OREANDA-NEWS. May 22, 2014. This year, at the 10th annual President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship ceremony, Khalid A. Al-Falih, Saudi Aramco president and CEO, recognized four organizations whose environmental efforts have been exceptional.

The ceremony was a sign that the company takes its role of Citizenship very seriously, putting words into plans and plans into action.

Departments receiving the award included Central Region Distribution Department and North Ghawar Producing Department (Operating Organizations), Central Community Services Department (Support Services Organization) and Ras Tanura Refinery Operations (Most Improved Facility).

In giving the awards, Al-Falih said, “I want to congratulate the departments that were recognized, their teams and all the employees behind them, and I hope by being recognized today it will give them reinforcement and positive feedback to go back and urge the organization to move further toward our destination.

“When you look at where we are today versus a few years ago, you come back feeling very content,” Al-Falih said. “The company is becoming a best-in-class steward of the environment.”
The annual awards are organized by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and are an opportunity for the company’s numerous departments to compete and showcase their commitment to environmental stewardship.

Organizations are judged according to their efforts in maintaining environmental compliance, enhancing environmental performance, raising awareness and pursuing environmental initiatives.
Although awards were presented to just four organizations, EPD manager Hesham Al-Musaiid said that the entire company has made incredible strides toward putting environmental stewardship at the forefront of all company operations. Some of the highlights were:

The company has implemented zero discharge technology at 400 well sites, a 55 percent increase compared to 2013.

Implementation of zero discharge technology is responsible for the recovery of 5 billion scf of gas, in addition to 200,000 barrels of crude oil.

Thanks to ongoing flare reduction initiatives, the overall amount of flaring for the company remained under 1 percent of total raw gas production for the second consecutive year.

“We have made good progress in implementing the corporate environmental strategies, and as a result, we have realized substantial gains on all environmental fronts, including protecting the air that we breathe and conserving our precious groundwater resources,” Al-Musaiid said. “The hard work and dedication of all company organizations will ultimately benefit us, our families and our community at large.”

Ultimately, Saudi Aramco’s people will be crucial to the company’s success in improving environment protection, both as individuals and collectively as a company, Al-Falih said. “The solution is leadership. It’s technology, it’s people, it’s investments, it’s all of us working together, the support organizations and the research organizations, taking ownership to ensure that we get there.”