Samotlorneftegaz, an enterprise of Rosneft Oil Company’s oil and gas production complex, raised the level of the associated petroleum gas (APG) utilisation to 98.9% in 2021. The enterprise annually produces about 6 billion m³ of gas, the major volume of which goes to gas processing plants. In 2021, 5.9 billion m³ went to the GPPs, with the rest delivered to consumers.

One of the most important goals of Rosneft is to achieve leadership in minimising its environmental footprint and making its operations more environmentally friendly. As part of its gas investment programme, the Company is working consistently to improve the efficient use of associated gas in the regions of operation.

The APG utilisation rate of 98.9% exceeds the national average and the 2035 utilisation goal. One of the industry’s strongest performances in 2021 has been achieved due to improved technology in the production process. The renovation and replacement of the vacuum compressor stations’ equipment have made it possible to improve their efficiency and reduce the maintenance time of the machines.

In addition to upgrading facilities, the operational management system, which links technology and business processes into a single information hub, has helped to increase the level of APG utilisation. Samotlorneftegaz currently operates 22 vacuum compressor stations, five additional separation units and three track separator-dryers. The total length of the gas transmission system amounts to some 530 km. The facilities are fitted with equipment with a high degree of automatisation, control and monitoring.

Simultaneously with improving the utilisation of APG, best practices are being implemented to identify greenhouse gases. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with a laser gas analyser are used for aerial monitoring of technological facilities. The operation of the UAVs is complemented by specialised ground-based equipment such as ultra-sensitive portable ultrasonic and laser detectors, as well as thermal imaging equipment.

Samotlorneftegaz used the UAVs to survey 32 oil and gas production facilities and 498 kilometres of pipelines in 2021. More than 690 pieces of equipment were inspected and 1,387 measurements were taken as part of ground monitoring. As a result, the production process has become more environmentally friendly, which is an absolute priority for the enterprise.

Rosneft
Information Division
February 10, 2022

Keywords: Environmental news 2022