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NAMA project reducing methane emissions in Azerbaijan’s onshore oil fields by 20%

Oil&Gas Materials 10 September 2020 10:55 (UTC +04:00)
NAMA project reducing methane emissions in Azerbaijan’s onshore oil fields by 20%

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.10

By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:

The Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR helps to reduce methane emissions in Azerbaijan’s onshore oil fields by 20 percent, UNDP told Trend.

“The results of collecting associated gas from oil wells instead of flaring it are outstanding. We have installed a new advanced associated gas capturing technology, which is set to reduce methane emissions in onshore oil production fields in Azerbaijan by 20 percent. The installed cutting edge compressors and separators have been helping to collect associated gas during oil production and distribute it to around 12 villages in Siyazan, a mountainous area of northern Azerbaijan, whose population had previously no access to clean fuels.

“The new gas capturing technologies have made it possible to deliver annually 7 million cubic meters of gas, including 4.6 million cubic meters of methane previously vented into the atmosphere, to the locals, as well as prevent deforestation caused by nearby communities’ dependency on wood for heating and cooking amid the lack of natural gas,” said the UNDP.

The specific objective of the project is to support SOCAR in the implementation of its Climate Change Strategy. Promoting and up-scaling greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures is introduced and implemented during project period. Thus, pilot investments are directed into energy efficiency and low carbon technologies in the country. The NAMA project is jointly financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), UNDP and SOCAR and will be implemented by SOCAR and UNDP Azerbaijan.

The project is addressing the existing challenges to improve the energy performance of main end-use sectors, namely buildings and transportation. Vented and flared gas from existing on-shore oil and gas fields is captured through the mitigation activities and later is utilized as a fuel source for nearby residential areas that are otherwise affected by large-scale deforestation activities. The project is consistent with International Climate Change Mitigation Objectives.

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Follow the author on Twitter:@Lyaman_Zeyn

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