World's Energy

20 February 2008 - Upstream OnLine - Kazakhstan's Environmental Protection Ministry kept up pressure on a Chevron-led Tengizchevroil consortium, urging the company to come up with a quick plan to utilise its sulphur stocks. The authorities have long accused the project of making slow progress in removing open air sulphur stocks at the Tengiz oilfield. A court slapped a 74 billion tenge ($609 million) fine on Tengizchevroil last year but the fine was later halved. Environmental Protection Minister Nurlan Iskakov met Tengizchevroil's top management earlier this week for the last round of talks surrounding the matter, the ministry said. "(The company) was tasked with mapping out measures to decrease associated gas flaring as well as a programme of sulphur utilisation aimed at a complete utilisation of entire sulphur stocks at the earliest stage," Reuters quoted a ministry statement as saying. A Tengizchevroil spokeswoman denied the venture was breaking any laws, telling Reuters it was doing everything possible to utilise the stocks. She added the company had yet to decide whether it would appeal against the court decision this year. The oil from Tengiz contains toxic hydrogen sulphide which is processed into huge piles of inert yellow sulphur and stored near the oil wells before the crude is transported by pipeline. The Tengiz venture also includes ExxonMobil, Lukoil and Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGaz.