August-September

«Теңізшевройл» жауапкершілігі шектеулі серіктестігінің басылымы
Информационная газета ТОО «Тенгизшевройл»
Tengizchevroil Newsletter
НОВОСТИ ТШО
№ 08-09 (206-207) 2014
TCO NEWS
This edition of the TCO Newsletter is dedicated
to the KIOGE 2014 Exhibition and Conference
More Prosperity in Tengiz
In this issue:
Groundbreaking ceremony was held in Tengiz heralding
the start of the project of Orken rotational village
O
n Tuesday,
July 29,TCO
hosted the
groundbreaking
ceremony of the
future contemporary
rotational village which
will accommodate as
many as 5000 employees involved in the
latest major expansion
in Tengiz.
The village named
Orken which stands
for ‘prosperity’ in
Kazakh, will comprise
housing blocks and
office buildings, canteens, an office shared
by the information
center and security, a
clinic and fire station.
The groundbreaking
ceremony was held in
the area of the construction site. Gathered at the site were
employees involved in
the FGP/WPMP project, representatives of
the Plant and off-plot
facilities, various TCO
departments and contractors. Atyrau and
Kulsary communities
delegated representatives of local government offices of Atyrau Oblast and Zhylyoi
region to attend.
Delivering welcome remarks was Rzabek
Artygaliyev, general manager of TCO Policy,
Government and Public Affairs (PGPA).
“The moments of kick-off and completion
of the future rotational village project are
extremely important to the development of
the regional economy and Kazakhstan at
large, because they will add momentum to
the implementation of the Future Growth
Project,” said Gumar Duisembayev, Deputy
Akim of the Atyrau Oblast, in his speech.
“We are particularly pleased to observe that,
before embarking on a major technical project, Tengizchevroil cares enough to provide
good working conditions for the people who
will be involved in the construction phase.”
Addressing the audience with warm greetings on behalf of the local community was
the Akim of Zhylyoi region Maxim Isbassov.
Isbassov praised the strong contribution TCO
has been making to advance the growth of
social infrastructure in the region. He also
emphasized the value of the Future Growth
Тengizchevroil:
Mission of Leadership
Page 2-3
KTL Turnaround:
All in a Day’s Work
Page 4
Project for the development of the local
economy and wellbeing of residents.
“Today we are breaking the ground for the
new rotational village we named Orken which
will be a new, contemporary facility providing safe and comfortable living conditions for
our employees working in Tengiz,” said Tim
Miller, general director of Tengizchevroil. He
thanked the leaders of local governments of
Atyrau Oblast and Zhylyoi region for their active role in resolving related issues to mega
projects and also expressed confidence that
the implementing of FGP/WPMP will provide
strong momentum to further successful development of the land of Kazakhstan oilmen,
the pride of the nation.
Also speaking at the ceremony were Rocky
Brennan, general manager of TCO Special
Projects, Mark Leonard, director of KPJV
Atyrau and Michael Puckett, operations director of Isker Holdings.
Assisted by encouraging applause of all attendees, the team consisting of G. Duisembayev, M. Izbassov, T. Miller, C. Brennan, M.
Leonard and M. Puckett, all wearing personal
protective equipment, broke ground at the
site, heralding the kickoff of another major
capital project in Tengiz.
The contract for the construction of the new
village has been awarded to the joint venture
formed by the Isker Group of Kazakhstan and
Bonatti Company of Italy with its HQ based
in Parma. After the facilities of FGP/WPMP
are complete and commissioned, Orken
Rotational Village will be transferred to the
custody of TCO as a chief asset. The village,
designed to provide housing to some 5000
employees, has a potential to expand its capacity and accommodate 1500 more people.
FGP/WPMP is yet another major capacity expansion project expected to create a
significant number of new jobs, plus opportunities for use of more Kazakhstani goods
and services. The FGP project will lead to
an increased production capacity of approximately 12 MMTY; thus, increasing total
production to around 36 million metric tons
per year. WPMP is expected to maximize
the load of existing facilities and increase the
flow rate of wells. FGP/WPMP have been
integrated into a sole project to maximize its
cost effectiveness.
Bibinur Bermaganbetova
Specialist, PGPA
FGP Kicks Off
Page 8-9
Life-giving Water for Baby Fish
Page 15
2
TENGIZCHEVR
Tim Miller
General Director
ТCО «Тengizchevroil»
№08-09 (206-207)
IL –
Anuarbek Jakiyev
Deputy General Director
ТCО «Теngizchevroil»
The twenty two years of Tengizchevroil, the largest petroleum company in
Kazakhstan and the first investment project initiated with a western investor have
not been easy, yet, for sure,it has been an illustrious journey with an exciting
history of establishing a company presently rated among the best of world class
upstream operations. TCO shared with the Republic of Kazakhstan, then a
new sovereign state in an emerging market in Central Asia, the challenges and
success of dramatic changes and development. TCO has been a partner with the
government throughout the development of the Republic of Kazakhstan and serves
as the a symbol of enovation. The successes of TCO are inseparable from those
of Kazakhstan, which is now well-recognized internationally. Today, the plans
of Tengizchevroil for further development focus not only on building on its own
economic success, but also, on further strengthening Kazakhstan’s position in the
world as a modern and dynamic country firmly embarked on the path of innovative
development in all spheres.
Background
Tengiz oil field located in western
Kazakhstan was discovered in
1979.
A large group of specialists (J.
Dosmukhambetov, B. Sagingaliev, B. Elamanov, A. Hismetov, K. Balzhanov, V. Avrov,
M. Balgimbayev, O. Eskaziev)
were awarded the State Prize
of the Republic of Kazakhstan
for the discovery of this oil giant. The development of the oil
field started at the Embaneft
production enterprise and later
continued by specially created
Tengizneftegaz.
Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO) was
established in April 1993 with the
government of the Republic of
Kazakhstan and Chevron Corporation being the original founding
partners. Currently, shareholding partners in TCO are Chevron
(50%), JSC NC KazMunaiGas
(20%), ExxonMobil (25%) and
LukArco (5%).
About the Field
The 2,500 sq. km (1,600 sq.
miles) of the license area
consists of Tengiz field and a
smaller, but sizable Korolev
field. Total recoverable crude oil
reserves at Tengiz and Korolev
fields through April 2033 (TCO’s
contract period) are estimated
between 750 to 1.1 billion tonnes
of oil (6 to 9 billion barrels). The
Tengiz oil reserves are determined as 3 billion tonnes (26 billion barrels). The reserves of Korolev field, which is regarded as
a world-class field, are estimated
to be 180 million tonnes (1.5
billion barrels), one-sixth of the
Tengiz reserves. Tengiz field is
the deepest giant oil field in the
world with the top oil reservoir
lying at a depth of about 4,000
m (13,000 ft). The field is 19 km
(12 miles) wide and 21 km (13
miles) long, with the thickness
of an oil reservoir equaling
one mile. The deposit area is
so large that it would take two
marathons to run around it.
Safety
Tengizchevroil has been
invariably demonstrating
record-setting performance
in an operational safety; also,
continually recognized as the
safest operation in Kazakhstan’s
petroleum industry over recent
years. Similarly, TCO has been
maintaining leadership in safety
across Chevron Corporation. The
strong commitment to safety and
all-out support of the BehaviorBased Safety Program, now
celebrating its 10th anniversary,
has been the hallmark of TCO’s
strong team of employees. The
ambitious targets in this area
are understood and accepted
by all employees; practically all
of them are actively involved in
programs pursuing to make TCO
a 100 percent safe place to work.
TCO’s safety performance places
it amongst world-class operations in terms of safety. However,
the company has been working
hard to establish a zero record of
DAFW incidents. In 2013, TCO
together with contractors showed
an all time best performance
exceeding 25 million man-hours
without DAFW injuries.
Economic Impact
As of July 1, 2014, the company’s
total economic effect through direct investments into the economy
№08-09 (206-207)
MISSION OF LEADERSHIP
ity and expanding production
capacity, TCO has essentially
resolved the sulfur issue. The
current inventory of sulfur on the
sulfur pads is estimated under
400 thousand metric tons, and
soon the last remaining pad will
be depleted. In 2014, to date,
TCO has sold about 2 million
metric tons of sulfur which is
166% of total produced volumes.
