a 4.5-kilometer hiking trail and grazing grounds for a herd of 300 bison.
Producing and upgrading oil sands consumes more energy and water than conventional oil production. According to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, full life cycle GHG emissions could be up to 15-percent higher for fuel derived from oil sands than for fuel derived from onshore light crude oil. We are focused on finding and developing ways to improve both energy and water use efficiency. Imperial Oil is a founding sponsor of the Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation at the University of Alberta, which seeks breakthrough technologies for more energy efficient extraction processes. Imperial Oil has also helped to pioneer state-of-the-art water recycling techniques through 40 years of technical innovation at our Cold Lake operation.
Restoring the environment
Remediation and restoration activities are a critical step in reducing our overall environmental impacts. Ultimately, these efforts enhance asset and community value while creating opportunities for beneficial use of idle properties and protecting the safety and health of ExxonMobil employees, contractors, and neighbors.
as referenced in the
