Minister of energy undertakes visit to Tengiz field

15 August 2022
Ecology

As part of his working trip to the Atyrau Region, the Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK) Minister of Energy, Bolat Akchulakov visited the Tengiz field. The Minister received an update on the progress for the Future Growth Project – Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP) and called upon Tengizchevroil`s management to continue executing the project according to schedule.

The total FGP-WPMP is currently 93% complete, and the remaining work scope is focused on Tengiz. In early summer, as part of the project, an Integrated Operations Control Center (IOCC) was launched that will integrate the management of all TCO’s production plants into one control center and operating model, allowing teams to make better decisions, improve reliability and optimize production performance. In July 2022, another new metering station being built as part of FGP-WPMP, has been steadily receiving oil. In addition, an electrical substation that feeds the pressure boost facility was energized in the second quarter.

Minister Akchulakov pointed out that the successful completion of the FGP-WPMP project will significantly increase Kazakhstan`s budget revenue generated by TCO. Indeed, over the first six months of 2022 TCO made 7.5 billion US dollars direct financial payments to Kazakhstan – a five-year record.

“It is important to adhere to the project execution schedule despite the recent challenges. Besides this, it is necessary to keep focusing on developing Kazakhstani content, as well as ensuring the well-being of Kazakhstani manufacturers and the local workforce”, Bolat Akchulakov, the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said as part of his meeting with Tengizchevroil`s management team.

 

Since FGP-WPMP inception, TCO has purchased Kazakhstani goods, works and services in the amount of more than 14.2 billion US dollars. In addition, upwards of twenty-five thousand people have received training through the project. Earlier, the project team executed a successful three-year Sealift campaign involving the marine transportation of 408 large modular cargo items from international locations to the Tengiz field for assembly. This was a tremendous accomplishment and proved Kazakhstani companies’ capabilities in fabrication and marine logistics. The Cargo Transportation Route (CaTRo) at Prorva, comprised of a 76-km-long marine channel, cargo offloading/storage facilities and an access road to Tengiz, is a notable legacy of the FGP-WPMP project. Also, to support the development of shipping across the Caspian Sea the Kazakhstan Maritime Academy (KMA) was established at KBTU, which is the only educational institution in Kazakhstan preparing professional internationally recognized mariners.

The Minister also emphasized the importance of monitoring and collaboration on the upcoming release of thousands of TCO`s contractor companies’ employees. It was reported earlier that TCO is working jointly with the Akimat of the Atyrau Region, Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan to monitor the process of releasing the employees as the FGP-WPMP work scopes are completed.