Protecting people and the environment is one of the core values for Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO) for which the Company is constantly setting and achieving higher environmental standards. TCO's environmental activities are focused on air protection, rational use of water resources, protection of subsoil and land, waste disposal and raising environmental awareness. The Company’s key environmental commitments include minimizing environmental emissions from its operations, increasing the environmental safety of operations and continuous improvement of its environmental performance. Below is a brochure about TCO’s 2022 Environmental Activities and Performance. In addition, to raise awareness of local flora and fauna, TCO has developed a first-of-its-kind illustrated trilingual handbook demonstrating the diversity of flora and fauna in its area of operations. You can read the handbook using link below.
Gas flaring is carried out to ensure the safety of personnel and protect strategic facilities during the start-up of new equipment, maintenance, or equipment shutdowns; it also demonstrates that the equipment is operating in accordance with the plant's process regulations. TCO’s KTL and Second Generation Plant (SGP) remain as the reliable, efficient and the safest facilities in Kazakhstan as a result of improvements in plant reliability and upgrades of processes and equipment. TCO eliminated continuous routine flaring of associated gas since 2009 and now 99% of the produced gas is exported or used for Company’s internal needs.
TCO is conscious of the social, environmental and economic importance of freshwater and therefore, the Company is committed to rational use of water resources. Increased water demand due to population and industrial growth has put limitations on the water supply from the Magistralnyi Vodoprovod (MV) line, the main waterline. TCO’s goal is not to increase the water consumption volume from MV, despite the growing number of personnel and increase in production capacity due to the construction of Future Growth Project – Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP). From 2013 to 2016 TCO commissioned a Wastewater Treatment Facility (WTF) and associated Water Recycling Facilities (WRF) to focus on freshwater conservation and wastewater management. WRF is considered as a major component of TCO’s long-term, comprehensive water management program. At WRF the secondary treatment of wastewater from WTF is carried out by applying reverse osmosis technique. This system produces high quality treated water for operational purposes. TCO regularly conducts water saving campaigns promoting a water saving culture. By supporting the water conservation initiatives and wastewater management the water reuse at TCO facilities in 2021 made up 46% of total water demand.
Safe waste management is one of the strategic directions of TCO activity. TCO’s integrated waste management system focuses on waste reduction, reusing and recycling, or more simply the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Program. The current waste management practice gives the wastes “a second life”, when possible. It’s worth mentioning Company's efforts in development of waste reuse and recycling. TCO has already successfully diverted more than 50% of its waste to third party waste management facilities. To comply with updated regulatory requirements, in 2021 TCO has concluded agreements for collection, removal and recycling of construction, demolition and food wastes: food waste is processed by thermomechanical treatment to produce fertilizer and technical water as final products; construction and demolition waste is sorted into components with release of secondary materials for recycling. The Tengiz Eco Center (TEC) is the heart of waste management operations. The facility was commissioned to enable interim storage, disinfection, recycling, and disposal of waste generated by the company and its business-partners engaged in TCO operations. TCO will continue to strive and achieve even better waste management performance to support Green principles outlined by the government of the RoK, thereby ensuring compliance with the RoK regulations and international standards.
