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Biodiversity
Coral habitat conservation
Turtle protection
DolphinEnergy has a longstanding
commitment toprotecting biodiversity;
ensuring not only that its operations not
negatively affect biodiversity, but that it
also contributes positively to theprosperity
and sustenanceof biodiversity as a natural
resource. The company’s twoareas of
greatest effort and importance include
coral habitat conservation and turtle
protection.
During design and construction phase,
DolphinEnergywas extensively involved in
the study of coral habitat and its protection.
DolphinEnergy contributedover $650,000
to theWorldWideFund for Nature (WWF)
in support of detailed andoriginal research
andmapping of corals from2004 to2007
and it undertook a significant role inproject
planning. Consequently thedistribution,
diversity, status and sustainable
development of coral reefs throughout
AbuDhabi andEasternQatar are now
much better understood. One of themost
direct outcomes of this project, alongwith
influence of other community engagement
dialogues, was that the company rerouted
the pipeline corridors to avoid sites of high
During thepre construction phase of
DolphinEnergy’s plant at RLC, the
company identified thepotential for
disturbance of significant turtle nesting
grounds on the beach north of the plant
sitewhere the pipelineswould come
onshore. In response, amonitoring
andnest relocation program has been
developed in close cooperationwith the
Environment Department of Ras Laffan
City. International turtleexperts, in
consultationwithQatar’sMinistry of the
Environment, assistedDolphinEnergy
developa “ TurtleNest Relocation
Protocol” to transfer nestswhichmay be
disturbedby construction activities to safer
sections of theDolphinBeach area. During
Goals for 2010
As captured above, priority environmental goals for 2010 include:
•
Optimizeplant operations andminimize process upsets and consequential unplanned
flaring. The2010 target is to achieve0.3% flaring of sweet gas production
•
Establishment of an LDAR program to determine fugitive emissions, and continued
minimization of other leaks and spills
•
Initiate constructionof the liquid sulphur pipeline to transfer liquid sulphur from the
plant toRLCport toavoid truck emissions
•
Development of aGHG register based onapprovedguidelines andprotocols
•
Increase recyclingand improve resourcemanagement and efficiency
•
Undertakeabroader assessment of the company’s ecological footprint, and identify
highest leverage opportunities for improvement
ecological, historical and cultural value.
The findings of this three year long
researchwerepublished inaunique
research andphotographicwork called
“CORAL in theSoutheasternArabian
Gulf”. Not only did the study improve the
company’s understandingof this resource,
but it also contributed to raisingawareness
among the public, whether academic
or professional, on this issue. Further
studies have since been undertaken into
artificial reefs - soas to identify suitable
locations for artificial systemswithinQatar
and possibly theKuwait to assist coral reef
rehabilitation.
theMay to June nesting season, 4-5night
patrols tagged all nesting activities and
conducteddetailed scientific assessments
of the nests prior to relocation. Over 50
nestswere relocated and innovative
protectionmeasures of the remainder
avoided successful raiding of thenests
by predatory desert foxes from80% to
15%. Theprotocol has since become
the standard for all turtle nest relocation
activities at Ras Laffan. In addition,
DolphinEnergy implementeda research
program to study the impact of light on
successful nesting and subsequently
shared the resultswith theworldwide
scientific community through international
journals.
Themonitoring program continued for
2 years after pipeline construction and
beach rehabilitation. The survey findings
confirmed that thenesting frequency at
theDolphin sitehadbeen fully restored.
Other biodiversity initiatives include
support for thedevelopment of anational
conservation strategy for dugongs and
their habitat within theState of Qatar.
DolphinEnergy continues tobe involved
inmonitoringall these issues through
participation in theRLES, agrouping of
RLC, QPandRLICoperators to develop
joint initiatives on themanagement and
protectionof environmental resources
within and adjacent to theRLC industrial
complex, and through other associations
and engagements.
