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SOCAR collects 4.5 bcm of associated gas from offshore platforms

7 May 2018 13:26 (UTC+04:00)
SOCAR collects 4.5 bcm of associated gas from offshore platforms

By Sara Israfilbayova

In recent years, Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR has collected 4.5 billion cubic meters of associated gas from offshore platforms.

SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev said it during a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR) of the World Bank (WB) on May 7.

Abdullayev noted that today the humanity faces a number of global problems, one of which is environmental protection.

Stressing that environmental protection is one the greatest global problems, he said that reduction of associated gas flaring will not only give impetus to our activity in the area of environmental protection, but will also preserve a valuable resource for the country's economy and ensure its sustainability.

“Environmental problems are not limited to the borders of one country, they cover the whole globe. For this reason, SOCAR actively cooperates with international organizations. In the framework of international cooperation, SOCAR, BP and GGFR managed to collect 4.5 billion cubic meters of associated gas from offshore platforms in recent years and transfer them to the gas supply facility of the country,” Abdullayev noted.

In turn, SOCAR Vice-President for ecology Rafiga Huseynzade said that Azerbaijan will be the first country to completely cease associated gas flaring within the framework of the World Bank's strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

She said that SOCAR successfully reduces the level of associated gas flaring.

"If in 2014 the emission level was two percent, in 2016 it was at the level of 1.75 percent, and at the end of 2017 it stood at one percent. If this trend continues, SOCAR will become the first among the oil companies, and Azerbaijan will be the first country that will implement the WB strategy on zero emissions as a result of associated gas flaring," Huseynzade said.

Within the framework of the initiative, about 1 bcm of gas is collected from offshore fields annually and transferred to the gas transportation system, according to her. “About 280 million cubic meters of gas is collected from the “Oil Rocks” field, 310 million cubic meters – from “Gunashli” field, and 350 million cubic meters of gas – from the “Chirag” field.”

SOCAR includes such production associations as Azneft (the enterprises producing oil and gas onshore and offshore), Azerikimya (the chemical enterprises) and Azerigas (distributor of gas produced in the country), as well as oil and gas processing plants, service companies, and the facilities involved in geophysical and drilling operations.

The company participates in joint ventures (including ventures in Georgia and Turkey), consortia, and operating companies established with SOCAR’s participation.

SOCAR, which is the only producer of petroleum products in the country, conducts various petroleum activities in countries such as Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Switzerland, Germany and Ukraine, including trading activities, mainly in Switzerland, Singapore and Nigeria.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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