Ekhlas Jasim Resen’s research while affiliated with University of Baghdad and other places

Several environmental impact assessments (EIAs) have been conducted since the petroleum ındustry environmental guidelines and standards were issued in 1991. Thus, EIA has become a standard practice in environmental planning for various project operations and activities. However, studies indicate that little has been achieved regarding environmental management in Iraq's oil industries. The reason for this is the reluctance of institutions to adopt environmental management systems, either due to the scarcity of basic information through which environmental impacts are measured, or the lack of financial allocations to implement mitigation measures and control plans, or the lack of human resources and the lack of political commitment to implementing environmental management plans .This research aims to assess the environmental impact of the East Baghdad field in the Midland Oil Company, by identifying a number of indicators that have been selected in proportion to the nature of the company's work. A rapid impact assessment matrix was used, which includes a set of components (physical and chemical, environmental and biological, social and cultural, economic and operational) and for each component a set of sub-indicators that ultimately indicate the environmental degree of environmental impact. Accordingly, the research reached a group of results, the most important of which is the presence of serious negative environmental impacts in the field site and the operations and activities related to it, such as soil and air pollution, obsolescence of equipment and scarcity of technology with a percentage of 70.8%, while the positive effects amounted to 25% only, which predicts an environmental deterioration in the company’s work sites.

EMS in accordance with ISO 14001: 2015 is considered an entry point to reduce environmental impacts, especially the effects resulting from the oil industry, which is the main source of environmental pollution and waste of natural resources, since the second revision of the standard took place in September 2015. The problem of the research was manifested in the weakness in understanding the correct guidelines that must be followed in order to obtain and maintain the standard. The purpose of this research was to give a general picture of what is behind ISO14001:2015 and how it is possible to create a comprehensive base for understanding its application by seeking the gap between the actually achieved reality, standards requirements, and the diagnosis of their causes in the Medline Oil Company/ A field east of Baghdad by using the checklist and a number of statistical analysis methods (arithmetic mean, weights and percentages). The research reached a number of results; the most important of which is the existence of a gap in the application of the standard at a rate of (47.03%) resulting from a weakness in the application of most of the standard’s clauses in the company and lack of interest in the programs related to the treatment and reduction of environmental impacts. The added value in this research is evident by diagnosing the strengths and weaknesses in each clause of the environmental specification in preparation for setting plans to eliminate or reduce the gap in the company under consideration. Paper type: Case research.