State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) continues conducting successful activity in the field of environment protection by enhancing environmental safety systems in accordance with international requirements. SOCAR Environmental Department implemented important ecological projects in 2013.
Ecological monitoring on onshore and offshore oil-gas fields
Ecological monitoring operations were performed in 2013 in order to solve ecological problems, conduct environment impact assessment (EIA) during onshore and offshore oil-gas field exploration and development, and check the activity of companies and organizations.
A total of 462 operations on ecological monitoring were carried out at facilities in 2013. Several parameters-based analyses of samples taken during monitoring were carried out including estimation of the pollution rate of the area. According to the relevant order of the Environmental Department, a group of specialists was appointed for conducting ecological monitoring at facilities in order to meet ecological requirements and increase focus on environment protection measures in the areas of production activity of SOCAR. Ecological monitoring has been carried out in this direction throughout a year. Proposals were worked out for removing current shortcomings.
185 ecological monitoring operations were carried out at SOCAR facilities in accordance with the order #133 “About amalgamation of the Environmental Department with the companies and organizations of SOCAR” dated 22.04.2013. The whole information obtained in 2013 after monitoring held at areas of operations of oil-gas departments in the Absheron peninsula was placed into the online-operating data base which is regularly updated. The available information is being archived.
Work for preparation of environmental regulatory documents
The Environmental Department prepared the following documents for SOCAR’s enterprises and organizations in 2013: “Ecological certificates”, “Emission allowance allocation”, “Allowable concentration rate” and “Passports of hazardous emissions”.
Apart from this, the Environmental Department was also engaged in preparation of EIA documents.
Two important documents were developed during 2013 and submitted to the customer after coordination with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources. The first document: Environment Impact Assessment when conducting 2D seismic survey is a component part of the contract on joint surveys to be held prior to onshore exploration in Azerbaijan, signed between SOCAR and ConocoPhilips Exploration Azerbaijan LTD. The second document: EIA of geophysical and geotechnical operations, worked out in accordance with the tender (order) of the Total E&P Absheron B.V. company.
Based on the order of Azneft PU, the Department prepared an EIA document for the deep-water offshore platform #7 to be installed at Guneshli field.
Due to the order of SOCAR, EIA documents were produced for the period of construction and operation of the Baku Olympic Stadium which is being built in Sabunchu district. These documents have been coordinated with appropriate government agencies and submitted to the customer.
Greenhouse gas reduction activities
In 2013 the Environmental Department continued purposeful work on reduction of emissions into the atmosphere caused by the production activity of SOCAR.
Besides, in an effort to control fulfillment of the “Plan on reduction of discharge of associated gas of SOCAR into the air and other projects involving SOCAR”, monitoring operations were carried out throughout a year in all the organizations, included into this plan, along with the preparation of corresponding reports.
Apart from this, in order to fulfill activities mentioned in the document “The strategy of reduction of impact on climate change in SOCAR”, the work on enhancement of monitoring system, inventory of greenhouse gases and preparation of the report on implementation of the strategy was carried out.
The work on registration of the project “on collection of low pressure associated gas at Neft Dashalary and Palchygh Pilpilesi fields” within the framework of CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) is being continued. Technical project documentation was prepared on basis of the project and submitted to the UNFCCC’s (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) executive board.
Operations on inventory of substances, controlled by the United Nations Stockholm convention “On persistent organic pollutants”, and assessment of capabilities of utilization of substances on basis of the international experience were carried out in all the enterprises and organizations of SOCAR as well as operating companies and joint ventures. A corresponding report was prepared on basis of this work.
Reduction of gas emission into the atmosphere from motor vehicles
The growing quantity of vehicles, operation of modern vehicles along with the old ones will result in growth of emissions into the atmosphere. All of it requires corresponding control over emissions.
According to realized ecological programs of SOCAR, two ecological measurement stations, which are currently operating successfully, were built in order to maintain fuel systems of vehicles in due conditions and comply with emission standards.
In 2013 the employees of the Center of Ecological Measurements conducted primary and repeated inspection of 5,887 motor vehicles that are on the central asset register of enterprises and departments of SOCAR. The results of inspections were submitted to enterprises and SOCAR.
Motor vehicles that do not comply with corresponding regulations underwent repeated inspection after failures in the combustion system had been eliminated.
Measures taken for emissions management
Wastes management is one of the global ecological problems that are of interest to the community. Practical measures aimed at resuming the operation of the Wastes Management Center.
