The importance of establishing best practices for the responsible management of chemicals manufactured, purchased, and used by companies within the oil and gas services sector cannot be overestimated. Chemical stewardship principles should be used to communicate a company's practices throughout its value chain. This paper discusses the unique challenges of developing a sustainable chemical stewardship program for the oilfield services (OFS) companies in this sector. Chemical stewardship goes beyond the responsible management of chemicals used by an individual company. Other industry sectors, such as chemical manufacturing, have established mature and sophisticated voluntary programs with code of management practices and branding (e.g., Responsible Care?). A model chemical stewardship program incorporating existing best practices should set the minimum expectations for social responsibility and sustainable chemical management for companies within the OFS sector. A clear commitment by the sector to adhere to a code of best management practices can demonstrate its leadership in the development of new sustainable technologies and chemicals. The development of a model program and standard best practices for the OFS sector addresses the gap between programs designed primarily for chemical manufacturers and the challenges faced by the oil and gas services industry. Because of increasing focus from regulatory agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on the hazards and use of chemicals in oil and gas operations, strengthening the framework of industry best practices should provide assurance to stakeholders that the current regulatory environment is sufficiently robust. Individual companies that commit to the chemical stewardship principles promoted by such a program demonstrate their commitment to systematically minimizing risks associated with chemical management.
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