OREANDA-NEWS. December 23, 2011. TNK-BP has held its annual round table with environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on the implementation of its long-term environmental programmes. The open debate with representatives of TNK-BP on the most topical issues involved leading international and Russian environmentalists fr om organizations including WWF, Greenpeace, the Ramsar Convention STC, the Russian Bird Protection Union, RAIPON, and representatives of other NGOs.

According to Yevgeniy Shvarts, WWF Russia’s Director of Conservation Policy, one of the key issues is utilization of associated gas. The company’s solutions in this area were set out in a presentation by Mikhail Petrosov, head of the gas utilization team. He spoke about the associated gas utilization programme in TNK-BP’s subsidiaries, comprising over 50 projects. In 2011, for example, the company commissioned a number of associated gas utilization facilities, including 5 gas-turbine power plants that will utilize up to 850 mcm of additional associated gas every year. Since the programme was launched total gas usage has increased by 1.1 mcm, and investment of over 50 billion rubles is planned by 2014.

Vladimir Chuprov, a spokesman for Greenpeace Russia, raised the issue of oilfield pipeline safety. Andrey Uvarov, Director of the Integrity Department, spoke about the company’s integrated approach to pipeline reliability. According to him, TNK-BP is deploying a whole range of active and proactive measures to prevent losses of pipeline integrity. An integrated system including eternal protection of pipeline systems, continuous monitoring of their technical status and a number of other measures adopted by the company have led to a 75% reduction in losses of mechanical integrity.

Rodion Sulyandziga, Vice President of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation (RAIPON), took part in the meeting for the first time. He noted the importance of protecting the indigenous peoples’ rights and legitimate interests in the sphere of environmental protection.

Many other important environmental issues were also discussed in the course of the meeting.

“TNK-BP is absolutely clear on its responsibility to society for protecting the environment. This is why we look closely at studies carried out by all the public organizations concerned and make every effort to prevent damage to the environment. This is the aim of our projects to deploy innovative technologies to maintain the ecological balance in the regions wh ere TNK-BP’s subsidiaries operate. Direct and open dialogue with nongovernmental organizations is an important element of designing our conservation programmes and enables the company to efficiently address key issues in this sphere”, said Anatoly Tyomkin, Executive Vice President, Support Services. 

TNK-BP is Russia’s third largest oil company and is owned by BP and the AAR consortium (Alfa Group/Access Industries/Renova) on a parity basis. Additionally, TNK-BP owns approximately 50% of the Russian oil and gas company Slavneft. TNK-BP’s share in Russia’s oil production (including its share in Slavneft) is about 16%. The Company’s total proved SEC LOF reserves are 8.794 billion BOE as of December 31, 2010.