The work on burial of wastes appearing during production in organizations and institutions of SOCAR is carried out. Besides, the project operations and selection of the equipment for expansion of the Wastes management center have been commenced. According to the order of the Environmental Department, in 2013 Oil-Gas Research and Design Institute prepared a project on “Reconstruction of the Wastes Management Center” in 2013. Capital repair-construction and assembling operations were carried out in the Center on basis of this project.
A document “Certification of the equipment designed for installation in accordance with the project on expansion of the Center” was prepared for reconstructing the Wastes Management Center in compliance with modern requirements, equipping it with new devices and equipment designed for all types of wastes, refining wastes that emerge in the areas of activities of SOCAR departments and enterprises, joint ventures and operating companies and choosing methods for managing them.
In 2013 the Wastes Management Center received 585,526 tons of production wastes.
Greenery planting work
Serious success on bringing environmental condition to conformity with international standards has been gained for the past years at field facilities and production sites. Certain agrotechnical services were provided over the year to green plantations planted at areas of activity of SOCAR. The work in this direction is continued.
Through 2013 the Environmental Department passed 73,389 trees and bushes of different sorts to enterprises and organizations of SOCAR. Green lines were formed on 48 enterprises. Corresponding agrotechnical services were provided to 574,434 different trees, bushes and flowering plants set on an area occupying 400ha.
Ecological Park Project
The Eco-Park Project is one of the most important environmental projects in process. Its key objective is to create a modern form of relations between the society and the environment, and promote environmental protection and ecological awareness. Different types of trees are planted, grown and distributed among the entities and organisations of SOCAR with the purpose to improve landscaping.
The Eco-Park hosts the environmental education activity, excursions, competitions, workshops, different quizzes and contests. In view of the growing interest to Eco-Park, the Eco-Park Expansion Project works have been commenced on the new allocated territory according to the order of the SOCAR President. Landscape gardening works were continued during the year across the territory of Eco-Park, and agrotechnical services were provided on the proper level to more than 165,000 saplings of bushes and trees.
Work towards implementation of hygienic measures
The work of the Hygiene and Epidemiology Centre is organized on the basis of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On disease control and prevention” dated 10.11.1992 and the order of SOCAR #25 dated 03.02.2009.
The Centre performs laboratory researches and instrument measurements at all entities and organizations of the company, exercises control over compliance of drinking water indicators with the sanitary chemical and bacteriological standards, provides supervision in preschool, child care centres and catering facilities over the quality of products, and also controls compliance of caloric content and heat treatment of ready food to hygienic requirements.
Last year the Hygiene and Epidemiology Centre carried out work on sanitary and hygienic control at 224 facilities. Of these, 17 are municipal facilities, 135 are industrial facilities, 71 are food facilities, and 1 preschool institution.
During the year the Centre prepared a list of employees working in harmful conditions in line with the form of requirements of the order #13 of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 1998 and submitted it to the medical institutions for undergoing a health check.
The Centre successfully took sanitary and hygienic measures at the organizations and entities of SOCAR. During the year the public health education works were performed at the entities and organizations of SOCAR to provide information on prevention of sharp virus and food toxic infections, and also purposeful activities were carried out in preschool institutions and public catering facilities to help develop hygienic skills.
Environmental Awareness Building activities
Just as public, political and economic relations feature a special culture and so do the relations of humankind with the surrounding environment - the ecological relations.
Systematic work on environmental education, promotion of ecological awareness and propaganda are strongly required to create the ecological culture of the society. This system should have the objective to change the way people think, to create new stereotypes of behavior and finally should foster changing the way of life of people and form a modern ecological worldview. In this regard, one of the areas of the ecological activity of SOCAR is to carry out work on ecological education and propaganda.
Environmental Awareness Building activities are implemented together with secondary schoolchildren and students according to SOCAR’s ‘Environmental Awareness Promotion and Propaganda Plan’ to promote environmental awareness and provide necessary information. In line with the approved annual plan, the Environmental Department has worked out a number of environmental awareness building activities and is putting them into life. Though these activities have different objectives, they are implemented together with the secondary schools, out-of-school educational institutions and organisations.
The brain ring contest Ecoerudite carried out among schoolchildren of 8-11 forms of the secondary schools and the International Environmental Project Olympiad INEPO-Eurasia traditionally organised in Baku every year can be picked out as the important ecological projects held during 2013.
During the environmental awareness promotion activities we focus on enriching the knowledge of younger generations in the field of environmental protection, forming principles of proper attitude to the environment and cultivating the environmental culture. To that end we organise excursions for schoolchildren and students to Eco-Park, round table meetings, workshops, quizzes, intellectual contests, exhibitions, etc.
