Scientific Seminar on oil and gas problems

On 24 May, 1996 the International Ecoenergy Academy and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) held a Scientific Seminar on oil and gas problems, entitled “State, problems and perspectives of oil and gas production in Azerbaijan oil and gas fields”.

The Seminar subject covered a wide range of issues such as: technical and technological problems of oil and gas development, management of enterprises’ activities in fuel and energy complex under transition to market conditions, environmental problems of oil and gas production, oil field development under geodynamical active conditions.

Around 28 papers were presented in plenary and scientific sessions. A list of papers included “Special role of oil and gas in determination of Azerbaijan Fuel and energy Program policies” (F.Aliyev, president of the IEA), “Development and exploitation problems of the offshore oil and gas fields” (R. Gurbanov, director general of PA “Offshore oil and gas production”, SOCAR), “Development and exploitation problems of onshore oil and gas fields” (Y. Jamalov director general of PA “Onshore oil and gas production”, SOCAR), “Oil and gas production and environment, solving ecological problems in Azerbaijan” (A. Kasymov, Director of the Caspian Biological Station, vice –president of the IEA), “Radiation safety problems of oil and gas exploration and production” (F. Aslanov, Head of “Radon” Centre of the IEA) and a number of other speeches addressing the problems related to oil and gas development in the republic.

On 11 December, 1996 in Baku the Scientific and Technical Conference “Corrosion problems and protection” was held. The International Ecoenergy Academy and Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences were the organisers of the Conference. The Conference programme included keynote addresses by the president of the IEA F. Aliyev, and the Head of Corrosion Centre of the IEA A. Nasirova as well as a variety of speeches on the topics: corrosion and protection of offshore oil and gas facilities; corrosion of onshore oil wells and its prevention; corrosion problem in oil refinery and petrochemical equipment; corrosion problems of Baku underground; corrosion problems at the railroad of Azerbaijan; corrosion problems and methods of thermal power equipment protection; corrosion problem in operation of air transport; scientific aspects and corrosion protection in aggressive environment; protection of gas transportation equipment, etc.

On 11-12 May ,1998 in Baku the International Scientific Practical Workshop “Industrial and environmental safety of oil and gas operations in the Caspian sea” was held.

The Workshop was organised by:

• Azerbaijan Parliament Commission on ecology, energy and natural resources
• Azerbaijan Republic State Committee for ecology and nature use control
• State Insurance Control at the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan Republic
• SOCAR International Ecoenergy Academy
• Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences
• Oil Company “Lukoil”

The objective of the Scientific Practical Workshop was: Define gained experience, existing approaches and proposals of interested parties for industrial and environmental safety of oil and gas operations in the Caspian sea and develop recommendations to authorities of Azerbaijan Republic for improvement of legislation, regulation an supervision over industrial and environmental safety of oil and gas fields development in the Caspian sea.

Plenary meetings, where all participants are invited, were held at the beginning and at the end of working conference, the work of 3 workshop sections were provided at the rest time.

• Section 1. Safety of offshore oil and gas fields development

Issues of Section 1. Oil and gas operations as the Caspian sea contamination sources – possible accidents at different operations, risk assessment, accidents and incidents modelling, oil spill modelling in terms of accidents response resources, consequence evaluation, technical and management resources for accidents response during oil and gas operations on the Caspian shelf , oil spill response planning. The best practice of accidents prevention and preparedness during oil and gas operations on shelf, offshore safety regulations.

• Section 2. Environment of the Caspian sea

Issues of Section 2. Background conditions of the Caspian sea – hydrometeorology, biology, environment. Methods, management and results of the Caspian sea condition monitoring. Accidents monitoring. Models and methods for evaluation of accidents impact on the Caspian sea environment. The importance of the Caspian Littoral countries co-operation for the Caspian sea monitoring implementation, assessment of the accident consequence and incidents response planning. Caspian environmental safety regulations.

• Section 3. Legislation, regulations and economics

Issues of section 3. Existing legislation and regulation system for industrial and environmental safety of oil and gas operations in Azerbaijan Republic and other Caspian Littoral countries. The best international practice for legislative and regulatory control over offshore oil and gas fields safety development, provision of environmental safety for marine environment in terms of co-operative utilisation of the Caspian sea resources by international and national operators. Safety regulation specific for oil and gas operations in terms of Azerbaijan Republic transition to the new management system (market). Immediate measures of legislative and regulation base improvement for oil and gas operations safety in Azerbaijan Republic.

A full workshop programme also included the visits of acquaintance.

On 28 October, 1998 Baku hosted the First International Scientific Practical Workshop “Protection of the biosphere and contaminated land recultivation”.

The Workshop was organised by:

• International Ecoenergy Academy Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences
• State Land Committee of Azerbaijan Republic
• Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry of Azerbaijan
• Academy of Sciences

The main objective of the Scientific Practical Workshop was: To exchange information on the environmental contamination caused by oil products, industrial discharges and emissions, traffic emissions and domestic waste and also on level of toxic substances, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, radio-nuclides and other chemicals in these waste and emissions. To develop effective methods of land cleanup and its further utilisation, as well as measures to reduce its negative environmental impact.