During the first 6 months of
2014, TCO sold 627 thousand
tonnes of LPG and 3.3 billion
cubic meters of European quality
dry gas.
of the Republic of Kazakhstan
has amounted to $96.9 billion
USD, including the payment for
goods and services procured from
national sources, tariffs and payments made to national companies, dividends to Kazakh partner,
taxes and royalties paid to the
state budget, as well as, national
payroll expenses. TCO’s direct
investments in the economy of
Kazakhstan reached $14.4 billion
USD in 2011; $14.9 billion USD in
2013; and $7.7 billion USD for the
first six months of 2014.
Production and Sales
TCO produced and sold 27.1 million tonnes of crude oil in 2013.
The crude of TCO is sold via various routes, including by CPC to
the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, shipping by rail to Aktau,
Odessa, Taman, Batumi and
Kulevi for further transporting
to the world markets. TCO sells
premium quality sulfur which is
produced from crude oil through
the process of hydrogen-sulfide
recovery. The amount of sulfur
accumulated through the years
since the operation started in
1993 was estimated above 9
million metric tons in 2005. As
a result of an active marketing
strategy, including research of
the market, finding new buyers,
increasing product marketabil-
Environment protection
TCO’s environmental performance demonstrates the company’s commitment to prote ting the
environment. Since 2000, TCO
has invested $2.8 billion USD on
projects to minimize the impact
of its operations on the environment. These investments have
resulted in a significant increase
of «environmental cleanness».
The increase in «environmentlal
cleanness» is a result of important projects, including implementation of Exapilot program
to optimize gas flaring reduction,
Accumulated Materials Disposal
Project, implementation of sewage water treatment plants project and upgrade of wastewater
treatment facilities. TCO plans to
invest an additional $272 million
USD on other projects between
2013 and 2015 towards the reduction of environmental impact.
TCO initiated a number of major
capital projects, which ultimately
led to the end of routine gas flaring and reduced the total amount
of gas flared by 93%. Currently,
over 99% of associated petroleum gas is utilized. Since 2002,
the specific volume of emissions
per tonne of produced crude oil
has been reduced by 72%. The
specific volume of emissions per
tonne of crude during the first
half of 2014 was nearly 2.32 kg,
which is world-class performance
industry wide. TCO continues
to invest significant funds in
numerous projects and programs
aimed at improving the existing production by reducing the
associated emissions or increasing energy efficiency. Thanks
to these investments, TCO has
managed to improve equipment reliability, and significantly
reduce emissions, spills and gas
flaring.
Goods and services
of Kazakhstan
One of the key priorities of TCO
is to strengthen the capacity and
capability of Kazakhstani businesses. The company continues
to increase the purchase of Kazakh goods and services in order
to maintain the sustainable development of Kazakhstan and its
business sector. Between 1993
and 2013, TCO invested over
$16 billion USD on Kazakhstani
goods and services. During the
first six months of this year, TCO
purchased goods and services
from local suppliers worth over
$1 billion USD.
TCO’s strategy to engage more
local manufacturers of goods and
services includes the following
four areas: creating opportunities, developing the production
base and production volumes,
transferring knowledge and skills
essential for conducting business, and maximizing the use of
local labor. This systematic and
targeted approach helped TCO
significantly increase the proportion of goods and services from
local providers used in TCO’s
day-to-day operations.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
One of the key elements of
TCO’s success has always been
the people who work for the
company. National personnel
comprise over 87% of TCO’s
total workforce, compared to
50% in 1993. Due to an ongoing
program of trainings and skills
development, TCO continues to
successfully promote national
expertise. To date, 75% of managers, supervisors and technical
and engineering employees are
Kazakhstani citizens.
Social investments
Special attention is given to the
social and cultural, health and
3
education spheres of this region.
During the first five years of
operation, TCO implemented
the “Atyrau Bonus Fund” social
program. In 1999, the workforce of Tengizchevroil voluntarily adopted the Egilik (means
“benefit” in Kazakh) program.
This program provides funding
to new projects in education,
health and social infrastructure.
Since 1993, TCO has invested over $970 million USD
in funding of various social
projects for the residents of
Atyrau region and to increase
the standard of well-being of
company employees. In 2012,
$20 million USD were allocated
for the development of infrastructure facilities in Atyrau and
Zhylyoi. A majority of those
funds were for the implementation of the project to modernize
the water treatment and supply
system in Kulsary, the center of
Zhylyoi.
Egilik is an example of the benefit of cooperation between the
local administration of Atyrau
region and management of
TCO. In 2013 and 2014, the
Egilik budget was upgraded
to $25 million USD. The better
part of the above funds will be
used for construction of new
kindergartens and schools in
Atyrau and Zhylyoi.
TCO is the Silver, Gold and
Grand Prizes winner of the
Republican Paryz contest for
achievements in corporate social responsibility and contribution to the social development
of Atyrau region.
Future Growth Project
TCO has begun works on the
new major expansion project at
Tengiz – the Future Growth Project (FGP) - that will be implemented in parallel with the Well
Pressure Management Project
(WPMP). FGP/WPMP will build
the Third-Generation Plant in
Tengiz with a project capacity of
12 MMTY and implement sour
gas injection. The FGP/WPMP
project is expected to raise total
production capacity to 39 million
metric tons.
4
№08-09 (206-207)
KTL Turnaround – All in a Day’s Work
The staff of KTL, the initial part of Tengiz gasprocessing plant, are once again through with another
turnaround and have successfully brought the operation
back on track, to maximum capacity. The experienced
plant operators view the turnaround as a normal
routine and an excellent opportunity to demonstrate
true professionalism; while for young specialists, a
turnaround serves as a moment of truth, a test of
competence and self-sufficiency, plus an exciting
adventure. Below is a detailed account of one such
pioneering experience. Bota Gabbasova, analyst in the
Projects Support Group, described her very first day of
work which was during a plant turnaround.
300 day shift turnaround
coordinators prioritized
the critical jobs for the
day and pointed out the
potential risk factors,
so the job supervisors
would not overlook those
when filling out the Job
Hazard Analysis sheet.
He also read the log to
check the latest entries
left by the night shift and
conducted the safety
briefing for the operators who just arrived
after their time-off. All
done, Almaz left for Unit
700, another stop on his
morning itinerary.
6:15 a.m. – the complete staff of turnaround
operators gathered in
our trailer, including
By Botagoz Gabbasova
the long-livers and the
Analyst, Permits Processing Group
young operators. Two
Projects Support Team
people came from the
Second Generation
ust like the theater begins
Plant team as reinforcement to
with a cloak check, the
assist colleagues working at the
introduction to the plant
“old” plant. The night shift had
turnaround in Tengiz starts with
completed jobs at three sections
visiting the site supervisor’s trailer
in accordance with the turnaround
where all work tickets are initially
package.
processed. Right on the boundary
6:20 a.m. – HES representatives
between units 200.4 and 300.4
of the Plant arrived to inspect
inside the KTL area there is a
the sections in pursuance of
small patch of land occupied by
the Pre-start Inspection Safety
five construction trailers. Two of
Procedure. The door of the trailer
them are property of KTL Operawas constantly in motion as more
tions Turnaround coordinators.
foremen and team leaders of the
Another two are occupied by
Plant GM group came in and left
General Maintenance (GM) coorwith operators, carrying approved
dinators. The last one is the office
job tickets. This was a busy day.
of seconded staff of fire wardens
Once the job was complete, team
and representatives of the TCO
leaders came to get another
Emergency Response Team.
ticket. All the jobs for the day
Today, three weeks after the start
shift were planned by nightshift
of Turnaround 2014 at the KTL
operators under Madi’s superviPlant I, a young specialist, began
sion. According to the procedure,
my first work day as work ticket
the dayshift turnaround staff
consultant for Unit 200. Two airhas to show the GM officers all
conditioners plus a tea pot made
safety locks installed on units,
me feel at home.
the opened drainage systems on
5:30 a.m. – Askar’s back-to-back
pipes and vessels – to prove the
Madi Utepbergenov, tired after
units are empty, so the works can
the night shift, said to me jokingly:
be started safely. Askarbeck Tlep“Everything will be alright.” I made
bergenov worked under constant
the tea. Making the tea before
pressure, checking each job ticket
work is an essential tradition of
against the log book, approvturnaround personnel. Once the
ing the jobs on compressors,
tea was made and served to colinside the pressure vessels and
leagues at the table, everybody
in trenches. Zhanibel Kushkinstarted to feel well and perfectly
bayev, his partner and temporary
comfortable inside the stuffy room
turnaround coordinator, also
with a temperature around 26 designed job tickets and permits for
grees Celsius. My first work day
jobs on pipelines and columns.
at KTL had just kicked off…
Whenever he saw that his partner
5:45 a.m. – KTL Turnaround Ops
was inundated with paperwork,
Supervisor Almaz Doskaliyev in
Askarbeck immediately went to
company with Unit 200 and Unit
help Zhanibek.
