Company news in June 2004 | |||
Novosibirskneftegaz to Certify Crude Oil Production under ISO-14001
Novosibirskneftegaz OJSC (makes part of TNK-BP) is going to certify crude oil production under ISO-14001 in the near future, said the company''s General Manager Sergey Koroliov. "Active preparation for certification is underway; environmental management program has been implemented in the company since last year – production must be safe, waste-free, and all operations must be aimed at environment reclamation," he said. According to Mr. Koroliov, the company continues to address the associated gas utilization problem. He noted that this problem has been partially addressed since 2003 when gas generators were launched. "With consumed capacity increase, associated gas consumption will also increase," he noted. Moreover, according to the General Manager, the issue of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production for the needs of population and enterprises of the Northern District, Novosibirsk Region, is under consideration. Mr. Koroliov noted that a program for processing of boring sludge extracted from wells was developed. "Whereas technology used to envisage construction of a special pit for sludge discharge at each cluster of wells, now the field shifted to drilling slush deep cleaning," he noted. In his words, the enterprise started construction of a solid waste storage ground last year. "The issue of sludge processing, for instance, into bricks or road construction materials, is being elaborated, also using associated gas," he said. The General Manager informed that the enterprise had developed the air, water, and soil environmental monitoring system. Answering to a question about oil leakage from a tank, which happened at the Verkh Tar field last May, Mr. Koroliov noted that, the commission that included representatives of the Russian Natural Resources Ministry, the regional prosecutor''s office and the enterprise itself, reported that no environmental damage was caused. "The incident was due to output increase – tanks simply could not have handled it; so it was resolved to install one more 3,000-ton tank this year and a 5,000-ton tank," noted Mr. Koroliov. The company develops the Verkh Tar oil field in the north of the Novosibirsk region. Industrial production has been carried out since late in 2001; the plan is to reach the maximum volume by 2007. Balance reserves of the field are estimated at 50.99 million tons of oil, extractable ones, in 24.5 million tons. The active field development period is some 20 years.
Source: INTERFAX