Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 27
By Ali Mustafayev – Trend:
Remains of oil, heavy metals and other pollutants were found in the Kokzhide underground water storage in Kazakhstan.
Excessive water pollution was detected in two out of 17 pilot research wells, Kazinform reported.
Since 2009, the government of Kazakhstan monitors the quality of the underground water. However, the facts of water pollution during the work of oil companies are recorded each year, according to the head of the department of natural resources and environmental management of Kazakhstan’s Aktobe region Nurzhan Akkul.
"This indicator decreases every year, but this doesn’t remove the significance of the environmental problem. To date, 3 oil companies - Aktobemunaigaz JSC, KMK Munai, Ada Oil and 4 exploration companies operate in this region. This year, the level of pollution in the territory of KMC Munai exceeded by 1.4 times, in the territory of Urikhtau district - 1.7 times," says Akkul.
With this happening, the oil companies were instructed to repair local wells, as well as to clean the surface of the ground from oil waste during a meeting of Aktobe’s executive body.
"We asked the Ministry of Energy to stop the horizontal method of drilling wells at Kokzhide. It is necessary to conduct it in an oblique manner, and if it is impossible, they have to stop drilling. In addition, water quality monitoring should be conducted at governmental level," Akkul said.
The local groundwater deposits should be controlled at the state level, because oil production contracts in the region will be valid for 15-25 years, according to local officials.