J
After all the job tickets received
approval, the documents were
brought to me for registering.
Thus, only after the ticket or
permit received my signature
and was stamped and registered
could the team leader start the
maintenance job.
The above procedure essentially
serves as an additional safety
mechanism to ensure turnaround
safety at KTL. I was pressed
for time, because I checked
that each ticket and Job Hazard
Analysis (AHA) were filled out
properly, and also made sure all
necessary preparatory actions
were written down in order to
identify and eliminate every possible risk. Besides, my duty was
to make sure each job ticket, AHA
and permit were available both in
Kazakh and Russian. For potentially hazardous jobs, employees
had to produce valid certificates
for me to check.
11:00 a.m. - This was a particularly precious moment to me
when our office in a construction
container was visited by Uralbek
Nazhimov, supervisor of KTL Projects Support Group, who normally
updates me on the latest procedures for paperwork processing
and technology innovations. On
this day, he came to make sure
all individuals responsible for the
turnaround clearly understood the
nuances of the specific jobs.
In the afternoon, people started
bringing me tickets to register the
completion of jobs. After checking all the necessary approvals, I
made respective registries on the
log. Among the people involved
in my single day chronicles were
Bolat Ereshov, Nazar Bekenov,
Georgy Saparov and Bolat
Temirgaliev – all respected longlivers of Tengiz. They used to be
members of the original team led
by Abdibai Karzhaov that was
the cradle of the future General
Maintenance Department.
Back in 1994, they were in charge
of the job to isolate Train 1 of
KTL-2 from Train 2 which was
under construction at the time.
Twelve months after, they hooked
the newly commissioned Train 2
to the existing facility to bring the
whole plant on-line. Presently,
two decades after, they were in
charge of the turnaround on KTL2. The guys definitely have some
priceless moments to remember
with pride. For at least twenty
minutes, I listened to the breathtaking story of Bolat Temirgaliyev,
who was reminiscing about his
friends, career and the origin of
GM in Tengiz.
Then the time came for me to
take a break for lunch. On my
way to the canteen I met the Plant
operations superintendant as he
was inspecting KTL-3 and KTL-4.
He just mentioned that “everything was going OK, according
to the plan,” which made me feel
happy.
1:00 p.m. - I completed the
normal routine of processing and
registering job tickets and permits
for afternoon jobs.
1:10 p.m. – Akylbek Baiguzhin,
supervisor for section 200 of
DMC, held a site meeting with
turnaround operators and coordinators, discussing preparation
for startup of the third GC201
compressor.
2:00 p.m. - Aidin Bisenkulov of
HES filled out the sheet for the
walking inspection he completed
as a Unit 200.4 pre-start safety
check.
2:10 p.m. – Almaz Doskaliev, KTL
turnaround supervisor held the
second meeting with coordinators to update them on the new
targets he received from KTL and
Plant management.
2:40 p.m. - The intense meeting was over. The decision was
made to put back in place the
two blinds before access to the
compressor house, in order to
conduct an additional inspection of the compressor automatic
control. Plus, it was necessary to
remove the shutoff valves before
the compressor unit, because the
welding job on sour water drainage had been completed ahead
of schedule. The above makes a
difference to me and essentially
meant more work with checking
and registering job tickets.
Suddenly, I heard the local fire
alarm siren. I snapped the seal,
put on my mini-filter and left the
container. By the direction of the
wind vane on top of Unit 300
column I determined my direction
toward the nearest muster point.
It is only then that I saw how
many people were involved in
the turnaround at the KTL plant!
About three hundred people,
including myself, gathered at one
muster point near Unit 700 of
Train 5. I registered, as appropriate, and joined one of the groups.
Then the muster point supervisor
announced this was a Fire Drill
Alarm, so everybody could return
to their workplace.
3:00 p.m. - Engineers of TCO
Projects group entered our office
and soon left after a brief discussion. This was part of their duty
under the Designer’s Technical
Supervision procedure. The door
kept moving constantly as more
people came and went, bringing
job tickets, reporting completion
and accepting new assignments.
5:00 p.m. - In company with
coordinators Bolat Temirgaliyev
and Zhanibek Kushkinbayev, we
watched the diagram of valves
– the newly installed and the
removed ones from units and piping. Those painted red were being
worked on; blue meant the job
had been completed; and white
signaled that testing was underway. That day, the bigger part
of the diagram was blue, except
for the front row of cells which
remained red, meaning the unit is
shut down and isolated from the
train (some welding works are still
in progress).
The pile of closed job tickets and
permits for jobs completed was
impressive. I finally checked the
signatures of all authorities and
turnaround coordinators which
indicated all replacement and
reconstruction jobs had been
safely completed according to
the respective turnaround package.
6:00 p.m. - I accepted congratulations from friends for my first
day of service during the KTL
turnaround. It was a successful
and safe day. I was really tired,
but felt happy. I understand very
well that, in fact, this common
success was achieved through
the joint effort and dedication of
all people involved in the turnaround.
№08-09 (206-207)
A
ct of the Republic of
Kazakhstan National
Government #1225, effective October 28, 2011, provides
approval of the rules and terms of
personnel training, coaching and
quizzes on safe methods of work
and occupational safety. Clause
No.2 of the above Act set out that
“training of employees in safety
methods and rules of occupational
safety is the responsibility of the
employer and should be organized
at the employer’s expense. Certain operations require additional,
special safety training, for which
the employer should invite highly
qualified professionals in respective sectors and involve expert engineers and technicians available
on own staff.”
This story is about the expert engineers and technicians entrusted
with the important mission of
training new personnel at the KTL
Plant.
Everyone at KTL knows those
two small plants – the first one
producing nitrogen is used for
control of gauges installed on
the units working with dangerous
media and noxious substances,
and the second is responsible for
chemical agents operation. The
operators of those two units are
regular students of Serik Demeev,
TCO long-liver from Kulsary who
started his career in Tengiz in
1988. In January of this year, Demeev gathered another group of
trainees to start his class. His 25
years of work at KTL has enbaled
him to learn all about the noxious
substances used in Tengiz and
how much of those are needed
for normal operation of the plant.
His stringency and attention to
detail demonstrated in the training
process appear amazingly in line
with the younger generation’s
desire to get maximum information
and skills.
The queries related to preparation
of control and metering gauges,
dead-lining and post-turnaround
testing of assembly on all HP
units are normally addressed to
long-livers Ryspai Teleuov and
Kassan Tanbaev. Both have celebrated their 60th jubilee of being
KTL Plant Longlivers and Mentors
KTL long-liver Serik Demeyev and young operator Kalybek Muratov
at the workplace and are proud
of important assignments at all
five trains of Units 200 and 300.
During the construction phase in
the mid-90s on Train 1 and 2 of
KTL-2 many changes were made
to the diagrams of process piping
and installation procedures, based
on previous experience with KTL-1
startup and operation. After KTL-2
was finally brought on-line, the
modifications and amendments
that proved valuable were later
copied during turnarounds. The
Train 5 project increased production capacity by 50 percent.
Tanbaev was involved in all of the
above operations; thus, his experience and profound knowledge is a
priceless legacy he passes on to
the young employees.
The unique, unmistakable personal style of mentoring demonstrated
by Turekhan Nysanbai, also from
Kulsary, is marked by a particular
skill of spelling out the design and
operating principles of automatic
control and metering equipment.
He can also correctly recognize
a true alarm signal from a false
one, caused by an occasional
change of atmospheric pressure
or corrosion of terminals, includ-
marked for H2S content and
low pressure gas lines, is Talgat
Musin, lead operator at the Central
Control
Room. Talgat is yet another longliver in Tengiz, coming from the
dynasty of oilmen. A decade of
working in the “courtyard”, meaning the KTL Plant, plus another
decade at the Central Control
Room have generated a solid
foundation of valuable knowledge
and unquestioned authority. At this,
Talgat treats every person whose
job is a part of Tengiz equally and
with respect. He is absolutely open
and available all the time, willing to
share his profound expertise. Talgat is also known for his rigidity in
training and particular kind humor
in everyday socializing.
The staff in charge of Unit 700 delegated the unquestioned authority and role of mentor to Vladimir
Kulmagambetov. His intelligent
and amiable style along with his
TCO veteran Turekhan Nasynbayev and operator Erbolat Tlepbergenov
ing on Automatic Control System
hookups to the lines transmitting
pneumatic and electrical signals.
