Oil and Gas Industry Issues in Egypt-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Environmental Issues in the Oil and Gas Industry in Jurisdictions. Answer: Egypt comprises the non-member state in the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC). It is the third largest producer of gas and fifth largest producer of oil in Africa[1]. Oil and gas industries have used fracking to recover gas trapped deep in the earth by drilling. Fracking is used to obtain fossil fuel reserves deep inside the earths surface. However, fracking wells can cause severe damage to the environment. Various countries have opposed and even banned such a hazardous practice. Environmentalists have reported that drills break through the underground layers of dirt, rocks, gases and water, resulting in benzene, methane and other chemicals seeping into the soil, water and atmosphere. It is a threat for countries like Egypt, where there are severe water scarcity and the sole source is Nile. Egypt is still looking to permanently ban fracking. Fracking has become a problem, when companies do not use clean, proper materials and do not dispose the wastes properly[2]. Egypt does not have the necessary resources to monitor, carry out analysis and shut down the companies that do not carry out responsible procedures. The Dana Gas Project in Kom Ombo, situated beside the Nile river is an example of one such country. The weak enforcements of regulations and the political disarray of Egypt can lead the companies to carry out procedures that can give rise to significant environmental issues. In Egypt, environmental issues are taken lightly and given low priority. Moreover, the presence of a weak legal framework also adds to the problem. However, members of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) believe that various loopholes in the regulations are their main concern[3]. Egypt is the fifth polluted country in the World and suffers from soil loss, poor water quality, waste management and air pollution. It is necessary to ensure that oil and gas companies are responsible enough and are not involved in exploiting the loopholes in the regulations. References Janusz, Barbara D. "Groundswill."Alternatives Journal41.2 (2015): 60-61. Www.eeaa.gov.eg, 'Ministry Of Environment - EEAA Home' (Eeaa.gov.eg, 2017) https://www.eeaa.gov.eg/en-us/home.aspx accessed 6 November 2017 Www.opec.org, 'OPEC : OPEC Share Of World Crude Oil Reserves' (Opec.org, 2017) https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/data_graphs/330.htm accessed 6 November 2017 Www.opec.org, 'OPEC : OPEC Share Of World Crude Oil Reserves' (Opec.org, 2017) https://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/data_graphs/330.htm accessed 6 November 2017. Janusz, Barbara D. "Groundswill."Alternatives Journal41.2 (2015): 60-61. Www.eeaa.gov.eg, 'Ministry Of Environment - EEAA Home' (Eeaa.gov.eg, 2017) https://www.eeaa.gov.eg/en-us/home.aspx accessed 6 November 2017.