Stories From Our Regions

17-Point Spill Prevention Plan

We conduct conventional oil operations in the Shaunavon fields in Saskatchewan, Canada. In the past, we have experienced a higher incidence of hydrocarbon spills and leaks in this operation due to older equipment. In 2010, we assessed the historic information and developed a 17-point action plan to reduce the number spills. The plan sets out a series of actions for field staff, including maintenance of pumpjack equipment and inspections of pipelines. This approach has already helped to reduce spill frequency at Shaunavon by 45%. We are now looking to adapt the plan for other areas of our North America operations.

Protecting Rare Bird Species

During an environmental impact assessment in Colombia’s Block 9, an endangered bird species (the small yellow-eared parrot) was identified in the foothills region. We adjusted our seismic line to avoid the bird’s habitat and, with participation from the local community, developed a plan to minimize our impacts. We also contributed to the building of an ecological walking trail and visited local schools to increase awareness of the importance of species protection.

Investing In Biodiversity Studies

The State of Terengganu on the east coast of Malaysia is well known for its natural environment heritage. Despite its designated and protected marine parks, there is limited information on coastal ecosystems and marine mammals in the region. In 2010, Talisman committed more than US$100,000 to the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) to support its project to provide environmental monitoring of marine and coastal ecosystems. Talisman’s project partnership with MNS will focus on areas in Terengganu and Sabah and working with local communities to monitor coastlines in addition to conducting marine mammal observation.