As a result of misuse of land-based and subsurface wealth of Azerbaijan, the low level of production practices along with the lack of attention to environmental challenges in the former Soviet Union times and as a whole throughout the two-century long history of the oil industry certain environmental problems have remained challenging up to the present day. In this regard, SOCAR is doing systematic, consistent and task-oriented work in order to tackle historically formed and currently existing environmental problems, to secure ecological safety on production sites and to fulfill the regulations of “Ecological policy” in the field of environmental protection.
Ecological monitoring is held to secure environmental safety in the process of oil-gas and petrochemical operations and ensure operating control on oil and gas fields, both onshore and offshore. Regularly carried out monitoring serves to study the ecological state of onshore and offshore oil and gas fields and make their assessment, to reveal parameters of effects of production operation on natural ecosystems, to keep quality parameters of the environment under permanent control and work out proposals to remove the existing environmental challenges. During the period under review the Department carried out 165 ecological monitoring operations bearing a research character both onshore and offshore. The Laboratory for Complex Researches tested 3,269 samples of water, soil, oil, gas, bottom sediments, etc., taken from sites of the SOCAR departments and enterprises. 22,126 analyses were carried out on different parameters. Apart from this, an ecological monitoring was carried out in 2014 to assess primary environmental condition of the area occupying 221.35 ha where the White City project is underway. The results of all monitoring operations are placed in the CIS system. 72 ecological normative documents have been prepared for SOCAR enterprises and organizations during the period under review. The work in this direction is ongoing.
Apart from this, EIA documents meant for deepwater offshore platform #7, planned to be constructed at Gunashli field of Azneft PU, and for the under-construction Baku Olympic stadium at Sabunchu district for the period of construction and operation of the facility. The international Olympic committee highly assessed the significance of the project from the standpoint of invaluable service to sports and the environment. SOCAR in its turn received special award for its contributing to the development of sports and environmental protection.
Rehabilitation of lands polluted with oil and oil products is one of the important implemented ecological projects. As a result of measures undertaken in this direction, lands occupying in total 27.5 ha and polluted with oil and oil products were recultivated and recovered in the first half of 2014. This work was implemented in conformity with the architectural plan of the natural landscape.
Protection of the Caspian Sea area is the priority task of the ecological policy of SOCAR. As a consequence of activities carried out in this direction, some advanced equipment meeting international standards is being operated in order to conduct indoor disposal of formation waters, emerging at deepwater offshore platform (Gunashli field) operated by May 28th OGPD and platforms operated by Neft Dashlary OGPD, and to re-inject them back into the reservoir. The commissioning of this equipment ensured full control over emerging formation waters. In the meantime, broad-scale work is carried out for managing domestic fecal waters which emerge at SOCAR sites. Thus, the equipment similar to “Biomass” has been successfully commissioned in order to manage fecal waters as well as two biological cleaning machines of “KU-200” type. Modular biological purification equipment was installed at fixed platforms to clean domestic sewage waters.
The equipment called Reverse Osmosis is operated at a number of OGPDs with the purpose to conduct desalting of the Caspian Sea water and use for household and irrigation needs as well as to qualitatively meet the water needs of SOCAR employees. Apart from this, Modular Reverse Osmosis units installed on offshore platforms and jackets meet the household water needs of workers.
During the governmental session held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, dedicated to the outcomes of social-economic development of 2013 and forthcoming tasks in 2014, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to install atmosphere cleaning facilities at enterprises polluting air. In this regard, SOCAR carries out broad-scale operations on utilization of low pressure associated gas surging into the atmosphere at operation sites located in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.
According to the “Plan on reduction of emission of associated gas into the atmosphere in SOCAR’s projects or projects involving SOCAR” prepared jointly by SOCAR and World Bank’s GGFR (Global Gas Flaring Reduction Private-Public Organization) program, the organizations included into the plan underwent monitoring with the purpose to control the implementation of this plan.
SOCAR is expanding cooperation opportunities with foreign companies in order to effectively organize and extend activity in the field of environmental protection.
SOCAR is also carrying out broad-scale activity aimed at development of energy-efficient projects and introducing projects with lower energy capacity. In this regard, the following energy efficient projects were implemented during the period under review: operation of the new station supplying energy to May 28 and Neft Dashalary OGPDs, construction of the new nitrogen-oxygen facility, reconstruction of the cooling unit when producing ethylene at Azerkimya PU and delivery of dry gas to Azerkimya PU from Heydar Aliyev BOR as a primary product. Introduction of energy-efficient projects enabled to substantially reduce electricity losses. Emission into the atmosphere by transport facilities is one of the important ecological problems. Addressing the session of the government, President Ilham Aliyev gave a concrete order to accelerate adopting to the Euro standards. Therefore, SOCAR held environmental inspection in the whole motor vehicle fleet, i.e. all the motor vehicles numbering 3,488 underwent ecological inspection in the Center of Environmental Measurements.
On November 4-5, 2013 Baku hosted an international conference “Global view on environmental issues in oil industry”. This event was held under the organization support of SOCAR and “IDEA” organization (International Dialogue for Environmental Action). The main objective of the conference was to exchange experience in securing overall analysis of environmental conditions for sustainable development of the region, new methods and technologies on exploring different components of the environment as well as to reveal existing environmental problems in the oil industry and prepare proposals for their solution. The participants of the international conference discussed issues concerning introduction of new technologies for environmental protection in the oil industry, development of oil-gas industry, rehabilitation of lands polluted with oil and oil products, approaches to utilization of oil industry wastes.
Wastes management is one of the priority directions of the environmental protection. To ensure a single system over treatment of wastes emerging as a result of production processes at SOCAR enterprises it is the Wastes Center of the Environmental Department that handles their reception. Nowadays, along with wastes of SOCAR, the Center also takes care of wastes of other oil-gas companies operating in our country. During the period under review the Center received 17,000 tons of slime and 29 sorts of production wastes totaling 589.7 tonnes.
Fight against oil spillage is one of the priority tasks of SOCAR. In order to comply with the international standards in this sphere, SOCAR prepared the oil spillage prevention and elimination plan during the period under review.
In parallel with fulfilled work, SOCAR maintained permanent control over the sanitary-hygienic condition in all areas of its activity. The Eco-Park that has been operating for 3 years is one of the considerable projects of SOCAR in the field of ecology. The work on environmental enlightening and propaganda is carried out in compliance with the “Plan of actions on environmental propaganda and enlightening” of SOCAR.
SOCAR enterprises and organizations broadly celebrated significant dates regarding the environmental protection. Training courses on ecology are arranged for employees. Opportunities of cooperation with foreign, state and non-governmental organization sengaged in environmental issues are being extended.
To develop environmental protection traditions, careful and sensitive treatment toward this vital problem mainly in the mind of young generation, the Environmental Department annually expands its activity in the field of environmental enlightening.
Among important projects held for environmental enlightening of the young generation, noteworthy are the brain-ring contest “Ekoerudit” held together with the Ministry of Education among schoolchildren from 8-11 grades; as well as Ecology Days arranged annually for the participants of the summer school of SOCAR.