Also, everybody at KTL is well
aware of his strictness and fidelity
to principles. Toke, which is the
shorter version of Turekhan, is
the section 200 supervisor for the
DMC Plant. Everyone knows he
will remember each item recorded
during the year and will add
respective questions to the annual
quiz which is an essential part of
the certification process.
The man who acts as mentor of
the process lines producing sulfur,
modesty, somehow compliment his
uncompromising attitude towards
negligence. His in-depth knowledge of the unit for which he has
been responsible for many years
gives him credit and allows him to
serve as an excellent mentor.
Nearly every operator’s wish is
to get an opportunity to work and
receive training at the Central
Control Room of the KTL Plant, in
order to receive comprehensive
knowledge about the upstream and
demonstrate dedication and an
attitude of hardwork under the supervision of Uralbek Nazimov, chief
Finance Analysts Visit the Plant
By Mariyam Mukhitova
Lead Finance Analyst
O
n the initiative of the
Marketing & Transportation Support Team under
TCO Ops Finance, a group of financial analysts took a business
tour of the TCO facilities in Tengiz. The purpose of the visit was
to gain further insight into the
production process, understand
the facilities better and meet with
representatives from Production
Operations. The visit took place
in mid-July and lasted 3 work
days. On the first two days, the
team learned about the production chain, starting from crude
oil production through offloading
the product. Initially, we visited the
5 trains of KTL then watched units
200, 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700
produce crude oil, LPG and sulfur.
Also, as part of our visit, we went
to the central Control Room at the
KTL Plant to see how the units are
physically controlled.
Further on, our
team visited
the sulfur facilities and the
plant producing flaked
sulfur. We had
an opportunity to watch
production of
granulated and
flaked sulfur
and the process of loading
the product
on gondola
cars. We were
particularly impressed by the
sulfur loading
control room,
sulfur pad and
sulfur melting
plant.
Storage and transportation are
critical parts of operations at TCO.
We visited the Crude Oil Storage Area, the LPG storage and
watched the process of loading
crude oil at the loading rack.
The final stop on our itinerary
was a visit to Weighing Station #1
where we watched the process of
railcar weighing.
The final day of our stay in Tengiz
was dedicated to cross-training
sessions with Operations Planning
held in TCO Village.
Each staff member of M&T Support Group is connected with
5
of the operators shift #3. Nazimov
started his career in Tengiz in 1997
as an employee for TEST Company. Later on, in 2001, he managed
to pass a rigid test and was hired
by KTL Operations. At that time,
the young specialist coming from
Kulsary was not only an owner of a
diploma from Atyrau Institute of Oil
& Gas specializing in the chemical processing of hydrocarbons,
but also had vast experience of
working as part of the TCO Ops
team together with lead Chevron
specialists. In particular, he worked
in the group responsible for hot
switch from outdated Microzet to
contemporary Honeywell controllers. While working as a mentor
to the young operators, Uralbek
Nazenov strictly adheres to the
coaching plan approved by KTL
superintendants. In March 2014,
the subject of the training course
for young operators was by-pass
and re-heater use for Automation
& Controls planned and preventive
maintenance. To achieve maximum insight into the subject, Uralbek came up with a unique and
innovative idea of cross-training temporarily reassigning Automatic
Controls specialists to the jobs of
Control Room operators, and vice
versa. Thus, the guys master new
jobs and gradually grow into true
generalists of upstream.
Said Ural to me, “Tengiz is not
just a place of work, it is a kind of
university where we can constantly
update our knowledge and skills to
the world-class standard. Where
else can you find a unique opportunity to communicate and work
as one team with professionals
representing multiple nations and
ethnic groups?”
Tengiz is the pride of Kazakhstan
and we are proud to know it, not as
outside observers, but as part of its
team of oilmen. “Something makes
me feel confident every long-liver
of TCO will agree with the above
and accept as a slogan. As to our
young specialists, they must know
for sure that at TCO there are
many great professionals available
for them to choose as a role model
or mentor.”
Rasymkhan Matenov
operations one way or another,
including through involvement
in the inventory of crude and
products, issuance and audit of
invoices, calculation of transportation costs, etc. Our visit
to Tengiz was of great value. It
helped us to better understand in
detail all the nuances of the operation, which, of course, should
help us make educated financial
decisions in the future.
Our team thanks our colleagues in Tengiz for the
courtesy they showed in
making time to plan and
host our immersion into
the upstream, including
tours and overviews,
plus invaluable explanations of some complex
issues.
* * *
The above fact told by
Mariyam Mukhitova is
noteworthy, because it is
indicative of the strategy
the management of TCO
Finance pursues in training young specialists.
We deem the strategy
of TCO Finance as a
good example of caring
and awareness and true
professionalism which
should be copied by all.
6
Repetitive Stress Injury Prevention
and Office Ergonomics Process
S
ome may know for what the
abbreviations RSI, QWE
and WE stand; however,
nobody gives much thought to
their meanings until necessary.
These abbreviations belong to the
vocabulary of Repetitive Stress
Injury Prevention (RSIP). RSIP is
a set of measures to ensure safe
conditions for a person who works
constantly on a computer. This
process is now becoming increasingly relevant to us in view of the
rapid development of technology
enabling people to spend more
time on a computer or other electronic device.
The risk of exposure to a serious injury for computer-focused
workers is no less than those who
perform heavy physical work at
work sites.
Computer-related injuries are
caused by ergonomic hazards
associated with the development
of musculoskeletal tissue disorder
resulting from Repetitive Stress
Injury (RSI), cumulative stress
disorders (CSD) and repetitive
motions.
TCO has implemented an RSIP
program. All TCO computer
users can apply this process at
their workplace. The TCO RSIP
Team consists of process sponsors Jaime Carbajal and Andrina
Meier, OE/HES Superintendants;
process advisor Andrei Chapurin
/ Yelena Shin; LP supervisors and
Collin Morrison / Chad Magyar, LP
advisors; as well as, process coordinators Anna Senatorova / Marina Andreyeva. In addition to these
members, there are Qualified
Workstation Evaluators (QWE) in
most departments based in Atyrau
and Tengiz. Today there are 58
QWEs. All QWEs completed a
three-day training and were certified by Chevron specialists. They
learned anatomy fundamentals,
studied basics of ergonomics and
passed practical sessions. Finally,
these employees took tests to be
certified as Qualified Workstation
Evaluators.
As earlier mentioned, QWE support is truly invaluable as it allows
for monitoring of potential risks
faced by employees, workstation
assessment and ongoing mitigation techniques for existing risks.
Essentially, among other responsibilities, the QWE’s assist to setup
ergonomic risk management
Аnna Senatorova
software, provide safety briefings,
and facilitate ergo breaks in their
own departments.
TCO QWEs are united under
the QWE CoP (Community of
Practice) and hold regular meetings. They gather to discuss when
changes occur in the process,
upgrade of tools and equipment, software, and RSIP forms.
Further, they analyze complicated
cases.
The QWE CoP has held 6 meetings this year where facilitators
not only discussed the abovementioned items, but also had the
chance to present awards to outstanding QWEs: Kirill Zelentsov
(Atyrau, IT department), Serik
Isakhanov (Tengiz, Maintenance
Admin Support) and Gulmira
Tokmurzayeva (Tengiz, FGP).
Since the beginning of the year,
these employees have carried out
tremendous work providing RSIP
coаching to colleagues and conducting workstation evaluations
(WE). Their earnest effort has
resulted in a considerable reduction of employees’ discomfort and
injury risk level in the department.
While working daily on the computer, we often try to complete the
job instead of optimizing the process. We tend to allow a bad habit
to prevail over common sense
and compromise our health.
TCO’s large RSIP Process Team
jointly with all QWEs work hard
every day to improve employees’
computer work culture and explain
that poor computer ergonomics
poses the same risks as hard
physical work.
Let’s assume that you are aware
of the RSIP Process and have
recognized its value, now you can
balance your sedentary lifestyle
through practicing sports or other
exercise. Inactivity leads to such
problems as osteochondritis,
scoliosis, varicose veins, thrombosis, gastritis, gastric ulcer, obesity,
“computer mouse” syndrome (aka
carpal tunnel syndrome), continuous headache and muscle pain,
dry eye syndrome, numbness of
Disaster Impacts all of Us
№08-09 (206-207)
fingers, stiffness, among other
issues.
