WorldWide Drilling Resource

21 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® APRIL 2015 Energy Company’s Collaboration with Environmentalists is a Success Adapted from Information by the Center for Sustainable Shale Development The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) is a combined effort between environmental organiza- tions and energy companies to encourage responsible development of shale gas in the Appalachian region. To earn CSSD certification, compa- nies must meet 15 performance stan- dards which serve as the foundation for the organization’s independent third-party evaluation and verification program. The standards focus on operational perform- ance, environmental stewardship, and continuous improvement processes. Some of the key areas cover: $ Limitations on Flaring $ Reduced Engine Emissions $ Emissions Controls on Storage Tanks $ Maximizing Water Recycl ing Efforts $ Development of Groundwater Protection Plan $ Well Casing Design $ Groundwater Monitoring $ Wastewater Disposal $ Reduced Toxicity of Fracturing Fluid Susan LeGros, CSSD president and executive director said while the center’s standards are not intended to replace existing regulations, its focus is to identify environmental stewardship areas where standards can be defined to meet or exceed regulations, and ensure compa- nies that qualify for certification continue to maintain the standards. “We will con- tinue to collaborate with stakeholders with diverse perspectives to identify transpar- ent, prudent, and responsible practices in shale gas development,” she stated. Recently, the organization announced Chevron Appalachia is the first company to successfully complete the center’s rig- orous evaluation and verification process. Chevron earned full CSSD certifica- tion against all 15 of the center’s perform- ance standards. Like any company who earns CSSD certification, Chevron must continue to follow the standards through- out theAppalachian Basin. They will incor- porate CSSD’s best practices into the company’s long-term continuous improve- ment process. CSSD will continue to build and expand on the initial perform- ance standards. The certification process became available January 2014 and Chevron applied for its initial certifi- cation in April 2014. Auditors conducted a preaudi t to f ami l i a r i ze themselves with the com- pany’s man- a g e m e n t system and d e t e r m i n e audit readi- ness of the company’s operations. The team then conducted a full- scale certification audit in June 2014, consisting of comprehensive documenta- tion review, staff interviews at Chevron’s offices, and a field-based component to verify Chevron’s operational practices complied with applicable standards. In keeping with CSSD’s performance verification protocol, the audit team vis- ited 22 Chevron sites (16 in southwestern The complete list of standards is available at sustainableshale.org Pennsylvania, 4 in West Virginia, and 2 in Ohio) representing Chevron’s geograph- ic and operational locations throughout the Appalachian Basin. Once the audit was complete, the findings were submitted to CSSD’s inter- nal certification decision committee, consisting of people not aligned with any CSSD participant. The committee then determined eligibility for certification. According to LeGros, this certification not only recognizes hundreds of hours of diligent and careful work of many people at Chevron, but also the countless others from environmental organizations, phil- anthropic foundations, and other energy companies who are dedicated to defining a process for setting and verifying volun- tary and uncompromisingly high per- formance expectations in shale gas development. This certification, which is valid for 24 months, demonstrates that through collaboration, a strong commitment to responsible practices, and a long-term view of environmental stewardship, we can work together to harvest our nation’s abundant shale resources responsibly.