Alaska - Willow Environmental Lead
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Who We Are
We are one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies, based on proved reserves and production of liquids and natural gas. With operations and activities in 13 countries, we explore for, develop, and produce crude oil and natural gas globally. We are challenged with an important job to safely find and deliver energy to the world. Our employees are critical to our success, and with them we power civilization.
We’re grounded by our SPIRIT Values – safety, people, integrity, responsibility, innovation, and teamwork. These values position us to deliver strong performance in a dynamic business – but not at all costs. We believe it’s not just what we do – it’s how we do it – that sets us apart.
We strive to make a significant difference in the communities where we live and operate. We create an inclusive environment that values all voices and opinions. Together, the different backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and perspectives of our employees drive our success.
Job Summary
Job Description
Alaska Overview
ConocoPhillips is Alaska’s largest crude oil producer and largest owner of exploration leases, with approximately 1.2 million net undeveloped acres at year-end 2022. The company produced an average of 200 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022. ConocoPhillips has major ownership interests in two of North America’s largest legacy conventional oil fields, both located on Alaska’s North Slope: Kuparuk, which the company operates, and Prudhoe Bay. Additionally, ConocoPhillips operates several fields on the Western North Slope. The company has an ownership interest in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) and owns/operates the Polar Tankers fleet.
Willow Overview
Located on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A), the Willow project is estimated to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak. During construction, Willow is expected to create around 2,500 jobs, with a majority of labor provided by union workers. The development is estimated to create 300 permanent jobs.
The economic impact of the Willow project will be sizable. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimates, Willow could generate between $8 billion and $17 billion in new revenue for the federal government, the state of Alaska, the North Slope Borough, and local communities. The initial phase of Willow development will include a new Willow Central Processing Facility (WCF), three drill sites, pipelines, roads, bridges and supporting infrastructure.
Learn more about the Willow project here.
Scope Summary
The Willow project is spread over several phases and areas.
2023 – 2025 - Detailed Design
2023 – 2024 - WOC Fabrication
2025 – 2027 - WOC North Slope Installation and Commissioning
2025 – 2027 - WCF / DS Sealift Module Fabrication
2027 – 2029 – WCF / DS North Slope Installation and Commissioning
Willow will be a greenfield design including all processing facilities, utilities, drilling equipment, camp, and power generation.
Description
This position serves as the ConocoPhillips Environmental Lead supporting the Alaska Willow project. The role provides technical environmental support, guidance and assistance to ensure that all project efforts are consistent with HSE policies, procedures, directives, guidelines, and maintains excellent environmental stewardship across the North Slope. The role will also develop environmental programs in accordance with Corporate, CPAI and statutory requirements that focus on compliance assurance.
Responsibilities may include:
- Communicate environmental policies and standards to staff; implement initiatives to improve environmental practice and awareness; and recommend effective environmental management programs
- Continue the development of a Willow environmental compliance program to support a multi-year construction schedule
- Collaborate with subject matter experts on the development of Willow operational and regulatory plans, documents, and processes
- Actively support the execution of the Intelex Permits module as the underlying platform of a robust regulatory compliance assurance program
- Support the construction execution team during planning activities
- Engage contractors to assist with field environmental compliance and manage the associated deliverables and budgets
- Participate in competitive bidding for contracts related to field compliance in support of the Willow project
- Coordinates and assures appropriate level of trained Field Environmental Coordinators for execution of field work
- Provide review of scientific reports (e.g., biological and physical sciences) developed to support permit-stipulated studies
- Strong Safety Leadership and a commitment to developing an incident free culture
- Serve as a technical resource by providing guidance and assistance to the field and coordinating programs to validate compliance with environmental regulations related to: Air Quality operating permits, federal New Source Performance Standards, Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans, Alaska Oil Discharge Prevention Contingency Plans (ODPCP), Alaska Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits (APDES), spill reporting and prevention, and other related field environmental issues as required
- Identify environmental risks, issues, and mitigation strategies, and communicate with Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) and other internal business partners
- Assess field activities by conducting onsite audits and site visits to validate environmental compliance, as applicable
- Provide written compliance reports to agencies; represent ConocoPhillips during agency inspections; and maintain contacts and working relationships with local, state, and federal agency personnel
- Design and conduct environmental training programs
- Maintain environmental manuals and key databases
- Coordinate field visits with external agency, regulators, and stakeholders as required
- Assist with regulatory advocacy efforts focused on permitting-related local, state or federal regulatory initiatives including Village Outreach efforts
Basic/Required:
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for anyone other than current employer
- Bachelor's degree or higher in environmental engineering, environmental science, biology, geology, other related field or foreign equivalent
- 7+ years of environmental permitting and/or compliance experience with emphasis large projects or other oil and gas operations
- Willing and able (with or without reasonable accommodations) to travel 10% annually, with increase to 15-20% in support of winter construction execution activities
Preferred:
- 1+ years of experience in Alaska environmental compliance (air, water, spill prevention and response including SPCC)
- 1+ years of experience in and understanding of environmental regulations and their applicability to upstream oil and gas operations
- 1+ years of experience working with external communities and stakeholders
- 1+ years of experience working with third-party contractors to cost-effectively achieve business goals
- 1+ years of Alaska North Slope experience
- Advanced interpersonal skills: ability to maintain positive relations with HSE and External Affairs team members, external stakeholders, internal business partners and natural resource management / regulatory agencies
- Advanced organizational abilities, especially the ability to work many short and long term issues or projects concurrently
- Advanced communication (written, verbal and formal presentation/PowerPoint) skills
- Intermediate knowledge of Alaska local, state and federal environmental and land use regulations (North Slope Borough, AK Dept. of Environmental Conservation, AK Dept. of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency, and Bureau of Land Management) including the National Environmental Policy Act and its application to oil and gas projects
- Intermediate knowledge of project management processes and tools (e.g., project planning, budgeting, prioritization, scheduling, critical path analysis, cost tracking) and Decision and Risk Analysis
- Practical self-starter who can work effectively with minimal supervision
- Builds effective solutions based on available information and makes timely decisions that are safe and ethical
- Listens actively and invites new ideas for exchanged opinions, then influences and acts to drive positive performance and achieve results
- Builds positive relationships based on trust and seeks collaboration across organizational boundaries to achieve goals