We strongly encourage everyone
to learn lessons from employees who have experienced such
problems and now appreciate the
value of the Wellnomics program,
the effort of QWEs’ upgrading
workstations, neutral position reminders, sport activities or simple
short stretching exercises at work!
So, please, do
not abuse your
body to such a
degree when
only medical
intervention
can help.
In conclusion,
as said by
Rufina Yakubaliyeva, a third
year student
and LP group
intern, “Before,
ergonomics
meant little
or nothing to
me but now
thanks to
working with
the RSIP
process
facilitators, I have gained a lot of
new information. I realized that
office-based people merely lack
awareness about ergonomics and
fail to understand how important it
is for their own health especially in
today’s conditions.”
It is good to now know how to
recognize and identify discomfort
signs and symptoms - RSI risk
factors.
Just like many others, I did not
pay attention to ergonomic risk
factors.
For example, while at home or at
work, an individual often ignores
simple rules: sitting in a position
for a long period of time allows for
micro-injuries to build-up which
may lead to severe outcomes.
These injuries may progress within weeks, months, years and act,
essentially, as a delayed actionbomb inside our body; then comes
the time when it explodes…
I think ergonomics is of vital
importance. It is a pleasure to
broaden my awareness of ergonomics during my internship with
the RSIP Group. Now I realize
the great importance and urgency
of this science and commit not
only to be ergonomic-friendly
both at home and work, but also
to share this information with my
family, colleagues and friends. I
am proud of the profession I have
chosen because it is primarily
about helping people create a
safe work environment and promoting safe behavior!
Anna Senatorova
Coordinator
Employees of TCO and contract workers gave a helping hand
to the residents of the Rotational Village who suffered from a fire.
I
n the early morning hours
of August 2, 2014, the
residential hotel of Intergal
Kulsary Ltd. in Tengiz Rotational
Village, which provided
accommodation to employees
of Gala Stroi SDervice (GSS)
and Municipal Services personnel
of Integral Kulsary, caught fire.
The residents managed to
evacuate the building before
it was too late. Three people
incurred minor injuries and
were given first aid. The fire
was extinguished by the TCO
Emergency Response Team.
Courtesy of the supervisory effort
of Ryder Booth and fast response
of the HR Labor Relations Group,
Tengiz Facilities Mgmt and Policy,
Government and Public Affairs
Department, necessary aid was
administered to the injured, within
a short period of time. The first to
offer a helping hand were ESS
managers Lawrence Godwin and
Gulsim Erkingaliyeva of Plant
Firewater Upgrade (PFU), who
supplied food, drinking water and
necessary clothes.
I would like to thank all TCO
employees and contractors in
Tengiz who cared for and helped
the people suffering from the
disaster by collecting clothes
and essentials. Also, I wish
to recognize particularly, the
effort of the HR Labor relations
Group, namely, Rustem Alibaev,
Amanzhol Isabekov and Aset
Azhenov, and a translator
for TCO Operations Zhazira
Ermekbayeva.
Galia Essenova
PGPA
7
BBS Program in Action
№08-09 (206-207)
Safety Culture
Program holds
Round Table
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
Henry Ford
T
he safety culture program
(SCP) at TCO is gaining
momentum. The latest activity under the program was a round
table held on July 31, attended by
safety culture coordinators, JMJ
representatives, safety culture
advisors for Major Capital Projects
and instructors. Acting as the host
of the event was the SCP coordinators committee.
Round table discussion is a tool
actively used by contemporary
businesses, because it maximizes the opportunity of productive discussion, comprehensive
analysis and collective decisionmaking. This time, once again, the
attendees were able to not only
hear competent viewpoints on the
given issues related to safety culture education, but also to know
what other people think about
their problems.
An exhibition of photos and
presentations made on the
subject, ‘Why I Chose to be a
Safety Culture Instructor’ have
become a valuable add-on to the
general agenda. Some information participants learned from
the reports appeared new and
valuable to them. For example,
Elvira Iksanova, safety culture
coordinator for the IBMOA Project
shared her recent knowledge
about the Rockefeller Center.
Azamat Kurmanov, MCP safety
culture coordinator expounded
on the Safety Culture Web page
on TCO’s intranet which contains
extremely useful information, specifically, educational material on
the three fundamentals of SCP, an
educational database and a summary calendar of SCP coordina-
tor activities. All interested in the
safety culture are welcome to visit
the Web page.
The most practical and exciting part of the round table was
the session of interactive games
which invigorated attendees; thus,
helped participants get to know
each other better. It is important
to mention that TCO HES group
under Operations strongly supported the idea of brainstorming
the safety culture methodology.
Gulsum Erkingalieva, Gregory
Why BBS?
ing the street risk was made using
the theme of the Beatles’ Abbey
Road. I appreciate the effort of all
of my colleagues in developing
the poster. Without their enthusiasm we would not have achieved
the excellent result. Also, I would
like to thank all participants of the
poster contest for their commitment and dedication. I believe
every poster, no matter what
the jury’s appraisal determined,
contributes to the general idea
and purpose of safety and caring
of people.
As a member of the Atyrau BBS
Leadership Committee representing HR, I am pleased to know the
poster developed by the HR team
was recognized as the best. I am
even more pleased to be part of
this team which respects the BBS
Program in an attempt to make
sure everyone stays safe at work
and at home.
We are hoping our latest posters
will generate additional interest
and encourage folks across TCO
to be more active in supporting
the BBS process.
Dauren Dollin
Specialist, HR
Atyrau BBS Leadership Cmt
..because we care
“To me, the Behavior Based
Safety (BBS) Program means
daily care and safety of the people
around me, my colleagues,”
said Albina Imasheva, active
participant of the poster contest
on the subject of why we do
BBS observations. The poster
contest was organized by the BBS
Leadership Committee at TCO
HQ in July of this year. Albina is a
member of the Human Resources
(HR) team recognized as an
owner of one of the best posters.
A
dil Dias, an employee with
TCO HR told us the history
of his team’s poster.
“As the underlying concept, we
proceeded from the idea that
all BBS observations are done
with the sole purpose to prevent
all possible risks our company
employees may face. None of us
Johnson and Bolat Zhumusov,
in turn, shared stories from their
personal experience which were
deemed of value to the safety
culture instructors.
In general, the event was marked
by active engagement and organizers received positive feedback.
All attendees acknowledged
everyone’s deep involvement and
effective sharing of ideas.
The safety culture committee is
considering involving new trainers
responsible for other subjects in
the SCP, in future events.
The safety culture program at
TCO has led to a few priority
areas being identified - education,
close work with TCO Ops personnel at workplaces, and the system
of perks. It is now perfectly clear
that the effort of talented trainers
promoting safety culture basics
at introductory seminars can help
cultivate an understanding of each
employee’s responsibility for personal safety, safety of colleagues,
family and friends. The focus of
helping people, of keeping them
safe at work, helping other people
manifest their best talents and
caring for our own families is
great, indeed.
Also, it is truly rewarding to
observe people’s changes after
such training sessions, to notice
the change in their attitude and
general outlook, as they begin to
treasure their lives, families and
friends after they know we do care
for them.
Azamat Kurmanov
would ever want something bad to
happen to any of our colleagues,”
said Dias, sharing his thoughts.
– As a matter of fact, observing
the BBS tenets means we care,
rather than trying to find fault. This
thought eventually brought me to
the understanding that care serves
as the core essence of the BBS
program. In order to prove this,
we chose four examples based on
the daily routine of HQ employees.
They are, indeed, the most common activities, yet none the less
risky: using the elevator, crossing
the street, wearing seatbelts and
staying focused (no texting) while
walking.
After a lengthy brainstorming session, the HR team arrived at what
was deemed to be the most creative solution regarding the choice
of graphic style and subject matter
of our pictures. For example, the
feature demonstrating the cross-
Appreciation Letter to Volunteers who helped Fire Victims
D
ear Colleagues,
A fire at Rotational Village
early in the morning of
Saturday, August 2nd destroyed
a residence building, causing the
loss of personal effects for about
50 people. Thankfully, everyone
escaped the building.
When the fire was discovered,
calls to the TCO Emergency
Response Team (ERT) enabled
them to arrive on-scene quickly.
Occupants of the building made
sure that others in the building
were alerted before the fire had a
chance to spread. This action prevented any loss of life. While the
evacuation was efficient, three
people sustained minor injuries,
for which they received immediate treatment from the medical
team. I would like to extend my
appreciation to the individuals that
helped ensure everyone safely
evacuated the building and to the
TCO Emergency Response and
medical teams for their excellent
service in this critical situation.
