The objectives of this StrategicEnvironmental and Social Assessment (SESA) are as follows:To identify the social and environmental impacts which couldbe generated by oil and gas development, evaluating thescope and probability of these impacts due to increasedactivities in the onshore and offshore; to put forwardrecommendations to avoid, manage and/or attenuate theseimpacts; to facilitate the integration of these measuresinto a coherent policy and to ensure its application; and tohelp in capacity building and training of Governmentofficials in the management oil and gas sector impacts, inparticular the Ministries of Environment and Petroleum,Energy and Mines. It is divided into two parts. Part Acontains the project background; hydrocarbon potential trendscenarios; critical environmental and social risks; and keySESA findings. Part B contains background and supportinginformation used in development of the SESA: Description ofmethodology used in the SESA; legal, regulatory andinstitutional framework; development trends, onshore andoffshore; environmental setting - onshore and offshore;social setting; and cultural and archaeological heritage.