In Atyrau gas burns in flares owing to gaps in Kazakh legislation
ASTANA. April 19. KAZINFORM - In Kazakhstan due to gaps in the legislation the oil associated gas problem has not yet been solved. The topic was discussed at a meeting of the Board of outbound Committee for Environmental Regulation and Control of Environmental Protection Ministry in Atyrau.
According to the regulations of Law "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use" it is prohibited flaring of associated and natural gas, with the exception of threat or occurrence of emergencies, danger to lives of staff or people health and environment.
"It would seem that the question at the legislative level has been fundamentally resolved. However, according to the calculation methods and standards and flaring of natural gas during oil operations technologically inevitable flaring is allowed when operating the equipment. As a result, natural resource users who do not want to solve the problem of gas utilization are skillfully using that by-law norm", said Yerbol Kuanov, the Head of the Atyrau region ecology department.
As per E.Kuanov, from year to year the term of associated gas utilization program related to "EmbaMunayGas" JSC Prorva group has been renewing.
"Back in 2010 " KazMunayGas " JSC considered the possibility of developing for Prorva group of fields a gas transportation project, construction of a plant for preparing the associated gas at “Prorva” central collection point and the gas pipeline mounting to the main line called "Middle Asia - Center". The feasibility study should have been completed in September 2011 and the construction period should have been accomplished by the end of 2013. Under this pretext, the term of the Prorva group of deposits gas utilization program has been extended to the end of 2014. But the project has not been submitted to the authority in the field of environmental protection thus there are serious doubts that it will be implemented in due time", concluded E.Kuanov.