Enterprises of Rosneft Oil Company have increased the use of recycled water in their operations, thus reducing their water intake from the Volga River by 6% (almost 25 million cubic metres) in three years due to environment-oriented projects implemented.

The Company’s oil refining subsidiaries--Kuibyshev, Novokuibyshevsk, Syzran and Saratov refineries--constructed and upgraded water treatment facilities as part of the modernisation programme, which has provided for an increase in the volume of recycled water used for their operational needs.

In order to achieve the best performance and the strategic goal in environmental protection, defined in the Rosneft 2022 Strategy, the Company improves approaches to environmental management, increases the scale of environmental measures and the necessary investments for these purposes.

For instance, the Novokuibyshevsk refinery has reduced its consumption of the Volga River water by more than 1.7 million cubic metres per year in the last five years. In 2019, the ratio of recycled water in its total water consumption amounted to 95.1%. The plant is implementing measures to expand its environmental infrastructure to ensure that water use and protection targets are met. The Novokuibyshevsk refinery has carried out a step-by-step reconstruction of its biological treatment facilities with the introduction of the best available technology for post-treatment of wastewater to the required level. The most significant is the wastewater treatment unit featuring a membrane bioreactor and technology for nitrification and denitrification. Commissioning of the unit at the end of 2017 made it possible to significantly reduce the content of pollutants in wastewater and increase the return of treated wastewater to the water cycle. In addition, the enterprise has strengthened its control over recycling water supply processes, which has helped eliminate overflows into the water supply system, and the replacement of individual sections of water pipes has minimised network losses.

 The Kuibyshev refinery has reduced its consumption of water from natural sources by almost 9% over the last five years. To this end, the recycling water supply units, ductwork and water intake were reconstructed. The construction of an acid and alkaline effluent treatment unit is currently under way. The level of recycled water in total water consumption of the enterprise was brought to 91.1% in 2019.

The Syzran refinery’s efforts have provided for an increase in recycled water rate in its total water consumption to 93.7%. The plant continues to modernise its recycling water supply system by reconstructing two sections of the recycling water supply unit that provide cooling and water supply to process units.

The reconstruction of biological wastewater treatment facilities at the Syzran and Kuibyshev refineries is included in the provincial priority project on “Preservation and Prevention of Pollution of the Volga River in Samara Region”.

The Saratov refinery is also working to increase the volume of reused wastewater. The complex of measures implemented has already allowed increasing the ratio of recycled water to 95.7%.

Samaraneftegaz, the leading oil production enterprise of Rosneft in Samara Region, has completely stopped natural water intake for injection into the reservoir in order to maintain reservoir pressure as a result of the measures taken since 2016.

Rosneft
Information Division
December 2, 2020

Keywords: Environmental News 2020