Environment & Safety

America’s oil and natural gas industry has a long-standing commitment to safety and protecting the environment. The industry’s environmental investments represent a crucial aspect of today’s energy exploration and production process.  Since 1990, the industry has invested $239 billion toward improving the environmental performance of its products, facilities and operations—$777 for every man, woman and child in the United States. The industry is dedicated to continuing efforts to improve the compatibility of our operations with the environment, while economically developing energy resources and supplying high-quality products and services to consumers.

Between 2000 and 2010, the U.S. oil and natural gas industry invested $71 billion in technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, far more than the federal government ($43 billion) and almost as much as the rest of private industry combined ($74 billion). These large investments are critical to provide the low-carbon energy we will need in the years ahead.

The industry’s investment in emerging technology is also significant—investing an estimated $13 billion in 2009 in environmental expenditures to further safer, cleaner and more efficient operations.  Additionally, through new seismic exploration and extended reach drilling technologies, our geologists can survey underground oil and natural gas deposits more effectively than in years past. This improves exploration success rates while also reducing environmental impact.

Electronic navigation and physical oceanographic systems also help safeguard our environment and are a large part of the reason why more than 99.9 percent of oil delivered by tankers during the last decade has reached its U.S destination without incident.

Want to learn more about industry environment and safety standards? View the content in the resources box above.