945 million Rubles for ecological safety

Summing up the results of 2008 the Directorate of Rostekhnadzor for the Udmurt Republic noticed the absence of emergency cases and accidents in oil industry. OAO "Belkamneft" could reach so high rates due to the purposeful work of the Directorate for the industrial and ecological safety and the policy of the company in whole. Vyacheslav Yanvarievich Maksimov, the Head of the Environmental and Ecological Safety Department of OAO "Belkamneft", told about the results of 2008 and the prospects of the company in the sphere of environmental activity.

- The development of oil industry is closely connected with ecological well-being of its production. Vyacheslav Yanvarievich, what is the current policy of ОАО «Belkamneft» in the sphere of ecological safety?

-   The protection of the nature and mitigation is one of the main priorities of OAO "Belkamneft". As is known, any oil-production enterprise, relying on the specific character of the production, is characterized by the high risk of environmental pollution, that is conditional upon a number of factors:
- oil production is a continuous process,
- oil products (oil, associated petroleum gas, produced water) are extra-hazardous for every living thing,
- impossibility of early spreading capacity warning, because all gathering and transfer systems are carried out via subsurface pipelines, etc.
Therefore, the major task of OAO "Belkamneft" is to reach such engineering level, when hazard of environmental pollution might be minimized.
For the last five years there was invested more than 3 mln Rubles in the program of environmental actions. Moreover, substantial environment-oriented budget is constantly increasing. Thus, in 2007 investments of OAO "Belkamneft" for environmental actions made 607,283 mln Rubles. In 2008 this amount grew up to 943,989 mln Rubles. In spite of the global financial crisis, last year OAO "Belkamneft" didn't cancel any of ecological programs. All projects in the sphere of ecological safety, planned by the management, were executed hundred-per-cent.

- Vyacheslav Yanvarievich, 950 millions is rather a big amount, could you please detail environmental actions carried out in 2008?

-    In conformity with the Integrated plan of environmental actions, in 2008 within the frame of production control over environmental conditions there were taken 4860 samples, including bodies of water, surface water run-offs, outdoor air and soil mantle.
In the frame of internal control over outdoor air in human settlements, situated within the territory of the sanitory protection zone of oilfield facilities, in the course of a year there were taken 7200 samples, including Yuskinskoye, Korobovskoye, Oblastnevskoye, Debesskoye, Byginskoye oilfields.
In 2008 there was also carried out monitoring of exogenous geological processes in three permanent plots on the territory of Vyatsky plot of Arlansky oilfield.
For the security of ecological safety and environmental protection there were completed works on geoecological assessment of geological environment, developed geoecological certificates and monitoring projects for Pibanshurskoye, Pyzepskoye, Zolotarevskoye, Okunevskoye, Pionerskoye, Turetskoye, Kuliginskoye and Tsentralnoye oilfields. Works on geoecological assessment, works on development of monitoring projects on subsurface condition for Vyatsky plot are in progress. Works on assessment of fresh groundwater reserves at development water wells in Zabegalovskoye, Chernovskoye, Kambarskaya group of oilfields were completed.
In the frame of the protection of the outdoor air there were utilized 25393,50 thous. m3 of associated petroleum gas in the boiler-house plants and process furnaces, and reflective paint was applied to the surface of the outdoor coating of capacity facilities.
For the security and efficient use of water resources:
- there were reused 26553,83 thous. m3 of produced water,
- there was performed repair at 61 well clusters,
- the pipeline "Vyatka-Ashit" is being reconstructed,
- the construction of the oil separator at river Kambarka was finished.
For the purposes of rational land use and protection of land cover there was performed cleanout of 30 drain tanks and communication wells.
For the purposes of subsoil protection there was performed an inspection of the technical condition of production strings at 394 wells and isolating works at 53 wells.
Besides, there were taken measures to prevent environmental accidents. In 2008 there was also capital repair and reconstruction of 21,33 km of pipelines, capital repair of reservoirs, nondestructive testing and expert inspection of oilfield equipment. There was made internal anticorrosive coating of capacity facilities, introduced 1078,08 t of rust preventers in the oilfield systems, introduced 13,34 t of rust preventers in oil wells and oilfield systems at Zabegalovskoye, Debesskoye and Oshvortsevsko-Dmitrievskoye oilfields, 31,36 t of rust preventers in the system of reservoir-pressure maintenance at Chernovskoye, Smolnikovskoye, Oshvortsevsko-Dmitrievskoye and Patrakovskoye oilfields, 13,7 t of bactericide Mesuco-Sorb at Chernovskoye and Oshvortsevsko-Dmitrievskoye oilfields.

