Lukoil #342 (July-August 2018)

LUKOIL remains a leader among IOCs working to preserve the environment in Central Asia. Oil Journal reports from this year’s Central Asian International Ecological Forum in Tashkent. COMMON GOAL U zbekistan’s capital of Tashkent hosted one of the region’s most important ecological events on this year’s World Environment Day: the Central Asian International Ecological Forum. The event encompasses representatives from the government, NGOs and private investors. This year’s organizers wanted to not only share their experiences in solving environmental and social problems, but also bring new technology and investments to the region. This year’s event brought the Green Ecology Technologies Central Asia (GETCA-2018) event toUzbekistan’s capital for the first time. LUKOIL Uzbekistan’s Head of Ecology, Mr. Dmitry Kim, shared the company’s efforts at environmental protection with participants. Investing into the environment is not some symbolic ritual for the governments of Central Asia; it’s a necessity. The region continues to face the consequences of the Aral Sea drought and subsequent desertification. Over 100million tons of dust containing salt and dangerous chemicals are annually released from the seabed and spread I n an exclusive interview with Oil Journal, Iraq’s Deputy Health and Environment Minister Dr. Jassim al- Falahi called for closer cooperation between the government and investors in the sphere of ecology. “The environmental activity of IOCs working in Iraq is very demanding and requires continuous cooperation with the Ministr y of Oil and our Ministr y, as wel l as transparency in the exchange of information and joint decision making. It is necessary to simplify the procedure for granting access to the “COOPERATION IS ESSENTIAL” OPEC and its partners on June23agreed to raise output by a collective 1 million bpd by reducing overcompliance with their committed cuts. A surge mostly came from Saudi Arabia and Russia. It offset losses in Angola, Libya and Venezuela. In December 2016, at OPEC increases oil output a meeting of oil producers in Vienna, OPEC+ agreed to cut oil production by a total of 1.8 mln barrels per day, including 558,000 barrels a day coming from non- OPEC countries. The agreement had been extended several times. It will last till the end of 2018. Head of Uzbekistan’s State Forestry Committee Khodzhiakbar Tolipov: “The most accessible and convenient way to stabilize the ecological situation around the Aral Sea is to create forests. The area of the Sea’s exposed seabed is 5.5 million hectares, 3.5 million of which are on our country’s territory. If we turn 2 million of those hectares into forest, the environmental situation will noticeably change for the better.” THE ARAL SEA The Aral Sea was an endorheic lake lying between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Formerly one of the four largest lakes in the world, the Aral Sea has been shrinking since the 1960s after the rivers that fed it were diverted by Soviet irrigation projects. Between 20 and 40 thousand tons of fish are caught in the sea annually. By 1997, it had declined to 10% of its original size, splitting into IRXU ODNHV ? WKH 1RUWK $UDO 6HD WKH eastern and western basins of the once far larger South Aral Sea, and one smaller intermediate lake. In an ongoing effort in Kazakhstan to save and replenish the North Aral Sea, a dam project was completed in 2005; in 2008, the water level in this lake had risen by 12 m (39 ft) compared to 2003. Source: Wikipedia oilfields for regulators, who are acting in the interests of society, and to regularly hold special-purpose seminars and develop training programs on the protection of the environment. IOCs must make efforts to boost the engineering and technological level of the corresponding ecological departments and create a spirit of fruitful cooperation between all the stakeholders. “LUKOIL Mid-East’s Managing Director Mr. Gati al-Jebouri has made a great contribution to cooperation with our Ministry. LUKOIL has significantly contributed to the protection of the environment, promptly eliminating negative effects in strict compliance with the environmental standards and laws of Iraq. We worked together with LUKOIL to get all the necessary approvals for the movement of hazardous waste to the Federal Republic of Germany with their subsequent disposal in accordance with Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes. It was Iraq’s first experience exporting hazardous waste and we hope to continue this fruitful cooperation with the LUKOIL in the future.” to inhabited areas beyond Central Asia. Scientists have even discovered traces of Aral Sea dust as far away as Antarctica. That’s why this year’s forum dedicated an event to the consequences of the Aral Sea’s drought called the Mutual Action Plan for Limiting the Effects of the Aral Catastrophe: New Approaches, Innovative Solutions, Investments. Forum participants, including LUKOIL Uzbekistan’s own representatives, discussed landscaping options for the Aral seabed and Amu Darya delta such as structurally securing sands, creating fish reservoirs, making pastures for wild animals and setting up protected areas. Some of them ended up visiting the Aral Sea itself, including its ship graveyard on the empty seabed, to familiarize themselves with the ecological situation there personally. They met with residents, NGO representatives and local government officials. 6 Environment