Waste. Land

The fragile nature of the Russian North that hosts NOVATEK core production assets is extremely vulnerable and takes a long time to recover. As it is, it is crucial to reclaim all disturbed lands with due regard to the local climatic pattern and the natural environment and protect the land from being littered with production and consumer waste.

To reduce negative impact on land and to protect the subsoil we have implemented the following projects:

• DRILL CUTTINGS PROCESSING. Drill cuttings are transported to drill cuttings processing shops for neutralization. The output liquid (water, oil) is used to make up drilling mud, while solids are shipped to dedicated sites for burial and/or further use. When installed, this thermal desorption unit was the only one of its kind in an oil and gas facility in Russia.
• USE OF RECYCLED DRILLING WASTE. The Company has developed technical specifications for converting drilling waste into construction soil and received a positive opinion from the government environmental expert review service. The waste is used in construction.
• ADOPTION OF UNMANNED SOLUTIONS. We have designed and are implementing robotized technologies to develop minor gas discoveries. This project aims to drive uninterrupted, fault-free unmanned operation of gas treatment units and well clusters. Unmanned technologies completely eliminate water intake (both surface and subsurface) leading to zero pollutant discharges into water bodies and reducing the area of disturbed land used for capital construction. The solution also eliminates the need for production and consumer waste disposal facilities.
• WASTE PAPER COLLECTION. In 2018, the Company held environmental campaigns to collect waste paper. Six thousand kilograms of waste paper and cardboard from office work and document management were transferred for recycling. The Company plans to collect and transfer waste paper every year.