- In the context of integration of Russian economy into the world one many companies,  including those engaged in oil production, faced the problem of certification of environment protection management system for meeting the requirements of  the international standard ISO 14001, which is one of the most successful mechanism of raising the efficiency of economic policy. What are the actions “Belkamneft” is undertaking in this direction? 

- In 2008, in addition to the existing system of ecological management OAO “Belkamneft”, as a structural unit of OAO NK “RussNeft” started introducing of a unified corporate system of industrial security, labor and environment protection at the plant on the basis of international standards ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. At present the Department of Industrial and Ecological Security is preparing the relevant documentation, meeting both the requirements of the Russian legislation and international standards. By August 2009 the corporate management system must have been introduced in the Company and prepared for external audit. This system is being introduced at all the all the subsidiaries of Oil & Gas Company “RussNeft”. And this system does not substitute for, but only complements the existing ecological security system, by way of introducing new elements (auditing, register of hazards, risks etc). 

- Nowadays close attention is paid to introduction of innovative technologies, the President of Russia gives much consideration to the problem. To what extent is “Belkamneft” oriented to introduction of innovations, including innovations in industrial and ecological security system?

- OAO “Belkamneft” is actively introducing innovative technologies of oil production, treatment and transportation. As an example I can refer to approval of the program of reduction of discharge into the air of hazardous substances resulting from flaring of associated gas. Within the frames of implementation of this program the ovens at the oil treatment unified complex “Ashit” were transferred from natural gas to associated gas, which is supplied from oil treatment unit “Viatka” through a pipeline. At Sosnovskoye oilfield there is used a multiphase pump unit permitting to pump the associated gas dissolved in oil emulsion and to use it as fuel for the boiler plant at the oil treatment unit “Chernovskaya”. In the near future it is supposed to use associated gas for power production by gas piston generators at Zabegalovskoye oilfield.
In order to prevent large-scale pollutions and for locating illegal tapings at the pipelines, having high flow capacity and working pressure, there are being installed systems for early detection of leakages. These systems gives the possibility to send to dispatcher’s panel an immediate signal, not only registering the fact of leakage, but showing its  location.
Regarding disposal of wastes one can mention as an instance innovative approval of constructing a plant for reuse of oil residue. The plant, developed with the help of leading specialists of the Department of Industrial and Ecological Security of OAO “Belkamneft” features high technologies and modern equipment permitting not only to render the residue innoxiouos, but to receive the finished product – commercial oil.

- After Vladimir Putin, during his being at the position of the President, had brought ecological problems to the notice of executive power bodies, Russian legislation in this sphere  suffered a number of modification and is still being improved. What kinds of work have already been done in connection with the changes in legislation?

- That’s true, the Russian legislation in the field f industrial, fire and ecological security is being constantly improved.  In particular, in 2007 the new Water Code of the RF came into force, in consequence of which in 2008 the department of Industrial and Ecological Security of OAO “Belkamneft” re-executed permits for use of water bodies. A propos, OAO “Belkamneft” was among the first companies  to execute and obtain a completely new “water” document” – a contract for water  management for the holding anchorage for the vessels of “Boyarka” crossing on the Kama river.
Big changes have also taken place in the field of executing the decisions for the right to use water bodies for construction of underwater crossings, which substitute for licenses for water objects management used earlier. In this Due to this fact accounting was  reduced and some of water taxes were cancelled.

CONCLUSION:
 
 Effective control over ecological risks, achievement of optimal results of reduction of negative effect over the environment – these are the main strategic objectives of OAO “Belkamneft” in the field labor and environment protection. The experience of the past years shows that the company always accomplishes its objectives.