Russia, Kazakhstan lead way to reduce gas flaring and lower emissions
WASHINGTON, DC. June 28. KAZINFORM Kazakhstan, one of Central Asia's major oil-producing countries, has cut gas flaring associated with oil production by a third in just five years, according to satellite estimates, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by almost six million tons. That's about the volume of greenhouse gases emitted by one million cars, the World bank said.
The country's remarkable achievement is closely matched by its neighbor, Russia, which has also seen significant reductions in gas flaring. Together, the two countries lead the list of countries which in 2010 worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by cutting gas flaring.
This Kazakhstan result has been achieved by projects like the one undertaken by Tengizchevroil (TCO). In 2010 the company completed a four-year $258 million Gas Utilization Project which has eliminated routine gas flaring in the giant Tengiz oil field.
TCO, a joint venture that includes Chevron, ExxonMobil, Kazmunaigaz, and LukArco, has reduced flaring emissions by over 94 percent since 2000, while simultaneously increasing crude oil production by 147 percent.
The fact that Kazakhstan, Chevron, and ExxonMobil have achieved this flaring reduction is no accident. All three are members of the Global Gas Flaring Reduction public-private partnership (GGFR). This partnership, launched by the World Bank in 2002, has just marked another milestone with satellite data estimating a nine-percent drop in gas flaring worldwide in 2010.
For full version go to http://go.worldbank.org/D4W87W5360