BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 7. The environmental protection of drilling in the Caspian Sea requires a customized approach, the senior consultant of the Project Expertise and Environmental Regulatory Documentation Department of the State Environmental Expertise Agency of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Konul Ahmadsoy, said during the IADC Drilling Caspian 2025 conference and exhibition in Baku, Trend reports.
“We take a particularly cautious approach in the operations carried out in our country. Sometimes operators refer to standards or technologies used in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, or the Persian Gulf. But the Caspian is a different story. The Caspian is a confined body of water. You know, these methods, even environmental protection measures applied in open seas and oceans, can't always be considered suitable for the Caspian Sea,” she said.
According to the expert, the Caspian's environmental problems are exacerbated by its unique endemic biology and limited capacity for self-recovery. Intensive oil and gas extraction in the region over the years has had a significant negative impact on the environment, as the work began before people began to realize the dangers this activity could pose to the environment.
She emphasized that Azerbaijan has long-term experience in the oil and gas industry and is one of the leading countries with experience in drilling. Safety and environmental protection in the drilling industry have become a priority in recent years.
The experts said that companies operating in Azerbaijan are starting to pay more attention to nature protection.
“Development must be sustainable. Pollution and destruction of nature must be avoided in oil and gas production,” she added.
The official also noted the significance of the achievements at COP29 and the impact that the conference held in Baku last November had on global environmental policy.