Environmental Assessments in the Oil and Gas Industry L. Mohamed & A. A. Al-Thukair Received: 13 January 2008 / Accepted: 22 September 2008 / Published online: 2 December 2008 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008 Abstract The general public, government regulators, and environmental organizations are increasingly demanding industries to reduce their environmental impacts and report progress. This in turn resulted in numerous requirements for reporting environmental data. Environmental assessments are a useful tool in gathering and documenting this data. The assessments also assist decision makers to quantify impacts of their activities and plan for appropriate mitigation measures. There are different types of environmental assessments, each having specific purpose(s) and addressing specific audience(s). This paper gives an overview of common environmental concerns associ- ated with oil and gas industry and shares insights on types of environmental assessments that are widely used. It discusses general methodologies to define the scope, approach, measurement standards, and report- ing. Potential challenges encountered in conducting these assessments in an international arena and under a wide variety of regulatory requirements are addressed. Practical approach in execution of these assessments is described here, and strategy in dealing with the challenges is presented. Keywords EIA . Environmental assessments . Environmental management system . Environmental reviews . Petroleum industry practices 1 Introduction “Environmental Assessments” or Environmental Reviews” have become a topic of increasing importance and relevance to the oil and gas industry. In this age of growing environmental awareness, the need for in- creased knowledge of the actual or potential impact of industry’ s operations on the environment is critical. The stakeholders requiring this information vary, from government agencies and local communities to compa- ny directors, management, and employees. One of the challenges facing industry is how to gather, assess, and then effectively act on environmental information as a strategic part of its business operation. Rapid development in many areas of the world within the past decades has brought the globalization of communications and higher level of education. In turn, the consuming public has rapidly become more aware of the potential benefits of sustainable devel- opment and the need for natural resource conservation and pollution prevention (Liebenthal et al. 2005). Water Air Soil Pollut: Focus (2009) 9:99–105 DOI 10.1007/s11267-008-9190-x L. Mohamed (*) College of Graduate Studies, Environmental Management Program, Arabian Gulf University, P.O.Box 26671, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain e-mail: lamyafm@agu.edu.bh A. A. Al-Thukair Chemistry Department, King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals, P.O.Box 157, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia e-mail: Thukair@kfupm.edu.sa