KPO Sustainability Report 2021
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Environmental Protection Measures Plan 2021

To achieve the goals set in the area of environmental protection, KPO annually develops Environmental Protective Measures Plans (further as the EPMP). Measures set forth in the Plan are focused on ensuring environmental safety, improving environmental protection methods and technologies, rational use of natural resources and maintaining compliance with the ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 international standards.

In 2021, KPO performed its production activities according to the obtained Environmental Emissions Permits and approved EPMPs. In 2021, nine Permits for each emission type were obtained for the Karachaganak Field facilities and the KPC-Bolshoi Chagan-Atyrau condensate export pipeline. The EPMPs were developed and approved for each of the Permits obtained.

In 2021, the total actual costs incurred for implementation of the environmental measures at the Karachaganak Field have amounted to KZT 5.97 bln, constituting 88 % of the allocated funds from the planned while 96 % of the scheduled work scope was performed. The 2021 target costs for the Field were KZT 6.8 bln. The slight variance between the planned and actual costs in 2021 was due to the more rational use of funds, as well as incomplete implementation of the planned scope of work for individual activities. For example, the costs for the relocation of two environmental monitoring stations was 47 % less than it was planned; while the work was performed by 100 %.

Tab. 26. KPO Environmental Protective Measures Plans for 2021 and Emissions Permits issued

No.

Environmental Protective Measures Plans approved for 2021

Valid Permits for 2021

Authority Agency that issued the permit

1

2021 KPO EPMP for the Karachaganak Field (KOGCF)

Environmental Emissions Permits (effective period: 01.01.2021 – 31.12.2021) for:

  1. Air pollutant emissions;
  2. Discharges of pollutants during the injection of wastewater into the aquifers of the KOGCF at Landfills No. 1, No. 2 with a validity period of 01.01 – 12.05.21;
  3. Discharges of pollutants during the injection of wastewater into the aquifers of the KOGCF at Landfills No. 1, No. 2 with a validity period of 13.05 – 31.12.2021;
  4. Wastewater discharge into Holding Ponds No. 1 and 2 at KCC of the KOGCF;
  5. Production and consumption waste disposal.

Committee for Environmental Regulation and Control of the RoQ Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources

2

2021–2030 KPO EPMP for the KPC-Bolshoi Chagan-Atyrau condensate export pipeline (WQO)

Environmental Emissions Permits in 2020 (effective period: 01.01.2021 – 31.12.2030) for:

  1. Air pollutant emissions;
  2. Pollutants discharged with wastewater.

WQO Akimat,
WQO Department of Natural Resources and Nature Use Control

3

2021–2030 KPO EPMP (Atyrau Oblast)

Environmental Emissions Permit for:

  1. Air pollutant emissions;
  2. Pollutants discharged with wastewater.

Atyrau Oblast Akimat, Atyrau Oblast Department of Natural Resources and Nature Use Control

The 2021 KPO EPMP implementation by sections is shown in Table 27.

Tab. 27. Environmental Protective Measures Plan implementation in 2021 (%)

No.

Sections of Environmental Protective Measures Plan

KPO measures implementation:

- within the Karachaganak Field

- at the KPC-Bolshoi Chagan-Atyrau export condensate pipeline
(WQO)

- at the KPC-Bolshoi Chagan-Atyrau export condensate pipeline
(Atyrau Oblast)

1

Air pollution control

97 %

100 %

100 %

2

Conservation and rational use of water resources

83 %

NA*

NA*

3

Land conservation

0 % **

NA*

NA*

4

Subsoil conservation and rational use

93 %

NA*

NA*

5

Flora and fauna conservation

100 %

N/A*

100 %

6

Management of production and consumption waste

141 %

NA*

NA*

7

Radiation, biological and chemical safety

20 %***

NA*

NA*

8

Introduction of management systems and best safe technologies

100 %

NA*

NA*

9

Scientific researches and design-survey activities in environmental protection

100 %

100 %

100 %

10

Environmental awareness and promotion

98 %

100 %

100 %

 

TOTAL:

96 %
(KZT 5.97 bln)

100 %
(KZT 10.343 mln)

100 %
(KZT 10.984 mln)

* NA – measures are not applicable.

** The EPMP for 2021 did not include reclamation of a land plot for temporary camp of the KGDBN Project. Though, KPO management decided to further use this plot for the KPC technical needs. In this view, there was no need to cultivate this land in 2021.

*** The EPMP for 2021 provided for a radiological examination of production tubing after the workover of five wells. Owing to the reduction of a workover programme scope for 2021, radiation control was done for one batch of tubes.

Environmental benefits from the EPMP implementation are provided in Table 28.

Tab. 28. Environmental impact of the KPO environmental protection measures implemented in 2021

Air emissions
  • Use of a surface pump to transfer product with high gas volume fraction during the test of four wells has resulted in reduction of emissions by 2,571 tonnes versus the expected 194 tonnes;
  • Use of high pressure separators during the test of one well has helped reduce air pollutant emissions by 223 tonnes versus the expected 4,559 tonnes, caused by the drilling programme cuts due to the pandemic;
  • Use of hydrocarbon-based fluid for the reservoir stimulation (Lamix or Deisel) helped reduce air pollutant emissions by 16 tonnes versus the expected 259 tonnes, also caused by the drilling programme cuts due to the pandemic.

Waste and wastewater management
  • In 2021, 793 tonnes of non-recyclable production and consumption waste were disposed by high-temperature incineration, including residues received after segregation of solid municipal waste, food waste and epidemiologically hazardous waste (medical waste, dewatered sludge from silt areas);
  • Useful components recovered from the total municipal waste delivered for segregation to be further transferred to specialized companies for recycling and (or) reuse:
    • waste paper – 103 tonnes,
    • plastics – 221 tonnes,
    • scrap metal – 8 tonnes,
    • waste glass (crushed glass) – 6 tonnes.
  • Volume of treated liquid waste amounted to 6,110 tonnes.
  • Volume of reused treated wastewater for technical and production needs at the Karachaganak Field amounted to 31,699 m3. Volume of technical water consumed from the Konchubai Gully made 313,714 m3. Thus, the volume of the reused treated water from the volume of technical water consumed from the Konchubai Gully amounted to 10.1 % against the planned 10 %. Due to the reduction of work on the drilling program, less treated wastewater for drilling needs was used. Major volume of treated wastewater was used during the warm season for dust suppression at construction sites and for the KPC technical needs.

Land reclamation
  • In 2021, the 7.4 ha of the KGDBN Project planned for reclamation was decided to be further used for the KPC technical needs during shutdown.

ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In 2020, as part of the Digitization Roadmap, in order to minimize paper-intensive processes and optimization, KPO has developed an electronic register for managing environmental aspects EnvAR. The developed system is a convenient tool for managing the environmental aspects, and has greatly facilitated the process of their identification. The list of aspects is presented earlier in this chapter.

Starting from the IV quarter of 2020, 24 KPO divisions have completely switched to working with environmental aspects in the electronic system. For each environmental aspect, control measures were developed, risk assessment was carried out, and a Consolidated Register of the most significant environmental aspects was compiled. Each environmental aspect is negotiated with the registry owner. Registers of Environmental Aspects are reviewed annually.

At the end of 2021, all divisions reviewed and updated their environmental aspects' registers. For all significant environmental aspects, additional measures have been proposed, the implementation of which is expected to reduce the levels of risks.

The EnvAr electronic system’s read mode is available to every employee of the Company. KPO employees can obtain information on departmental environmental aspects, including the most material, and about the environmental control measures implemented at the Company.