Sustainable Development and Planning for Environmental Protection in Offshore Oil Drilling and Production Industry

Sustainable development is development that lasts. The general principle of sustainable development adopted by the World Commission of Environment and Development – that current generations should “meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”has become widely accepted. The protection of the environment is an essential part of development. Without adequate environmental protection, development is undermined; without development, resources will be inadequate for needed investments, and environmental protection will fail [1]. The petroleum exploration, production and the associated industry have the potential to impact the environment [2]. Therefore, comprehensive environmental protection plans, including waste management and contingency plans, are needed to optimize the use of offshore oil resources as a tool for achieving sustainable development [3].