The Interagency Sulfur Coordination Council

In August 2006, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Environmental Protection requested TCO to initiate research studies on the potential environmental and human health impacts of open sulfur storage at Tengiz oil field.

Management of the impact assessment studies was undertaken by an Interagency Coordination Council. The purpose of the Council is to provide guidance and support in the selection and direction of the studies performed, and to review and analyze the completed studies. The Council is actively involved in assessments and meets on a regular basis.

The Coordination Council membership includes representatives from the following:

Having completed an Environmental Impact Assessment on TCO's sulfur storage (see a sample of the results below) as part of its phase 1 efforts, the council is now looking at phase 2 which will include evaluating any potential need for alternative methods of sulfur storage and recommendations for facility design requirements to store block sulfur. The latter will be particularly significant in shaping the eventual vision for a Kazakhstan National Sulfur Storage Centre   in which TCO plans to invest some $1.4 million.

Sulfur Sales

TCO sold 3.6 million metric tonnes of sulfur in 2010, which is 154 percent more than production. Sulfur Expansion project and other projects are in progress to continue to expand infrastructure capabilities that will result in a further increase in sales.

TCO sold its high quality sulfur in four different forms to 128 customers (from 2006-2010) in 30 countries, including Kazakhstan, Russia, the Ukraine, China and other countries primarily in the Mediterranean and Central Asia regions. TCO's sales team continues to expand our market presence and has added 76 customers since 2006.

All numbers as of year-end 2010