ExxonMobil
Baku, April 30 - An ExxonMobil subsidiary, Exxon Azerbaijan Operating Company LLC (Exxon Azerbaijan) has announced that it plans to commence drilling the first exploration well under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Zafar Mashal Prospective Structure in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea in the third quarter of 2003. In preparation, Exxon Azerbaijan held a public consultation meeting to discuss potential environmental and social impacts of the proposed drilling program.
Exxon Azerbaijan has developed a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the Zafar Mashal Exploration Drilling Program, which includes a description of the proposed operations, results from baseline environmental studies, evaluation of physical, biological and chemical characteristics of the Caspian ecosystem, planned monitoring and mitigation activities, and other issues related to environmental aspects of drilling activities. The EIA document is based on the input from many Azerbaijani and international experts, and meets legislative requirements and guidelines of the Azerbaijan Republic and international standards for EIAs.
Public participation is an important element of the environmental impact assessment process, and Exxon Azerbaijan has undertaken specific efforts to provide the Azerbaijani community with an opportunity to review and comment on environmental and social aspects of the Zafar Mashal operations. The draft EIA report was placed in several libraries in Azeri, Russian and English languages, and scoping meetings were held with key Azerbaijani specialists.
During EIA public consultation meeting, Exxon Azerbaijan employees made presentations on the company's activities, the proposed drilling program on the Zafar Mashal structure, environmental studies, and other issues. Representatives from non-governmental organizations, scientific research institutes, government agencies and the media had an opportunity to ask questions about Exxon Azerbaijan operations and their potential impacts on the environment. Public comments will be incorporated into the final EIA document, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources for approval prior to commencement of drilling operations.
"Worldwide ExxonMobil is committed to conduct its operations in an environmentally responsible manner. As an essential part of our operations, we develop environmental management systems and strategies to minimize any effects of our activities on the environment," said Drew Goodbread, General Manager of Exxon Azerbaijan. "We are proud to say that, here in Azerbaijan, the drilling of two wells at Oguz and Nakhchivan structures, were completed without any environmental or safety incidents. We are looking forward to drilling a well on the Zafar Mashal structure this year, and are confident that environmental and social issues related to this activity are effectively managed."
Exxon Azerbaijan plans to drill the well with the DSS 20 semi-submersible drilling rig that is being constructed by Maersk at the Caspian Shipyard Company Ltd. in Baku. The new semi-submersible rig will be the largest and most technologically advanced drilling unit in the Caspian Sea, capable of operating in water depths up to one kilometer and to drill depths of more than nine kilometers. In preparation for drilling operations, Exxon Azerbaijan also has undertaken an extensive 3-D seismic data acquisition and processing program, conducted several baseline studies and implemented a detailed assessment of drilling activities on the Caspian environment. The description, content and results of these studies are included in the EIA document.
The overall conclusion of the Zafar Marshal EIA is that Exxon Azerbaijan's Environmental Management System will ensure that the potential for any impacts associated with the Zafar Mashal Exploration Drilling Program on the environment will be kept very low. Exxon Azerbaijan's Management System will also ensure that there is a continuous assessment of the environmental performance of operations, such that responses to any changing situations can be rapidly addressed. Monitoring programs were defined to be conducted during and after drilling operations.