OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2007. TNK-BP will spend 1 billion and 528,722 million rubles in 2008 for implementation of its program for utilization of associated petroleum gas in the Orenburg Region, which is 1,8 times more than in 2007, said the Public Relations Department of TNK-BP Orenburg.

According to the press service of the company, six gas compression stations will be commissioned and put into operation in 2008 in the framework of the Gas program. “Considerable investments were made by the company for construction and equipment of these gas compression stations. Works are currently underway according to the schedule, and, beginning from July 2008, gas compression stations will be put into operation in Rostoshi, Pasmurovo, Tananyk, Gerasimovka, and other places,” said a representative of the press service.

In 2007, in the framework of a program for utilization of associated petroleum gas in the Orenburg Region, a gas compression station was commissioned in Kurmanaevka, where the flare was extinguished, and a gas pipeline between Kumanaevka and Bobrovka was put into operation. As a result, instead of being burned, associated petroleum gas produced in the Kumanaevka and Skvortsovo fields is now being transported to the Neftegorsk Gas Processing Plant for further treatment.

Apart from that, in 2007 the company reconstructed and upgraded the gas compression station in the Pokrovskoe field and replaced the outdated compressors built in the 1980s with new ones. In about two or three years from now, the Pokrovskoe gas compression station will grow into a mini gas processing plant that will turn out all types of products that are being produced now at the Zaikinsk Gas Processing Facility, added the representative of the press service.

TNK-BP is going to invest a total of 5,912 billion rubles into implementation of the Gas program in the Orenburg Region in 2008–2012. This program is aimed at decreasing the volume of burned associated petroleum gas and reducing the emission charges.

The rate of utilization of associated petroleum gas in the fields of Orenburgneft has now reached 70%, which is one of the highest rates in Russia. By 2012, the associated gas utilization rate will be raised to 95% to meet the worldwide standards. Implementation of the Gas program will help extinguish the flares and process and sell associated petroleum gas.