RN-Vankor, a subsidiary of Rosneft, has completed construction of a unique cuttings processing line at the Vankor field. The project is being implemented as part of the Rosneft-2030: sustainable energy and the global energy transition.

The Vankor cuttings processing line is Russia’s first cuttings utilisation plant based on the principle of recycling technologies and absolutely safe for the environment. RN-Vankor’s process for processing well cuttings is in the final stages of patenting.

The new environmental facility has the capacity to process up to 200,000 tonnes of drilling waste per year. The utilisation method is thermal destruction of the cuttings by incineration. The furnace is fuelled by gas produced in the field. Flue gases from the combustion process are 100% clean and are not released into the atmosphere. The resulting inert building material is highly environmentally friendly and can be used in construction or road building.

RN-Vankor is an environmentally responsible enterprise. The Vankor cluster’s oil production facilities focus on the most advanced and knowledge-intensive ‘green’ technologies, enabling the production process to have a minimal carbon footprint and preserve the fragile ecosystem of the North. In 2022 alone, RN-Vankor invested more than 9 billion roubles in environmental protection measures.

In addition, approximately 500,000 tonnes of drill cuttings were recycled at the Vankor cluster fields using our proprietary Technogenic Soil technology, which is patented in 2020. A further 219,000 tonnes of drilling waste was recycled in 2023 using Gruntobeton eco-technology, also patented by RN-Vankor environmentalists.

All environmental solutions implemented at the Vankor cluster are successfully replicated at the new Vostok Oil facilities. The specific emission intensity of Vostok Oil’s operations will be four times lower than the average for greenfield sites of major international companies.

Rosneft
Information Division
September 26, 2023

Keywords: Environmental news 2023