annual_repport_staatsolie_2016_lr

Annual REPORT
Confidence in Our Own Abilities
22
Beyond providing employment and generating
business in our industry, we are committed to
helping bring important community services
to the citizens of Suriname. In 2016, we were
particularly pleased to officially open the new
Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units at the
Academic Hospital, which was supported by a US$
500,000 Staatsolie donation, and US$ 700,000
from the Staatsolie Foundation for Community
Development. In the past, due to limited facilities,
the hospital was unable to treat all preterm or
seriously ill babies. With the new units, none since
opening have been turned away due to lack of
facilities – saving the lives of dozens of children
to date, and this will continue in the decades
ahead. In addition to this important facility, and
despite the financial challenges of 2016, we also
supported the opening of a youth dental care
clinic at Domburg.
Community Engagement
In 2016, we continued to facilitate meetings with
community members and surrounding companies
to gather information, to communicate, and to
enable the airing of concerns about Staatsolie’s
operations. In 2016, these meetings included
addressing issues related to the start‐up activities
of our refinery, meetings with landowners in the
light of our Development Drilling Program for 2016
at Saramacca, and meetings held with the District
Commissioner of Saramacca and representatives
of the communities and farmers of the surrounding
areas to discuss flooding and possible solutions,
which we hope to enact together in 2017.
To add additional consistency to our approach
across our operations, we intend to implement
stakeholder engagement guidelines in 2017. We
plan to bring these guidelines to life through
developing amongst others Neighborhood
Councils to act as organized, structured forums
for more consistent community engagement and
communication, in the spirit of true collaboration.
Corporate Social Responsibility
In 2017, we intend to add additional rigor to our
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program
by developing a CSR policy. The policy should be
in place by the end of 2017.
Our social license to operate depends upon
the ongoing support of the communities which
host our operations. For this reason, in 2016 we
continued to enhance how we listen to, engage
with, and reflect the views of these communities.
We will continue to advance our approach in
2017 and focus our activities on supporting
the communities that are most affected by our
operations, since these communities host us.
We will work together with the communities in
2017 and beyond to address their needs in the
manner most effective to them, if needed together
with the local Government.
In addition to these specific concerns, our goal
is to ensure that we help these communities on
their own journey of sustainability, providing them
with the guidance and tools to create economic
opportunities that can sustain them beyond the
life of our operations.
Our Environment
Staatsolie is committed to minimize its
environmental footprint as much as possible.
Staatsolie has adopted nationally and
internationally accepted guidelines and standards
demonstrating the company’s commitment to
prevent or to minimize any adverse impact on
the environment that may be caused by our
operations, supported by practical steps in the
field. For example, when dykes are constructed,
the necessary culverts are placed to prevent
impacts on the hydrology. We also include ample
crossings or openings in dams within the wetland
areas where we operate. Regular monitoring of
environmental parameters such as water and
air quality is also undertaken. Our commitment
towards environmentally responsible operations
is practiced by the execution of an Environmental
and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for any new
or expansion project or operations, followed by
implementing the required measures as stated in
the Environmental Management Plans to minimize
the identified impacts. Regular monitoring is being
done to detect early warnings which are used to
provide our management team with guidance
to prevent deterioration of the quality of the
environment.
In 2016, we:
• Submitted an addendum to our EISA study
of Tambaredjo North West Production
Development to NIMOS to obtain an advice
for expanding the oilfield with additional wells
between 2016 and 2018.
• Submitted an Environmental Evaluation of
the impacts on hydrology in the Tambaredjo
North Area to NIMOS to obtain an advice for
Production Development.