Nurlan ABLYAZOV
ATYRAU, Apr7 (THE GLOBE)
�I am sure in three years when we again discuss ecological problems in the Tengiz deposit, it will become even more obvious that what we are doing today is correct, convincing and accurately scaled,� Royce Elliot, the Tengizchevroil General Manager of operations, announced on April 7, right after the public hearings estimating the impact of the Tengiz deposit on the environment, in Atyrau.
TCO contractors, specialists from �Ecoproject�, presented the results of the first phase of the ecological monitoring �Estimations of impact on environment (EIE) while exploiting the Tengiz deposit� conducted in 1997 to 1999. The program of the open one-day hearings, that attracted about 500 participants (citizens of Atyrau oblast, specialists-ecologists, official representatives, and journalists) was organised, I would like to say, in a US way, energetically and convincingly.
The second phase, �Estimation of the predicted condition of the environment� is projected for 2000 to 2001.
All these ecological efforts forego industrial oil production in Tengiz to be started in 2003. Until such time, oil production is experimental-industrial. The importance of the ecological measures is evident: when production comes to 12 million tons per annum and over, consequences, and even possibility of a serious accident should be minimised.
�Ecoproject�, a contractor on ecological researches in Tengiz, is a professional team, well-known to specialists. It is enough to say �Ecoproject� won the tender for conducting researches for the pipeline consortium CPC.
The ecologists' main conclusion is: the active pollution zone in Tengiz is limited and is completely inside the TCO Partnership Territory. Main sources polluting the atmosphere are the combustible devices of the gas processing plant, mines and chimneys KTL-1 and KTL-2 (lines of primary processing of crude oil).
In 1999 ejection of sulphuric oxide, the most toxic gas, had been reduced by 76%. �Altogether in 1998 to 2000 investments in environmental events had come to US$ 190.7 million,� Rick Biddle, Manager of industrial safety and environmental protection said.
�The new device producing liquefied gas will help to reduce torch burning by 95%,� Erick Brandy, the TCO specialist on ecology said. It is planned to put the device into operations by 2002.
According to the 1999 statement by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, TCO's investments are 100% of ecological funds of Atyrau oblast, which in this regards is the first one in the country. If we consider in its entirety, Kazakhstan's TCO's investments are 94% of the total volume.
It is possible to say that only TCO invests in ecology in Kazakhstan.
�Our everyday task is to meet the high demands made of us (add here the Tengiz sophisticated manifold, severe climate and situation generally changed around Kazakhstan for 7 years of TCO existence,� Tom Winterton, the TCO General Director announced.
�I am proud that I belong to such a team as the JV Tengizchevroil,� he concluded on April 7 in Atyrau, at the Public Hearings on estimation of impact on the environment.
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