I N DEGYPT U S T RYUPDATES INSIGHTS
REGENERATION:
BROWNFIELDS LIVE ANOTHER DAY BY RANA AL KADY
T
o begin with, brownfield regeneration has been a very attractive topic in the oil and gas industry since the turn of the 21st century. With recent environmental regulations and frameworks pushing for land restoration and protection of contaminated sites, the oil and gas industry has faced tremendous pressure to comply with such requirements. However, before any brownfield site is redeveloped or regenerated for reuse, the brownfield must be effectively remediated from all potential hazards and toxins.
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT BROWNFIELDS IN EGYPT Brownfields in Egypt have different uses across the industries. For example, while the oil and gas industry predominantly uses brownfield sites for relevant oil and gasrelated projects, there are examples of brownfields that have been regenerated for transportation, building, and even industrial uses. Of course, each type of brownfield is regenerated in its own way due to the different contaminants involved as well as the potential level of contamination that could be overcome. In Egypt, most brownfield sites are left abandoned after project completion or desertion. However, the main concern is not that these brownfield sites left abandoned, rather that it could lead to detrimental damage to the environment. In fact, it was suggested by an industry expert, who preferred anonymity, that “the oil and gas field has already 22
EGYPT OIL & GAS NEWSPAPER
understood that the redevelopment of brownfields is important and there are a lot of companies that do marketing to show how their companies take care of the environment before and after a project in the field. At the same time, this topic is extremely important and we should do our best to bring it to the attention of senior level executives to action the steps to work on the whole process of brownfield redevelopment�. Over time, such brownfield sites could harm nearby habitats and inhabitants through unintentional seepage of toxic compounds. For instance, when certain oil and gas onshore projects are completed, the by-products that emerge from the processes are not properly disposed of, leading to potential poisoning of any nearby organisms.
REGENERATION OF BROWNFIELDS However, other than the technical aspect of eliminating hazardous toxins, there are