Many of the evacuees had only
the clothes they were wearing,
everything else having been lost
in the fire. TCO and ESS employees began an immediate effort to
provide basic clothing, food and
water.
Thanks to Steve Green at Tengiz
Facilities Maintenance, Nick Francis and Lawrence Godwin at ESS
who led this support initiative.
TCO also organized a clothing
drive to provide additional assistance. Galiya Esenova, Kairat
Joldasbayev and Zhazira Yermekbayeva did a great job in organizing the collection and delivery of
these essential items. Special
thanks to this team, as well as
to Gulsim Erkingalieva with the
Plant Firewater Upgrade Project
who provided a large number of
fleece jackets.
At this moment all the fire victims
are safe, in good health and accommodated in another residential building at Tengiz Rotational
Village.
Once again I would like to
express my gratitude to all of our
colleagues who took part in saving and supporting people who
lost their personal belongings in
this fire.
This serves as an important
reminder for all of us (whether
you’re at work or at home) to follow safety rules, have a plan for
emergencies and to keep your
friends and family safe….always
Tim Miller
TCO General Director
8
W
hen in the morning hours
I travel along the inland
road heading for new
construction sites, I always remember the hackneyed reporters’
cliché referencing “the awaken
centuries-old steppe.” However,
somehow the metaphor seems
to work, as here and there I see
black silhouettes of heavy equipment against the background of
the crimson horizon in the east
painted so by the dawn, and the
wind brings the racket of their
working engines. It seems people
could sleep calmly and enjoy
sweet dreams at this early hour,
yet the working activity is going
full steam already.
foundation slabs. What makes the
job extraordinary is the fact the
total area of this “sheet” exceeds
10 acres. Plus quite a few of such
sites will be built in the given
location, thus, you can figure the
magnitude of the project.
Doing the ground-work...
The type of works done on the
largest site to accommodate the
future plant is not that simple.
They include driving of piles and
their load testing. The diesel
engines of heavy piling machines
produce a husky sound. They
first raise the piles to the necessary height, then verify the piling
point with the help of GPS and
line in the pile vertically using
the laser. Then the pile
is driven into the ground,
and this moment puts
an end to the calm and
quiet of the sleepy steppe
described so in the
journalists’ cliché. Forget
the stillness. Now other
emotions and metaphors
prevail which are more
suitable to describe the
exact, perfectly calibrated
operations of construction
specialists, who easily
tame any weight, height
or depth. The companies
responsible for this part
of the project are mostly
local, like Ariadne which is
in charge of this specific
site. Supervisor Eugene
Keller is currently in conTengiz long-liver Gussein Mejidov
trol of load lifting operations, monitoring carefully
Perhaps, this is happening exactly
all actions of the team of riggers.
as it should be, and each major
Interestingly enough, these guys
project should start this way, with
use mainly two words at the job –
particular enthusiasm, dedication
up and down, and this seems to
and vehement desire to score sigbe perfectly Ok. Now, the pile is in
nificant success in each endeavor.
position, so the foreman gives the
“I have worked in Tengiz since the
signal: “Go! Let’s rock’n’roll!”
1980s,” reflected construction suDozens of piles have already
pervisor Gussein Mejidov. – “But
been driven into the ground on
each time I start a new project I
the site of future Third-Generation
feel the same heartbeat of excitePlant. This, however, does not
ment.”
mean in the least, the guys are
All the major expansions in
done with them. Each pile is loadTengiz have made their way to
tested over quite a long period of
Gussein and his strong hands
time. A load weighing a few dozen
remember each of them well. We
tonnes is placed on top of the pile
were watching his employees
as if on the needle and then spedoing a job which seemed simple
cialists monitor the performance
at a glance – they covered the
of the pile during a couple of
bed of the future foundation with
weeks, using special equipment.
geotextile, a special synthetic
They need to make sure there is
fabric which easily lets the rain
no sinking, upheaval or leaning,
water through into the ground, yet
and the pile does not develop
serves as sound insulation from
deformation.
groundwater, thus disallowing
Below is how they do this. A
them to infiltrate back on the surspecial wagon is pulled to the
face, so the base of the foundasandwich of concrete slabs put on
tion will stay dry at all times. The
top of the pile. Inside the wagon is
job is visibly a simple operation.
a set of sophisticated tools used
Geotextile is rolled out on the bed
for testing. To put it plainly, a few
with overlapping, the junctions are
powerful computers inside the
secured with sand on top which
container receive and process
is then packed for tightness.
the signals from sensors set on
Later on top of this sheet a thick
the tested pile. From time to time,
sandwich ballast will be placed
the specialists also do the visual
capable of carrying many tones of
inspection, putting down the read-
№08-09 (206-207)
FGP Kicks off
The initial phase of construction
work for the Future Growth Project in Tengiz is underway
ings of instruments (optical and
laser-based) with great deliberation. They upload the date on the
computers, and the latter analyze
the info and make a conclusion
about the condition of the tested
pile. Each such test takes hours,
therefore next to the wagon the
employees have installed a tent to
hide from the scorching heat of 40
degrees Celsius.
Another important feature of the
future plant is the powerful sour
gas injection unit. The Third-Gen-
be re-injected in the
formation. Besides,
the SGI Unit will be a
pioneering design of
project capacity unmatched in the world
upstream. In the
meantime, currently
we can only observe
the operations typical
to the ground-work,
like land fill and leveling. We are yet very
far from the laced
Supervisor Eugene Keller
eration Project will utilize effective
technologies and processes which
have proved reliable in Tengiz
over the years, including both
production and processing technique. However, some innovative
solution will be also brought in, for
example, FGP will put an end to
production of elemental sulfur, because all the associated gas will
vertical structures of a state-ofthe–art contemporary operation;
however, we all know well that
each prominent elevation originally starts from level zero. Fairly
soon they will complete filling
thousands of tonnes of gravel into
the foundation base, then the time
of concrete will come, and still
later the specialists will assemble
9
№08-09 (206-207)
very happy with her job and feels
she is in the right place. She got
married in Tengiz, and her husband is also a TCO employee.
Another person of this story is
Susanna Boiko. She comes from
Lisakovsk, a town in the Kostanai
region of Kazakhstan. Susanna
arrived in Tengiz in February
2014. She is also a linguist by
training which served as the key
reason she was selected for this
particular job in Administrative
Services. She is also an amiable
person to whom nobody will ever
dare say “No.” Currently, the TCO
Rotational Village accommodates
a large number of construction
a huge LEGO of sophisticated
structures. Next to the older brothers – KTL and SGP their younger
bro will emerge which will look
somewhat similar, as appropriate
in the family, yet will be altogether
different…
We are just in the very beginning of the journey...
From the noise of the construction site we move to the busy,
yet quiet environment of the offices. The office staff of FGP and
KPGV, the contractor, are based
in TCO Village. All the services
are comfortably accommodated
on the premises of two renovated
blocks of the former Hungarian
Village. Among typical features
of their new environment are airconditioners, coffee corners, and
computers. One very remarkable
characteristic of this busy quiet
is that it inspires creativity. Each
office is a place where a huge
amount of valuable work is being
done and which will eventually
convert into a unique, unmatched
project, unseen in Kazakhstan
upstream by every measure.
“It is common knowledge that
the bulk of engineering jobs for
FGP are the responsibility of an
international team of Chevron
specialists based in Farnborough,
the UK, - explained Meiramgul
Nurgalieva, PGPA coordinator for
FGP, Farnborough. – However, as
the project enters implementation
phase, project activity is gradually
moving towards Tengiz. Actually,
we consider this a very normal
situation.”
As we have seen previously at
construction sites, it is necessary
to have procedures and detailed
operations plans; plus, effective
logistical support for the hundreds of items. This is exactly the
responsibility of a small group of
specialists accommodated in the
two-storied building. Let me tell
you about two young ladies, who
handle a lot of responsibilities in
their specific jobs, including many
serious challenges.
The door to the office of Julia
Khvorova, coordinator for Administrative Services, is constantly
in motion. Among her duties are
organization of visits of Chevron
specialists, both individuals and
groups, and overseas assignments for national specialists;
mobilization of specialists for
FGP; arrangement of workplaces;
issuance of TCO badges; provision of necessary individual safety
Julia Khvorova
equipment and more. In addition,
she is in charge of coordinating administrative assistants,
preparing meetings and managing correspondence. The proper
performance on each of the above
items involves plenty of nuances,
none of which can be missed or
overlooked.
