Understanding community health concerns near a refinery

What is shaping petroleum, oil & gas

Oil marketing companies, lubricant brands and city gas distributors compete on forecourt experience, product trust and mechanic recommendations.

• Forecourt experience shapes fuel brand loyalty
• Mechanics drive lubricant brand choice
• City gas adoption depends on safety confidence and convenience

A refinery operator, working in Malaysia. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation

A refinery operator

Sector

Petroleum, oil & gas

Team engaged

Market Research

Services

Quantitative research, Qualitative research, Government research

Residents near the refinery raised concerns about air quality and health, and the operator wanted an independent understanding. Local media coverage had increased community anxiety, and trust in company statements was low.

• Deliver on the brief: understanding community health concerns near a refinery.
• Understand the views, needs and behaviour of households.
• Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
• Give the client evidence it can act on within 7 weeks.

The work focused on 1,200 households.

• households1,200

Audiences we typically reach in petroleum, oil & gas

Fuel customersForecourt staff and dealersMechanics and workshopsFleet ownersCity gas customers

Coverage: Malaysia. Market: Malaysia.

• Malaysia

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

1. 1Brief
2. 2Household survey
3. 3Community meetings
4. 4Insight

We surveyed households in Malay, English and Chinese about perceived impacts and trust, and held community meetings. Surveys covered residents at different distances from the refinery, and community meetings included health experts who answered questions. Independent health experts reviewed the findings, and questions were designed to avoid leading respondents.

Quantitative researchQualitative researchGovernment research

households

1,200

• Respondents were selected across Malaysia using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
• Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

• Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person, supervised in the field.
• Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

• Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
• Time and location checks on field interviews
• Supervisor accompaniment in the field
• Recordings and transcripts for every session
• Re-screening of qualitative recruits
• Logic and range checks on the final data
• Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

• Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
• Significance testing on the differences that mattered
• Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
• Journey and decision mapping

• Residents wanted real-time air quality information.
• Complaints decreased, and community representatives joined a quarterly environmental review meeting.

Accessible data reduced anxiety and rumours.

• Build on the core insight: accessible data reduced anxiety and rumours.
• Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: residents wanted real-time air quality information.
• Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.

• The operator installed public air quality displays and published monthly results.
• The operator also funded a community health clinic in the nearest town.

What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.

• Insight report and management presentation
• Cleaned data file and data tables
• Interview summaries and key verbatims
• Evaluation findings with programme recommendations

• Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
• A natural follow-on question: how does the forecourt experience compare?