Rosneft Oil: Samotlorneftegaz Invests About 4 Billion Roubles in Historic Land Reclamation Measures in 7 Years

The total investment of Samotlorneftegaz (part of Rosneft) in land reclamation activities for the historical heritage lands accumulated during the Soviet period amounted to about 4 billion roubles in 7 years. The enterprise has restored more than 1,500 hectares of land disturbed in the past from 2015 to 2021.

In 8 months of 2022, Samotlor’s oil workers have completed reclamation of around 57 hectares of land, which had lost its original natural and economic value during intensive development of the Samotlor field in the 1970s and 1980s.

In order to achieve its environmental targets defined in the Rosneft 2030 Strategy, the Company improves approaches to environmental management, increases the scale of environmental measures and the necessary investments for these purposes.

Samotlorneftegaz uses modern methods and equipment in the process of land remediation, which help improve the efficiency of work in the natural and climatic conditions of Siberia.

The enterprise was the first in Russia to use the winter remediation technology. This method enables year-round natural remediation activities to be implemented in the swampy terrain of the Nizhnevartovsk district. Swamps and lakes occupy more than 60% of Samotlorneftegaz’s licence areas. About 70% of the technical work now is carried out precisely during periods of negative temperatures and stable snow cover.

The practice of winter sowing of perennial grasses (phytomelioration) tested by Samotlorneftegaz ecologists helps improve the quality of nature restoration activities. This method has already proved effective in the short northern summer.

Standing up to environment-oriented tasks is one of the enterprise’s priorities for many years.

Since 2003, Samotlor’s oil workers have switched to a pitless drilling method, eliminating the accumulation of drilling waste, significantly reducing the environmental impact and generating savings by refusing to prepare design and construction documents and construct the facilities.

Samotlorneftegaz disposes of drilling waste in-house and through qualified contractors. Only approved organisations that meet the strictest requirements of environmental legislation and technological conditions are permitted to carry out the work, which is constantly monitored by those responsible at the enterprise.