“I just love this work,” said Julia,
disavowing every doubt or skeptical reaction. Each new day brings
new challenges which require
quick thinking and
fast response.
Would you call this
a boring activity?
To me it is not. She
answered a phone
call, and it was
yet another issue
which was immediately resolved.
Julia comes from
Karaganda. She is
a linguist by training. She arrived
in Tengiz in 2007.
After listening
to stories about
Tengiz told to her
by her classmates
she submitted
her CV and was accepted. For
three years she worked with TCO
contractors. She accepted her
current permanent job with FGP
four years ago. Judging by the
dedication she demonstrates in
her current position, Julia must be
Susanna Boiko
specialists. They are the responsibility of Admin Svs in terms of
ensuring good living conditions.
Nothing can be underestimated in
this area, because, as there are
many people, there are as many
needs. For example, today Susanna was dealing with an issue of a
local gym. She received a signal
reporting two workout machines
were out of service. The matter
tolerated no delay, and I am sure,
she will find the solution. People
in Tengiz practice sports very actively. Susanna herself is fond of
tennis. She has already raised the
issue of getting new tennis courts.
In addition, she is going to check
the laundry service, housing
blocks operation and more routine
things are on her list.
“We are just in the beginning of
this story,” said Susanna Boiko,
laughing. – I would like to make
some difference and create value
for other people, if I can. Urban
gardening is an area I think I could
contribute. We need more trees
and flower beds. Everything must
look beautiful in Tengiz.”
I feel very confident Susanna’s
dream will come true. We will
soon have a new plant built and
the new Orken Rotational Village.
I am sure the trees will be planted
and will help make the place a
true oasis. Let’s do it.
Georgy Trukhin
PGPA
Photos supplied by the writer
10
Gala Festival of Folk Art
№08-09 (206-207)
TCO sponsored a competition of narrators and the first
regional contest of Zhyrau
singers
T
engizchevroil is recognized
as a world-class company
which pioneered a major
investment project in the Republic
of Kazakhstan, providing strong
evidence of the effectiveness of
foreign investments in the national
economy of the new emerging
market. Over the years, TCO
has made significant investments in the national and regional
economy. Starting from 1993 and
through the end of the first six
months of 2014, total direct payments to Kazakhstan exceeded
$96.2 billion. Since the year of
formation of the joint venture, TCO
has committed over $920 million
USD to multiple social projects
implemented in the Atyrau Oblast.
In addition, the company has been
committed to supporting various
cultural activities in the region. It is
now a standing tradition for TCO
to sponsor annual competitions of
local akyns – poets and narrators
who perform in a brisk improvisation style, a favorite type of folklore
among Kazakhstanis. This year,
TCO pioneered as a sponsor
of the Zhyrau singers’ contest,
another original Kazakh tradition,
unfortunately, largely forgotten.
From the morning hours of Saturday, September 6, local admirers
of folk art flowed into the Drama
Theater in Atyrau. Among them
were old and young, which proved
local folks feel really strongly
about the event which has been
a staple of cultural life and the #1
attraction at each national holiday
in Kazakhstan.
The theater was full by 9 a.m.,
which is a rather early hour for
normal theater goers, yet again,
this demonstrates how very appealing the style of Aitys is to the
hearts of its true connoisseurs.
The picturesque banner in the
back of the stage read “Petroleum
Upstream creates Superior Value
for the People,” which served
as the chief motto of the cultural
event.
When the time came for the special event to kick off, Deputy Akim
of Atyrau Oblast Shyngys Mukan
took the floor to make his welcome
remarks.
“Aitys currently goes through
the period of renaissance and
renovation, so each year this
spectacle produces a stronger
impression on the audience. The
business community is made up
of some prominent companies,
including recognized nation-wide
ones. However, not too many
of them support national culture
and arts. In this connection, I
would like to particularly praise
the strong community awareness
and effort of Tengizchevroil, the
largest business which has been
rendering priceless support to our
community. On behalf of everyone
here today, I would like to thank
TCO for the difference they make.
Yesterday, a remarkable event
took place in Atyrau. TCO hosted
an award ceremony to recognize
the media writers – winners of
the creative writing contest
on the subject of Petroleum
Industry Corporate Social
Responsibility. The event is
traditionally sponsored by
Tengizchevroil.
Today, we are witnesses of
yet another outstanding cultural event, and tomorrow we
are inviting you to the contest
of Zhyrau singers sponsored
by Tengizchevroil. I am sure
your passionate yearning for
Aitys performance will be rewarded today, because Aitys
is known as the most favorite
folk art in Kazakhstan, a
tradition relished by the
entire nation and understood
as an exact expression of
the people’s hopes,” said the
deputy akim.
Taking the floor next, Rzabek
Artygaliyev, general manager of
TCO Policy, Government and
Public Affairs noted: “We are
duly proud that our company is
strongly committed to supporting
national culture and arts. In the
21st century, people should aspire
not only to increasing the standard
of wellbeing, but also to cultural
and spiritual education, including
through developing the cultural
legacy of the past generations. We
all rejoice at observing the revival
of the Aitys tradition in Atyrau
region, and the growing number
of young akyns (Kazakh for poet)
is a rewarding sign. This is a truly
remarkable result. This year, we
decided to extend the menu.
Some people say the Zhyrau style
of traditional Kazakh folklore is
extinct. Tengizchevroil volunteered
to help fill the gap and took the
lead in encouraging local talents
to disprove the wrong assertions. Our mission, together with
other companies of the petroleum
sector, is to develop our cultural
legacy and shed light on the traditions largely forgotten.
The skill of an akyn- his talent
of public speaking coupled with
smartness and personal world
perspective unfold through an
Aitys performance. I strongly
believe, improvisations should
emphasize the value of the “black
gold”, hydrocarbon resources
which serve the treasure trove of
the nation, and also praise the
glorious feat of oilmen, the success of sovereign Kazakhstan,
including through contribution of
Tengizchevroil’s dedicated service.
I guess this should be the primary
duty of an akyn. In the meantime,
they must also unveil the problems and shortcomings. Aitys has
never been about singing praises
only, but necessarily uses criticism
which gives special flavor to this
genre of folk art. Thus, we are
hoping our akyns will sound smart
and barbed, yet keep unbiased
and objective.”
of Atyrau Philharmonic threw
the doors open to welcome the
spectators. True connoisseurs of
Kazakh folklore came to watch the
continuation of the creative competition, this time, among Zhyrau
singers. Acting as a co-sponsor
with TCO was the RoK Writers’
Union Atyrau.
In his remarks, Rzabek Artygaliyev once again pointed out how
important it is to not allow the
extinction of Zhyrau’s unique singing tradition in the Atyrau Oblast.
Through acting as sponsors and
inviting more people to attend
such cultural events, the contest
organizers pursued an important
On the contest’s jury were the
chief editor of the local Atyrau
newspaper Isatai Balmagambetov,
a member of the RoK Union of
Journalists Karzhau Orazbayev,
poetess who holds a doctorate
degree in Philology, Zhaniba Karasayeva, poet Kadyr Zhyssip and
poet Konash Kaldyorazov.
This time, each pair of akyns
competing was given 25 minutes
for performance. The competition
took the entire day, yet it seemed
spectators were eager to watch
it infinitely, as they listened with
great pleasure to the eighteen
akyns singing praises to the
Motherland and its natural riches
– oil and gas - while also reflecting on the pluses and minuses of
present-day life.
The jury ruled to award the Grand
Prize worth 500,000 kzt to the
young akyn Yerbolat Karagoishiyev, a student from Kyzylkoga
Region. The first prize worth
300,000 kzt was given to Zhanibek
Sadyrov. Taking two second prizes
(150,000 kzt each ) were Salauat
Isakhaev and Serikbol Panaberdiev. The jury bestowed the third
prize to three improvisers - Assel
Taushanova, Serik Koishigulov
and Shalkaibar Izbassarov. Each
received a bonus of 100,000 kzt.
All participants of the event were
given certificates for participating.
The next day, the Concert Hall
objective – to revive the singing
improvisation tradition which help
entwine the legends of the past
centuries with pictures of contemporary life.
We must be aware that the boundless reaches of the local steppe
knew the names of quite a few
great Zhyrau singers. This tradition, however, has been largely
forlorn and took quite an effort to
get it back on the stage and available to the masses. Apparently,
the connection was poor between
generations, thus the fragile thread
of folk poetry has been damaged.
