|
Protecting Papua New Guinea's Rain Forest
ChevronTexaco has brought to life its policy of protecting people and the environment in the Kutubu Petroleum Development Project in Papua New Guinea PNG. The project area encompasses Lake Kutubu, a pristine lake in the Southern Highlands Province, and extends south to the Gulf of Papua. The biologically diverse environment includes more than 700 bird species, 15,000 flowering plant species and more than 300 species of fish, amphibians and reptiles. About 20,000 of the country's 4 million people use the rain forest as a base for subsistence gardening and hunting, and the Kikori River for transportation and food.
 |
 |
 |
|
| Chevron Niugini won praise for its protection of Papua New Guinea rain forests, where the company sold its operations in 2003. |
|
|
Chevron Niugini worked with national and provincial governments, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and communities to conserve the environment, preserve cultural heritage and promote sustainable community development. For example, Chevron Niugini implemented extensive measures to help protect the environment and avoid environmental disturbance by burying pipelines, reinjecting produced water, minimizing road construction, eliminating spills and comprehensively managing wastes.
Chevron Niugini, WWF, the Kutubu Joint Venture partners and the PNG national and provincial governments also continued the Kikori Integrated Conservation and Development Project (KICDP), a partnership established in 1994 to help protect the Kikori River System by working with local people to establish a model of ecologically sustainable development. Noted scientist, environmentalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Jared Diamond has done numerous biological surveys in the area of project operations. He has publicly praised Chevron Niugini for the effectiveness of its environmental conservation practices and has referred to the company's license area as "New Guinea's premier conservation area."
In 2003, ChevronTexaco sold its assets in PNG and has resigned as operator. Joint venture participants have approved one of the companies, Oil Search Ltd. (OSL), to assume operatorship of the producing and exploration licenses. Final changeover of control will occur in October 2003. ChevronTexaco is committed to maintaining existing Chevron Niugini environmental conservation and community development policies, programs and practices through the transition to the new operatorship.
|
|
|
