In speeches to conferences, SPE Pres. Peter Gaffney likes to show a slide of a well-known Remington painting called "A dash for the timber."
The painting shows a group of frontiersmen on horseback, galloping away from a posse of angry people waving guns and rifles. Gaffney likens the horsemen to petroleum engineers "always being chased by angry environmentalists, politicians, managers, and so on. But we always make it to the timber."
With environmentalists pursuing the oil industry more hotly than ever before, and with incidents like the Sea Empress tanker spill and the abortive plan to dump the Brent spar providing the "greens" plenty of ammunition, Gaffney is concerned that the oil industry's image is being painted too black.
He said, "If you look at pollution incidents in detail and look at how much the oil industry spills, we pollute a minuscule amount in comparison with other industries. Of oil spillage at sea, most is due to vessels of all types cleaning their tanks at sea. Less than 1% is due directly to the oil industry."
Gaffney says the industry spends a tremendous amount of money and effort on environmental issues. But each major accident brings pollution issues into focus, and the industry has to ask if it can do something to reduce the chances of further accidents.
"I'm not complacent," Gaffney said, "but because of the nature of our industry we are a natural target for attack. One of the fascinating things is that the electricity industry can put up permanent pylons across the land, while we have to go to battle to put up a temporary derrick."
The oil industry is seen by the media and the general public as making lots of money, Gaffney says, yet industry returns on stock exchanges are much lower than the media's.
"All we can do is be as straightforward as we can, describe what we are doing, and keep looking for improvements. They will come with time, but sometimes not as fast as we would all like."
Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