The deputies of Azerbaijan Milli Mejlis (Parliament), representatives of Cabinet of Ministers, State Committees of Republic (State Land Committee, State Ecology Committee) oil companies (SOCAR, AIOC, Kvaerner, ERT Caspian) as well as scientists and specialists of Scientific Research and High Educational Institutes participated in the workshop.

The participants shared information on the biosphere protection problems in Azerbaijan and the Caspian sea, discussed the lessons learned from rational use of the land resource on environmental safety and reducing the negative impact of technogenic discharges into the environment, the ways and effective methods of remediation of contaminated soil.

The summary of all the presentations made throughout the Workshop was published in the 3-4 issue of the popular-science journal “Energy, Ecology, Economy”.

Draft Resolution of the International Scientific Practical Workshop

“Protection of the biosphere and contaminated land recultivation”

This days protection of the biosphere from technogenic pollution is as important as prevention of nuclear war and helping the needful. Conservation of soils is one of the most important parts of this problem, because soil is critical towards agricultural development, and both yield and quality of agricultural products are dependent on “purity” of soils.

A heavy pollution of the biosphere is due to the man’s rough interference in natural processes and his manipulation in ecosystems. A mechanism of exchange of scientific and technical information and experience in the field of protection of the biosphere needs to be established.

Close collaboration of scientific research institutes can become a reliable basis for joint efforts aimed to protect the environment and would contribute to successful implementation of national environmental programmes.

In order to protect and improve the biosphere, it is necessary to take the following steps:

1. To carry out a comprehensive ecosystem assessment and find out regional as well as national particularities of ecosystem
2. To develop a programme of organic and household waste recycling
3. To develop a programme of atmospheric air protection from technogenic pollution caused by heavy industries of Absheron peninsula, Gyanja, Mingechaur, and Ali-Bairamli
4. To undertake a comprehensive research on air pollution caused by traffic emissions in Baku
5. Based of the International Ecoenergy Academy (IEA) resources, to establish a Coordination Centre for collecting and processing data on environmental issues, soils and remediation of soils
6. Based on environmental maps indicating pollution of soils, rivers and ponds, to develop and implement soils remediation programme for Absheron peninsula, areas local to Baku, Gyanja, Mingechaur, and Ali-Bairamli
7. To draw a map of natural and acquired radioactivity of Azerbaijan soils in order to indicate its agricultural potential
8. To suggest that the Ministry of Education should run more and better environmental courses depending on needs of ministries, private sector and institutes
9. To involve the World Bank, European Bank and other international institutions in solving environmental problems in Azerbaijan, and seek international aid to implement a range of biosphere protection and soil remediation projects
10. To use Azerbaijan National Television (AzTV) and the rest of the mass media to facilitate public awareness campaigns about environmental issues in the Republic
11. To introduce rotation of crops that exceeds soils fertility in agriculture.
12. To introduce advanced drainage in agriculture
13. To establish irrigation water standards
14. To draw a map of radioactive pollution to be used in land use planning, in particular construction
15. To establish criteria and principles of providing radioactive safety of population as the reaction to radon pollution resulted from Armenian Nuclear Station accident
16. To establish state standards to indicate polluted zones in the country
17. To draft a law on social protection of Azerbaijan citizens that are exposed to negative influences of the consequences of the Armenian Nuclear Station accident
18. To establish regional systems to monitor radiation
19. To built a mobile unit for the purification of water from radioactive substances Since there are radon contarninated sites in different regions of Azerbaijan, and accordance with the Azerbaijan Law on the Protection of Population from Radio activity participants suggest that:
20. 20.1 International Ecoenergy Academy, Azerbaijan State Committee for ecology and nature use control and other associated agencies should draft and submit for approval by the Cabinet of Ministers Guidelines for national scientific technical programme Radon until 2010 aimed to secure radioactive safety

    20.2 International Ecoenergy Academy and the State Construction Department should extend the effectiveness of the Temporary Guidelines on monitoring of radioactivity of construction materials and construction sites RCN 31093, and start drafting a basic legislation with the consideration of experience obtained during the effectiveness of RCN 31-93. 21.

21. To study chemical and radioactive conditions of the recently freed regions of the country.

On May 3, 2000 the Second International Scientific Practical Workshop “Protection of the biosphere and contaminated land recultivation” was held. The Workshop organised by:

• International Ecoenergy Academy
• Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences
• State Land Committee of Azerbaijan Republic
• Baku Executive Authority State Centre of Standardisation and Metrology of Azerbaijan Republic

The objective of the Workshop was:

1. To exchange information on the environmental contamination caused by oil products, industrial discharges and emissions, traffic emissions and domestic waste as well as on level of toxic substances, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, radionuclides and other chemicals in these waste and emissions.
2. To determine contamination of three environmental media: land, water and air.
3. To develop effective methods for their cleaning and reducing negative environmental impact. The Workshop provided opportunities for an open discussion between the Azeri scientists and representatives from the foreign and republic oil companies as well as the leaders of committees and organisations relating to the above issues. More than 80 papers were presented in the plenary and three technical sessions (Soil, Water, Air). The Proceedings from the Second Workshop “Protection of the biosphere and contaminated land recultivation” will be issued within the next few months.