Engaging with Stakeholders to Reach Common Goals

Chevron holds a 36 percent interest in the Angola Liquefied Natural Gas (Angola LNG) project, a multibillion dollar venture located in Soyo on Angola's northwest coast. Planning has been under way since the late 1990s. Once in operation, the facility is expected to process 5 million metric tons of natural gas per year collected from offshore oil and gas operations.

Gas supplied to the Angola LNG plant will be a combination of gas produced in association with oil that would previously have been flared or reinjected, and nonassociated gas produced from dedicated wells that tap gas reservoirs (see project facts, below). Our integrated Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) process is being used in the development of the Angola LNG project. Stakeholder engagement began during the site selection phase in 2004. Since that time, more than a hundred meetings and workshops have been held to provide project information and seek the views of community health representatives, local businesses, the fishing community, churches, traditional leaders and other stakeholders. Radio programs also provide communities with updates on the project.

A three-stage stakeholder engagement process was used to identify issues, receive input and develop solutions on a range of issues. For example, to address villagers' concerns about protecting their homes from snakes and other reptiles displaced during clearance of the construction site, a project herpetologist is capturing the reptiles and relocating them to remote areas under the authority of local environmental regulators. A plan is also in place to route plant pipelines around a highly valued primary forest while dredging-contract provisions protect sensitive mangrove and fishing areas. Finally, an impact mitigation and development plan for fishing is being prepared to support the livelihoods of local fishing communities. The ESHIA process also addresses the need for local job creation and how best to use Angolan labor, goods and services during construction and operations.

The results of the assessment phase were published in 2006 in a comprehensive disclosure report. Another round of stakeholder meetings and workshops were conducted to review the findings in Luanda, M'Banza Kongo and Soyo during the fall of 2006 and early 2007. The meetings were widely advertised and attended by more than 300 people. Input from these meetings will be incorporated into an ESHIA amendment document to be published in 2007.

The ESHIA process has successfully helped the Angola LNG project improve decision quality, meet regulatory requirements and gain community support. A project community center and community liaison officers are located near the site to facilitate outreach and communications with local communities. A project Web site provides updates, documented results of engagement efforts and a platform for questions.