The diversity of ecosystem in Western Kazakhstan provides ecological, recreational, cultural and esthetic value, playing an important role in sustainable development. Supporting project aimed to preserve and create breeding conditions of the Sociable Lapwing. The Sociable Lapwing, a bird listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), breeds on open grassland in the steppes. In 2021, TCO provided financial support to the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) to initiate a three-year program with the following objectives: working with farmers to safeguard nests at risk from plowing, satellite tracking of these birds, field research. More broadly, TCO implements environmental protection program for the conservation of nests. Due to the successful implementation of bird nests management plans and timely response, almost 60% of the discovered nests were active and nesting ended with a successful chick hatch. Sturgeon Hatchery Support As part of the project efforts, an Additional Conservation Action to support Ural-Atyrau Sturgeon Hatchery was implemented to achieve Net Gain for sturgeon. The aim of the program is to reduce the number of adult fish removed from the wild population each year and increase the percentage of wild caught broodstock that are returned to the sea. This is being done by improving the survivorship and productivity of sturgeon broodstock of the Ural-Atyrau Sturgeon Hatchery. The following efforts led to positive changes: the provision of high-quality feed for the broodstock and fry, aerators for oxygenation of rearing ponds, an excavator for external dredging work on the farm ponds. Additionally, TCO purchased and donated winter and summer water chillers for basins with closed water supply. As a result of the support provided to the Ural-Atyrau Sturgeon Hatchery, the sturgeon broodstock have shown an increase in weight. Ghost Net Removal Project. The project aims to prevent seals and fish from being caught in fishing nets by physically retrieving abandoned nets and to protect and contribute to the growth of endangered marine species such as the Caspian seal and sturgeon. As a result of the efforts of this project around 4300 kg of abandoned nets and 1000 kg of marine debris were collected in one season in 2021. Since 2014, 878 abandoned fishing nets (20 500 kg) and over 9000 kg of marine debris have been removed from the Caspian Sea, 53 sturgeons and 15 seals were freed from the abandoned nets.
TCO conducts a comprehensive system of continuous environmental monitoring within its area of operations. Environmental monitoring includes atmospheric air, water and soil samples that are collected and analyzed in TCO’s environmental laboratory against specified thresholds and background conditions to track and proactively manage potential impacts on the environment.
TCO’s environmental laboratory is certified and has been operating since 2016 equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment.
Good air quality is foundational to environmental protection. And the air monitoring is a core component of TCO’s Environmental Industrial Control Program. Continuous monitoring is in place to obtain the information on ambient air quality and proactively evaluate and mitigate potential impacts from the Company’s production operations. The air monitoring system enables TCO to plan and implement preventive and mitigative measures to reduce or eliminate environmental impacts to the air surrounding its operations.
TCO carries out several types of air monitoring within its area of operations and Sanitary Protection Zone (SPZ), as well as at personnel accommodation areas and Zhana Karaton village
TCO maintains a special air monitoring system comprised of 12 automated Environmental Monitoring Stations (EMS) within its area of operations and along the perimeter of the SPZ. The EMS stations are equipped with modern analyzers capable of detecting concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon monoxide (СО), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2), methane (СН4) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Each EMS is automated and operates 24 hours a day.
As part of the Company’s commitments in the Roadmap for an Integrated Solution to Environmental Issues in Atyrau Oblast, TCO initiated real-time air quality data sharing from four EMS stations.
The concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (СО), nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2), methane (СН4) and meteorological parameters are averaged and transmitted online to “Kazhydromet” RSE every 30 minutes. The EMS data from these four stations are available on the AirKZ mobile application and are shown at the interactive map of Kazhydromet RSE.
Groundwater monitoring is completed through a large network of observation wells, including 125 observation wells at Tengiz and Korolev fields, and 11 background monitoring wells located away from operational facilities. In 2021, TCO completed the project of an upgrade of the existing groundwater monitoring network to improve sampling reliability.
There are 55 points where soil samples are drawn for further analysis, the result of which helps to ensure the control over the soil conditions within TCO’s industrial areas. Soil samples are analyzed in accordance with the approved methodology in laboratories accredited in compliance with the legislation of RoK.
TCO monitors wastewaters on a regular basis to ensure the compliance with the established emission limits. Wastewaters are controlled in effluent treatment facilities, evaporation ponds and prior discharging into water injection wells. Frequency of sampling and analysis complies with the approved program and schedules of analytical control.
Tengizchevroil's (TCO) social investment initiatives are aimed at stimulating and revealing the limitless potential of each resident and communities of Atyrau Oblast. TCO strives to expand opportunities for people by ensuring accessibility and improvement of health, education and economic development systems.
