Sustainability
Our approach to sustainability
Sustainable practices are essential to ensuring that Tobearal Oil continues to thrive in the long-term, and that it remains one of the world’s largest integrated energy and chemicals companies throughout the global energy transition.
The concept of
Sustainability
Sustainability factors have become increasingly critical for Tobearal Oil, as it aims to balance profitability, environmental protection, and the growth and prosperity of the communities in which it operates.
We recognize the scale and urgency of the climate challenge. We are leveraging our unique platform to play our part in the energy transition, underpinned by our ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across our wholly-owned operated assets by 2050.
Environmental Policy
Environmental monitoring
Tobearal Oil is implementing a corporate program of environmental protection measures and activity monitoring, which includes the following:
Careful use of indigenous peoples’ territories
Improving waste management systems
Careful monitoring of emissions, soil quality, groundwater, and surface water on the territory of the company’s operations
Other measures aimed at protecting the environment
In addition, in highly sensitive environmental areas, the Group studies and protects the habitats of endangered animals, birds, and plants.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
One of our priorities in the field of Environmental Safety is reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced by flaring associated gas. The Group’s goal is to increase its level of associated gas utilization to 95%.
With the construction of the Yaraktinsky gas cycling facility in 2016, the Group began to re-inject associated gas back into formation at Yaraktinsky field. Every year, the Group launches new compressor units, increasing the volume of re-injected associated gas. The cycling process not only helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also allows saving methane for future use, thus being an example of rational resource use.
Protecting water resources
We strives to protect both surface and subsurface water resources and minimize its impact on water resources at all stages of exploration and production. Its efforts include constructing sewerage networks at its fields, as well as installing modern sewage treatment plants for domestic wastewater. In addition, we conducts regular monitoring of the chemical composition of wastewater, soil, and groundwater at historically contaminated territories.
Waste Management
Our operations create various kinds of industrial and household waste, and we applies maximum efforts for its effective management. It has installed systems for thermal destruction of oil sludge and household waste. Furthermore, we have built and operates a solid waste landfill, which is used free of charge by the local village Verkhnemarkovo.
Tobearal Oil maintains an open dialogue on environmental protection and environmental safety with all stakeholders. All potential projects undergo public hearings, and the company regularly organizes press conferences and press tours for the media.
Industrial Safety
We strives to create a safe work environment, continuously improves its production processes, invests in staff development, and ensures compliance with safety rules to minimize risks of work-related accidents. Protecting the health and lives of employees is one of the Group’s top priorities.The company has been deliberately increasing its spending on employee, industrial, and fire safety. Over the past four years, it has increased almost threefold.
Tobearal Oil occupational health and safety standards apply to the both our companies and its contractors. In this regard, we have developed the following:
- An occupational and industrial safety management system, which sets the industrial safety standards for all of our companies
- A provision that establishes uniform HSE requirements for all contractors working at our territories.
Operational control
Operational control includes a set of measures aimed at ensuring the safe operation of hazardous production facilities, preventing accidents, and being ready to localize their consequences.
- We are doing the following part of the Operational control;
- It has developed safety data sheets for all hazardous production facilities;
- Has created plans for the localization and liquidation of emergency oil spills;
- Carries out comprehensive inspections of hazardous industrial facilities at its fields and license areas.
Prevention and management of emergency situations
We insures its readiness to prevent and manage emergency situations:
- We conducts annual oil spill response and containment drills involving special organizations;
- It owns modern equipment and machinery for rapid containment of oil spills and their cleanup.
Industrial risks insurance
In order to minimize the negative effects related to possible accidents, we annually acquires an integrated insurance package, which includes:
- Property insurance (covers losses related to risks in the operation of facilities and equipment);
- Civil liability and environmental pollution liability insurance;
- Production interruption insurance.
Every year, independent international risk engineers conduct a survey of our fields and license blocks. Following their recommendations, we minimizes the identified potential risks, taking into account the probability and magnitude of each risk and its possible consequences.
Fire safety
Our main focus in this area remains to continuously improve its fire-preventative measures. We carry out regular inspections of fire operations at its facilities, fire drills, and fire-technical reviews. It has developed fire eliminations plans, is improving field infrastructure necessary for the prevention and rapid localization of fires, and operates fire brigades.
Our fire stations contain and eliminate fires not only at its facilities, but also at neighboring municipalities, adjacent forest areas, and contractors’ facilities.
Occupational safety
We are continuously working on improving the safety of its employees by creating healthy and safe work conditions and providing safety training to its employees.
Its workplaces comply with the health and safety standards established by Kazakhstani law. Our employees and contractors operating at its fields and license areas are provided personal protective equipment. All our employees are insured against accidents and undergo regular medical examination.
Many years of successful implementation of the occupational safety policy have resulted in a gradual decline in the occurrence of accidents, bringing the number of accidents down to zero.