Social impact assessment: identification, management and follow-up of community concerns associated with construction of the Hibernia offshore platform

Social impact Assessment (SIA) is the systematic analysis, in advance of the likely impacts of a proposed action, that considers 'all social and cultural consequences to human populations of any public or private actions that alter the ways in which people live, work, play, relate to one another, organize to meet their needs, and generally cope as members of society' (US Department of Commerce 1994). Through the SIA for the construction of the Hibernia offshore oil platform concern, and values of local area residents were identified and a management strategy designed to minimise social disruption associated with the project. Monitoring studies showed that the strategy was effective and that few negative social impacts occurred. The Hibernia offshore oil field, was discovered on the Grand Banks, east of the island of Newfoundland, in 1979. The distance from shore (315 km), its isolation, the periodic presence of sea ice, icebergs and fog, and frequently severe wave and wind conditions, make these waters an extremely hostile work environment. Primarily to maximize human safety, the final engineering design chosen for the project was a fixed, gravity base system (GBS). The platform functions as the main drilling and production unit, the first stage processing facility, oil storage and accommodations base for the offshore crews. The concrete base of the platform, one of the five super-modules that make up the top-sides of the platform and eight of tile smaller top-sides-mounted modules, were fabricated in Newfoundland and the entire platform assembled at Bull Arm, Trinity Bay. (author)