2020: A year of close collaboration
There is a lot to say about 2020. And the first thoughts that spring to mind are most probably not the most positive. The pandemic’s impacts have been severe. Still, as the year draws to a close, it is worth remembering how much IOGP’s Members achieved in 2020, despite COVID-19 constraints.
The industry worked closer together this year than ever before. New partnerships were entered into and great joint efforts were made. Here are just a few examples:
In response to the pandemic, the joint IPIECA/IOGP Health Committee convened to focus on the implications of COVID-19 in terms of travel, screening, office routines, cleaning, how to and when to evacuate infected parties, and general work in remote or offshore locations. Later, the agenda expanded to include social distancing, work rotations, COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and the mental health concerns associated with continuing isolation. Discussions on how to continue this work are ongoing. Several position statements were published to support our Members.
Together with API and IPIECA, IOGP published the 4th edition of the Sustainability Reporting Guidance for the oil and gas industry (IOGP Report 437), a key tool to help companies shape the structure and content of their sustainability reporting.
Another joint effort with IPIECA is the report on Environmental management in the upstream oil and gas industry (IOGP Report 254), a revised version of one of IOGP’s most successful and most accessed publications over the past 20 years.
In the Americas, IOGP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Asociación Mexicana de Empresas de Hidrocarburos (AMEXHI) and API and took significant steps to jointly help advance operational performance across North America operations.
Another Memorandum of Understanding was signed with The Open Group that will foster more oil and gas industry collaboration for the development of common information standards.
Together with OGCI and IPIECA, IOGP has launched a joint project to develop a common set of recommended practices for methane emissions detection and quantification technologies, applicable to the upstream oil and gas industry.
Many more great results have been achieved throughout the year thanks to the continued commitment and dedication from our Members: IOGP published the Offshore Helicopter Recommended Practices (OHRP) (IOGP Report 690) that will assist in the safe, effective, and efficient management of offshore commercial helicopter transport operations. Geomatics delivered a new EPSG Geo-Repositioning Platform, and an Awards Committee, consisting of executives from the world’s leading upstream and contractor companies, awarded this year’s IOGP Outstanding Young Professional Award to Total’s David Ochanda for his exceptional achievements in the area of biodiversity.
The Association also kicked off its Strategic Review which aims to answer questions around the current and future format of the Association and the effectiveness of its offerings, address the expected challenges and transitions in the industry and across our Membership, and assess the Association landscape to understand duplication and overlap. The team is currently generating data and insights from IOGP Members and external stakeholders through workshops, interviews, and surveys.
And what about JIP33 and CFIHOS? You will find more about their achievements in 2020 in this edition as well.
And last, but not least: IOGP launched the monthly newsletter Pulse to keep you posted on the incredible work of the international oil and gas industry.
Yes, 2020 has been a very tough year, but also a time when our industry demonstrated what we can achieve when we work together.
