Azerbaijan, Baku, March 10 / Trend , E.Ismayilov/
As part of reducing pollution entailed by release of groundwater, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is conducting isolation and temporary preservation of wells with a high degree of water encroachment, SOCAR Vice-President for Environmental Affairs Mukhtar Babayev said. The work is carried out in accordance with the program prepared by the production association Azneft [a member of the SOCAR].
"Environmental measures primarily envisage prevention of emissions today and then elimination of consequences," Babayev said.
SOCAR's ongoing environmental programs include not only cleaning and reclamation of oil polluted land, but also a wide range of issues, particularly utilization of stratal water oozing out during development of oil and gas fields.
"We do not pour out the water, but utilize it and re-pump into the strata. Most of the work has been carried out in. On many fields, the stratal water is being utilized and pumped back into stratum," SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev said.
In accordance with the complex activities plan, the SOCAR is replacing and reconstructing equipment, not complying with environmental requirements, on oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan. The company is reducing emissions to air, land and water. The environmental arrangements were launched in 2008 and are going on this year, Babayev said.
There are 57 oil and gas fields in Azerbaijan, with 18 offshore.