SOCAR to approve own climate change strategy

The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) will approve its own climate change strategy by the end of the week, Vice President for Ecological Affairs Soltan Aliyev said during a conference on the initiatives of Caspian oil and gas companies to reduce negative impacts on climate change in Baku.

During his speech, Aliyev called on Caspian oil and gas companies to adopt similar strategies to reduce their negative impacts on climate change.

SOCAR is conducting activities to reduce associated gas emissions from the Guneshli and Oily Rocks offshore fields. In particular, works are underway to construct gas compressor stations, which are required to use gas after its recovery.

According to SOCAR First Vice President on Geology, Geophysics and Mining Khoshbakht Yusifzade, the company will provide the recovery of about 500 million cubic meters of gas per year from the Gunashli Field.

Along with activities to reduce associated gas emissions into the atmosphere, SOCAR also conducts operations to use alternative energy sources in its enterprises, Aliyev said.

"A striking example is the ecological park in the territory of the H.Z.Tagiyev Oil and Gas Production Department," he said. "SOCAR installed solar panels and wind energy generating systems there."

According to the SOCAR VP, the first phase of creating the ecological park will be completed by late 2010. Aliyev stressed that SOCAR intends to achieve the wide use of alternative energy sources during its own production.


/Trend/