SOCAR to open new oil spills management center
By Aynur Karimova
Azerbaijan's state energy giant SOCAR jointly with British BP plans to launch a modern center for the utilization and management of oil spills in Baku, in February 2016, said Rafiga Huseynzade, SOCAR vice president for the environment.
Speaking at the 22nd international Caspian Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference in Baku on June 4, Huseynzade said that in accordance with the contract, BP will supply equipment for the center in October.
“Already in February SOCAR will complete the construction, put the equipment into operation and commission the center for the utilization and management of oil spills,” she noted.
Huseynzade went on adding that BP, an operator of development of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of oil and gas fields and Shah Deniz gas condensate field in Azerbaijan, has reduced flaring of associated gas at Azerbaijani projects to 2 percent of produced volume and plans to bring this index to the level of 1.6 percent.
The center is being constructed in the Garadagh district of Baku. The cost of the project is estimated at $60 million. Funding has been provided by SOCAR and BP at a 50 to 50 ratio.
The center will recycle mainly drilling cuttings from onshore and offshore structures, as well as oil sludge and deposit waters. Wastes will be transported to the center from platforms and recycled to the final stage.
Prevention of oil spills and fight against such problems during exploration of oil and gas fields, production, processing and transportation of oil are among the main priorities of SOCAR.
SOCAR established a working group to manage processes on sending warnings about spills of oil and oil products and their elimination under the company's Emergency Situations Commission last year. Azerbaijan's Emergency Situations Ministry is also involved in preventing any kind of emergency situations at sea. Elimination of accidents linked to oil spills or fires and other emergencies at sea is among the ministry's main responsibilities.
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