Environmental monitoring

KPO implements a number of environmental programmes, which cover all areas of its production activities. One of the key programmes is a Production Environmental Control (PEC) Programme developed in line with the RoQ Environmental Code requirements to meet the following objectives:

• obtaining reliable data about the Company’s emissions and impact of production activities on the environment;
• minimizing the impact on the environment and human health;
• rapid and proactive response to emergencies;
• communication with stakeholders: local communities, state regulatory authorities, partner companies, about the environmental activities of the Company and risks for human health.

As part of the PEC Programme, the environmental emissions such as air emissions, wastewater discharge, waste treatment, accumulation and disposal, and the quality of environmental components such as air, surface and ground water, and soil are monitored.

The PEC monitoring of the quality of soils, surface and ground water in 2021 has demonstrated that concentrations of target substances were on a par with those observed in previous years. No the KOGCF operation negative impact on the environment components was identified.

Also, KPO regularly monitors the production environmental control over the environmental condition at the field waste disposal facilities. In 2021, as a result of monitoring of ground water and soil at the Eco Centre’s Solid Industrial Waste Burial Landfill and the Temporary Liquid Drilling Waste Storage Site, as well as in checks 35A and 35B, no direct negative impact on the environmental protection components is noted. Quantitative control over the movement of waste is carried out in order to take into account the volume of burial, as well as the volumes and time of waste accumulation.

Air quality is monitored by ways of collecting and testing the samples. The job is performed by an accredited laboratory, as well as 18 stationary automatic EMSs. Air quality is assessed based on the sanitary and hygienic limits, i.e. maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). To identify the level of air pollution, the recorded concentrations of monitored components are compared with MPC and quantified in fractions.

In 2021, as part of the PEC Programme, the laboratory took more than 100 thousand samples, about 115 thousand laboratory analyses and approximately 28 thousand measurements were completed.

The Company pays particular attention to protection of air quality across the Karachaganak Field, at the SPZ boundaries and the settlements adjacent to the Field.

Air monitoring by automatic environmental monitoring stations

18 stationary automatic environmental monitoring stations are installed along the perimeter of the KOGCF and SPZ (EMSs 001 – 018) and integrated into a single automatic environmental monitoring system.

Four out of 18 EMSs are located at the field and within the SPZ. The stations 005 – 018 were relocated to new spots in accordance with the Project for EMS relocation to the boundary of the new estimated SPZ, which was completed in December 2021. As of end 2021, there are 13 EMSs located at the estimated SPZ boundary: 006 – 018; the EMS 005 was relocated to a site near Aksai.

Annual average concentrations of the monitored components recorded by EMSs in 2021 at the KOGCF SPZ boundary are shown in Table 29. The column “Actual annual average concentration” shows the minimum and maximum annual average concentrations of the monitored components recorded by each EMS.

Tab. 29. Annual average concentrations of the monitored components recorded by EMS in 2021

All the EMSs take measurements of the four main pollutants (H₂S, SO₂, NO₂, CO) on a continuous basis, i.e. 24/7.

According to the data received from EMSs in 2021, the actual daily, monthly, quarterly and annual average concentrations of the monitored components did not exceed the established sanitary and hygienic limits.  However, on 31st August 2021, the EMS-016 recorded MPC one-time exceedance for hydrogen sulphide measured within a short period of 20 minutes. Pursuant to the requirement of the RoQ Environmental Code (Sub-item 6 Item 1 Article 130), the Company sent a notification regarding the exceedance recorded at EMS-016 to the WQO Environmental Department.

It should be noted that no connection was found between the exceedance shown in Table 30 and the KPO field operations. The review of the KPO field operations, taking into account the meteorological parameters at the time of the MPC one-time exceedance, has shown that all production facilities were in normal operation with no flaring events, no equipment failures or emergencies recorded.

Based on weather conditions at the time of recording NW wind was registered whereby the KPO field operations could not have affected the atmospheric air in the area of EMS-016 (from EMS-016 towards the field). No gas odour complaints from the local communities adjacent to the KOGCF were raised on the date the MPC exceedances were recorded.

Tab. 30. One-time MPC exceedances recorded by EMS in 2021

Air quality data from all 18 KPO automatic EMSs are transmitted online to the West Qazaqstan Oblast Environmental Department via the Ecomonitor portal.

Atmospheric air monitoring in the villages adjacent to the Karachaganak Field

There are stationary air monitoring posts in six settlements located along the perimeter of the field – Zharsuat, Zhanatalap, Dimitrovo, Karachaganak, Priuralnoye, Uspenovka, and in Aksai town. The air sampling is carried out four (4) times a day (at 1, 7, 13 and 19 hours according to the State Standard) by the permanent personnel of the contracting laboratory, who reside in the specified villages. Approximately 52,000 air samples were collected and analyzed at the stationary posts in 2021.

Air samples are chemically tested in the laboratory in Aksai for the content of five main components in accordance with the State Standard and ruling documents: hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon oxide/monoxide (CO), and methyl mercaptan (СH₃SH). In addition, every 10 days the air is monitored for the concentration of volatile organic components: benzene (C₆H₆), toluene (C₇H₈), xylene (C₈H₁₀).

Monthly results of air monitoring are published in local print media and distributed to the villages for posting on the information boards, as well as published on the KPO web-site on a monthly basis. If any gas odour complaint is raised by someone of the community, an unscheduled air sampling is performed at the stationary posts.

In 2021, no MPC exceedances were recorded for the daily average concentrations of the monitored air components in the villages.

In 2021, three complaints with respect to gas odour were raised by the village communities adjacent to the Karachaganak Field. The unscheduled air sampling was carried out in the villages, the analysis results of which indicated that the concentrations of the monitored components did not exceed the established MPC one-time. Each complaint from an initiator with respect to gas odour was addressed.

The annual average concentrations of the monitored air components in the seven villages in 2021 are shown in Table 31. The column “Actual annual average concentration” shows the minimum and maximum annual average concentrations of the monitored components. Criterion for assessing air quality in settlements is MPC daily average.

Tab. 31. Annual average concentrations of the monitored air components in the villages adjacent to the KOGCF in 2021