Policies and Standards

Purpose

To define the company's mandatory policies and standards — what shall be complied with, by whom, throughout the lifecycle of the activities they govern. Measurable objectives are not housed here; they live in Element 9 (Monitoring, Reporting and Learning) as KPIs.

The challenge it forces

"A standard that is not in this element is not a standard — it is a preference. If something appears here that is in fact aspirational, the discipline behind it collapses on first contact with commercial pressure. The corollary trap is the opposite — standards written so high-level they cannot be tested for compliance."

What lives here

·Domain standards (Engineering Standards, Well Design Standard, Procurement Standard)
·Discipline standards and design codes (Piping Standard, Electrical Standard, Reserves Classification)
·Rules-based policies that prescribe method (Recruitment Policy, Single Source Justification)
·Compliance frameworks (Sanctions & Export Control, Regulatory Compliance Requirements)
·Deviation and waiver standards (Engineering Deviation Standard)

What does not live here

→High-level statements of intentE1 Commitment
→Procedures that implement the standardE7 Procedures
→The act of designing to a standardE6 Integrity

Upstream O&G expectations (5)

2.1Policies and standards are defined, documented and communicated across all organisation levels.
2.2Policies and standards are authorised by the highest level of management appropriate to each activity.
2.3Policies and standards establish risk-based requirements, including compliance with applicable regulatory and other requirements.
2.4Where different entities operate on the same facilities (including JVs), policies and standards are harmonised.
2.5Deviations from policies and standards are subject to a formal deviation/exemption process, documented and approved by a competent authority.

Upstream O&G adaptation notes

Status:Modified from IOGP — Objectives removed; full enterprise scope

The company applies this element across the whole organisation — every department's standards sit here under one framework, not in separate management systems.

·The company calls this element 'Policies and Standards', not 'Policies, Standards and Objectives'. Objectives are housed as measurable performance in Element 9 (KPIs) and as commitments rolling down from Element 1. Objectives only count if they can be measured.
·Scope of application is enterprise-wide. Engineering standards, HR policies, financial control standards, legal standards, commercial standards — all under one framework.

Framework comparison — IOGP 510 base · Upstream O&G adaptation

IOGP 510 base expectations

1.PSO are defined, documented and communicated across all organisation levels.
2.PSO are authorised by the highest level of management appropriate to each activity.
3.Policies and standards establish risk-based requirements.
4.Objectives include measurable success criteria based on continuous improvement.
5.Where different entities operate on the same facilities, PSO are harmonised.
6.Deviations from PSO are subject to deviation/exemption process.

Upstream O&G adapted expectations

1.Policies and standards are defined, documented and communicated across all organisation levels.
2.Policies and standards are authorised by the highest level of management appropriate to each activity.
3.Policies and standards establish risk-based requirements, including compliance with applicable regulatory and other requirements.
4.Where different entities operate on the same facilities (including JVs), policies and standards are harmonised.
5.Deviations from policies and standards are subject to a formal deviation/exemption process, documented and approved by a competent authority.