Publication Name

Eastern Caspian

Environment and Security

be far greater than in other parts of the sea

(Ministry of Environment Protection of the

Republic of Kazakhstan 2007).

Some environmental experts suggest that

damage caused by oil pollution could – in the

long term – exceed short-term profits gener-

ated by oil development (Nogaev 2007; Di-

arov 2007). Experts point out that once the

region’s energy resources are exhausted, it

will have to cope with the results of several

decades of oil and gas extraction (polluted

environment, depleted biodiversity, etc.)

without the financial resources to remedy

the damage wrought by industry. Long-term

damage and impacts could consequently

far exceed current short-term benefits

Several Caspian oil deposits contain natu-

rally occurring radioactive elements. Long-

term exploitation of these deposits, espe-

cially in Mangystau province, has caused

the formation of 10–15 000 tonnes of low-

level radioactive oil waste and scrap metal,

which is being temporarily stored on-site

(Ministry of Environment Protection of the

Republic of Kazakhstan 2007). These radia-

tion sources represent an additional threat

to environmental security.

There is a serious risk of industrial pollution

in the northern Caspian. An accident already

occurred in 1985, when Tengiz well #37 shot

a column of flame 150–200 metres into the

air. It took more than a year to put out, burn-

ing 3.5 million tonnes of oil and half a million

tonnes of hydrogen sulphide. This accident

significantly impacted biodiversity and pub-

lic health within a 50–100 km radius (Akhme-

tov 2006; Ministry of Environment Protection

of the Republic of Kazakhstan 2007). In the

Beyneu and Karakiyan districts industrial de-

velopment has so severely damaged pasture

that the population has started to move graz-

ing cattle to neighbouring areas.

pacity currently is 9 million tonnes (Ministry

of Environment Protection of the Republic of

Kazakhstan 2007). This means that with low-

er demand for sulphur and fewer exports the

heap of sulphur stored in the open air may

continue to increase, prompting concerns

among local authorities and in the commu-

nity. The Kazakh environmental authorities

have recently imposed a US$309 million fine

on TengizChevroil (TCO) – the field operator

and a Chevron-led venture – for breaches of

environmental regulations – including stock-

piling sulphur

In 2006 local authorities and TCO carried out

an assessment of environmental and health

effects of storing sulphur in the open air at

Tengiz. The Kazakh Institute of Oil and Gas

admitted that increased sulphur accumula-

tion and storage could raise environmental

pressures, and risks to the public and oc-

cupational health

. With the introduction

of stricter environmental targets, moderni-

zation of production methods and facilities

gas flaring on the Tengiz field was reduced

from 1 800 million cubic metres in 1999 to

420 million cubic metres in 2006 (TCO En-

vironmental Bulletin 2006). Further cuts in

this type of pollution are planned after 2008,

when a new plant will start producing granu-

lated and block sulphur using the deposits

stored on the Tengiz oilfield. Finally the new

ecological legislation (Environmental Code

of Kazakhstan 2007), coupled with stricter

enforcement, will also contribute to improv-

ing the situation in the region.

On the other hand changes at Kashagan and

Tengiz indicate that the Kazakh authorities

– perhaps following the Russian example on

the Sakhalin-2 oilfields in Siberia – seem to

be stepping up pressure on energy multina-

tionals operating in the Caspian region.