SOCAR works to reduce gas vented into atmosphere

Azerbaijan, Baku, March 12 / Trend , corr.E.Ismaylov /

During month, SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) will complete building a gas-compressor station on Oil Rocks field, which will make it possible to ensure collection of the gas of low pressure vented into the atmosphere and its further pressure (increase in the pressure), said a source in SOCAR, close to the works, said on March 12.

"Works are continuing now and planned to be completed during a month. The station will be located on the platform of "Oil Rocks-2346", the same source said. The capacity of the compressor station will be 80-100,000 cubic meters of gas per day.

A gas-compressor station was already put into operation on the platform of "Oil Rocks-741". The capacity of this station is 70,000 cubic meters per day.

All these works are realized within the ecological programs, implemented by SOCAR to reduce venting gas of low pressure into the atmosphere.

By autumn, SOCAR also plans complete construction of a new compressor station Guneshli field, as a result of which venting gas of low pressure into the atmosphere on this field by 90%, SOCAR Vice President for Ecology, Mukhtar Babayev, said earlier.

The station is expected to be put into operation by October 1, "but, possibly, this will take place earlier", Babayev said.

SOCAR intends to collect the associated gas of low pressure on the shallow water Guneshli field. After final pressure, this gas will be provided for the Azerbaijan gas-processing plant or for the national gas transport system, and supplied to subscribers.

Earlier because of the absence of infrastructure, this gas was vented into the atmosphere, which brought large damage to the environment. The cost of creation of the necessary infrastructure and realization of this project is estimated at $150 million.

The volume of venting is nearly 200 million cubic meters of gas per year. Compressors will be established for the realization of this project on the Guneshli-4 platform.