Egilik provided a powerful impetus to infrastructural development of Atyrau Oblast. There are new, modern buildings that have decorated the regional center and Zhylyoi district, multifunctional medical clinics and centers, well-equipped schools and other educational institutions. Egilik program fund has made it possible to modernize water supply systems and power grids, to carry out the long-awaited gasification of urban neighborhoods and rural settlements.
Decisions on which projects are to be included in the Egilik Program are made jointly with the Akimat of Atyrau Oblast. The main criteria are sustainability, focus on the priority needs of the local population, benefits for the majority of the population, and most importantly, projects should create opportunities for unlocking the potential of residents of Atyrau Oblast.
In 2022, the construction of facilities is being implemented within the framework of Egilik program:
Construction of Secondary School #30 in microdistrict #4 in Atyrau
TCO’s Community Investment Program was launched in 2010. It is aimed at supporting education, healthcare, involvement of the population in the volunteer movement and economic development. Within the framework of this program, 144 social projects were implemented in 2010-2023 for a total amount of about $18.3 million, including projects implemented within FGP-WPMP.
The CIP budget in 2023 is $2.5 million. Beneficiaries of projects implemented by NGOs are children, adults, pensioners, low-income families, large families, children and adults with special needs and many other representatives of the population of Atyrau Oblast.
The CIP budget in 2022
TCO annually allocates funds to support special requests for the benefit of residents of Atyrau Oblast. In 2023, TCO provided sponsorship assistance to Atyrau city and Zhylyoi district in the amount of over $2.5 million. Furthermore, funds were allocated to purchase following equipment: • 3 vehicles for people with disabilities in Atyrau city and Zhylyoi district. • 6 ambulances for Zhylyoi district. • 4 types of special vehicle for Zhylyoi district. • rehabilitation equipment for the Regional Rehabilitation Center, Center for provision of special social services No. 3, Center for provision of special social services No. 4. • equipment for labor room in the Regional Special Boarding School. As part of the sponsorship, the following initiatives were financed: • summer camp in Almaty for 60 children from Zhylyoi district. • IVF services for 25 families in Zhylyoi district. • recreation for 100 pensioners from Atyrau Oblast in Atyrau sanatorium. • arrangement of “Qazaq Fest” event in Zhylyoi district. In addition to the targeted projects, TCO employees as part of the corporate volunteer movement raises funds through a number of charitable events and programs and sends them to support orphans and children of other socially vulnerable categories.
Tengizchevroil (TCO) has announced the results of a strategic tender for materials supply for servicing, maintenance and production operations including and supply of protective equipment. As a result of the tenders, seven long-term contracts were concluded including local companies that participated in last year's round table organized by TCO for potential suppliers.
The results of “Tandau” pilot project implemented by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) within framework of Zhylyoi Development Program of Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO) were summed up in Kulsary. The project provided the residents with unique opportunities to start and develop their own business through the issuance of loans.
Last Friday, the PetroMaintenance 2024 Forum on oil and gas industry maintenance took place in Atyrau, where Tengizchevroil (TCO) showcased its commitment to local content development in maintenance and shared its extensive experience in maintenance operations.
Tengizchevroil (TCO) has announced the results of a strategic tender for materials supply for servicing, maintenance and production operations including and supply of protective equipment. As a result of the tenders, seven long-term contracts were concluded including local companies that participated in last year's round table organized by TCO for potential suppliers.
The results of “Tandau” pilot project implemented by the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) within framework of Zhylyoi Development Program of Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO) were summed up in Kulsary. The project provided the residents with unique opportunities to start and develop their own business through the issuance of loans.
Last Friday, the PetroMaintenance 2024 Forum on oil and gas industry maintenance took place in Atyrau, where Tengizchevroil (TCO) showcased its commitment to local content development in maintenance and shared its extensive experience in maintenance operations.