Our duty is to rehabilitate the
priceless connection and restore
the chain. Tengizchevroil took the
lead and decided to give an example through supporting the first
contest of Zhyrau singers.
Addressing the competitors, Rzabek Artygaliyev said, “I would like
to wish all today’s singers a great
success, because today they will
take on the role of pioneers and
tread the path for further expansion and popularity of this singing
tradition in our region. Of course,
one can hardly scan the ageslong history of Zhyrau overnight,
yet the initial effort to restore the
priceless heritage is critical. We all
are contributing to this important
mission. Let success be with us on
this special day.”
Attending the Zhyrau contest
were 12 singers representing
various parts of the Atyrau oblast.
According to the procedure, they
introduced themselves first and
then performed fragments from
works by Kashagan, Nurym,
Sherniyaz and other outstanding
masters. The grateful audience
also enjoyed some songs by local
Zhyrau composers, like Sherniyaz,
Doszhan and Makhambet. The
singers tried hard to convey the
subtle feelings, traditions, outlook
and culture immortalized in the
legends, so the people would be
able to compare the contemporary
values and aspirations with the
tenets and ethical criteria of past
generations. The faces of
people displayed strong
emotion and excitement
along with great appreciation of this unique event.
They were particularly
pleased to see the young
Zhyrau singers.
It was not an easy job for
the jury to select the winners. They used special
criteria and most singers
deserved strong appraisal.
Ultimately, TCO wanted to
encourage all performers,
considering the contest
was a unique event and
pioneering experience.
Finally, the jury revealed
winners’ names. Awarded
the grand prize of 300,000
kzt was Kozhakhmet
Niyazov of Zhylyoi Region.
The young singer works as a
finance specialist. Manarbek
Davletov representing Atyrau and
Perizat Sapaeva from Isatai region
took the silver worth 150,000
kzt, while the bronze was shared
by three singers – Fatima Turniyazova, Ainash Zabikhanov and
Bolatbek Kubashev.
The Aitys 2014 first competition of
Zhyrau singers in Atyrau should
be considered a success. The
audiences thanked the akyns for
their performances and TCO for
supporting local folk art.
The reaction and perspective of
all attendees is summarized in
the following remarks made by
Sultangerei Yelseitov, veteran of
labor and former school teacher,
“I worked at a school for many
years and currently, I am a retiree.
I saw the ad about the Zhyrau
contest in a newspaper and later
on TV. To attend the contest, I
traveled from Kulsary. This is a
great honor to me to be able to
thank the sponsors of this remarkable event. Singing contests have
lately become an important part of
folk culture. Yesterday, the deputy
akim encouraged local businesses
to follow suit and support the efforts of TCO. This is what I have
been saying constantly to all of my
countrymen.”
Svetlana Kairgaliyeva
PGPA
№08-09 (206-207)
Day of Languages in Kazakhstan
By Presidential Decree of the 20th of January, 1998,
September 22 was announced to be a national holiday in
Kazakhstan, the Day of Peoples’ languages spoken by
almost 150 ethnic groups living in sovereign Kazakhstan.
By Saniya Kamelova, Ph.D.
Russian Language Instructor
E
ach language has its history which is connected
with other languages’ lives.
Through using language, humans
connect with one another and
learn to understand the spirit and
culture, traditions and customs of
a nation.
Interestingly enough, such a
holiday is observed in Kazakhstan
only. The language policy in our
country is based on the respective
Law and State Program which provide for development of languages
spoken by all ethnic groups in
Kazakhstan.
The Law and State Program gave
the Kazakh language the role of
the state language, thus each
citizen of Kazakhstan should be
able to master, at least, the spoken
variety of Kazakh. A rewarding
observation is that each year more
people treat the issue consciously
and responsibly volunteer to study
the Kazakh language. This inspires
confidence that the state language
will eventually take a leading role,
as appropriate.
The same Law provides for the
role of the Russian language in
Kazakhstan as the language of international communication formally
used in all offices and agencies,
involving all spheres of government and community affairs. This
is a very wise decision, because
nowadays over 500 million people
world-wide speak Russian.
As a reminder, below is a quote
from president Nursultan Nazarbayev’s remarks at his 2007
meeting with young scientists:
“Some representatives of national
intelligentsia keep criticizing us,
saying the use of the Russian
language in Kazakhstan is to
excess. I believe this is a tremendous advantage that Kazakhs
know Russian so well, sometimes even better than the native
speakers. The more languages a
man speaks, the more educated
a person he is… Trust me, I am
saying this not because I wish to
compliment our good neighbor, but
because this is objective reality
which we need to accept. We are
partners historically, and I am hoping Russian is treating Kazakhstan
in the very same manner…”
Kazakhstan has adopted the idea
of tri-lingual communication. Since
Kazakhstan has embarked on
the path of transition to a market
economy, the English language
has become in stronger demand.
English plays the critical role of the
means of international communication, used as the formal language
of international trade, cooperation
and business – the status established as a result of British
expansion in the 19th century and
present-day, world-wide dominance of the United States.
According to analysts, the use of
tri-lingual communication serves as
a brilliant opportunity to unite our
society. I believe this ideal formula
will help advance our national
economy and culture. Luckily,
today many citizens of Kazakhstan are tri-lingual and some
know more. Truth be said, living
in Kazakhstan, we enjoy a great
opportunity to master and speak
several languages.
What are the basic reasons that
encourage us to become trilingual?
First, knowledge of several
languages is an unquestionable
prestigious advantage because it
stimulates mental activity, develops flexibility and diversity, and
enhances the ability to understand
other people; hence, the stronger
capacity of communicating with
other people in various situations. Plus this makes our life full
of brighter and more valuable
experiences. Second, multilingual
individuals enjoy a higher degree
of freedom in their profession and
better career opportunities. Third,
this skill is critical to know more
about culture and traditions of
other nations first-hand, because
one can communicate directly with
a native speaker. Thus, on the
average, the people who speak
foreign languages have a better
grasp of both the culture of their
own nation and world history.
Tengizchevroil has been strongly
committed to systematically
promoting the state program of
tri-lingual education. TCO provides
opportunities for each employee
to manage documentation, hold
Meetings with TCO Retirees
O
n September 11 and 12,
TCO Human Resources
(HR) department organized
luncheons to honor TCO retirees.
This year the total number of exTCO nationals, residents of Atyrau
Oblast, is estimated to be 70
people, 50 of whom are veterans
of labor and were invited to the lun-
cheon in Atyrau; the other 20 were
invited to the luncheon in Kulsary.
The events in honor of TCO
long-livers were dedicated to the
professional holiday of oilmen in
Kazakhstan – Oilman’s day. The
company offered its greetings to
all veterans. Speaking on behalf
of the TCO Management Team,
Ted Etchison, general manager
of Operations offered his heartfelt
greetings to the elders at the event
in Atyrau. In Kulsary, the pensioners were welcomed and greeted by
Gary Enk, manager of Production
Operations, who spoke of TCO’s
appreciation of the contributions
they made.
discussions and communicate in
the three languages. Organizational Capabilities Development
Group of TCO has been strongly
promoting tri-lingual education and
business communication. The staff
of TCO Training hdelivers classes
on Kazakh, Russian and English
on a regular basis.
Kairly kun! Добрый день! Good
day! It is great that we can greet
each other in TCO offices using
the three languages. Representatives of almost 100 ethnic groups
are currently working at TCO. Each
of them can choose to study any
of the three languages, without
necessarily forgetting his native
language. For example, Aristidis
Gavrilidis of FGP coming from
Greece speaks fluently Greek,
English and German and has
mastered quite a bit of Russian
in his 18 months of working at
TCO. Gavrilidis continues to learn
Russian, demonstrating decent
speaking and writing skills, plus
he knows Kazakh greetings. Heidi
Groot is a Spanish American who
is fluent in both, English and Spanish and is learning to speak basic
Russian. She can also say a few
words in Kazakh. Tearle Harlan
comes from the US. He speaks
English and German and is learning Russian, some of which he
can already speak, read and write.
He also has learned some basic
Kazakh phrases.
11
Here is a longer list: Alan Wilson
(UK); John Kolklasur (US-presently
on staff with FGP Farnborough);
Shan Nedesan (Indian American);
John and Pamela Sterling (US);
Robert and Meg Guldner (US);
Chanel Jolly (US); Danny Rojas
(Peru); and Rashid Istami (Turkish
American) – they all can communicate in Russian and have
mastered some words in Kazakh.
American expats Dmitry Seletsky
and Brad Middleton who worked in
Atyrau for a short stint, managed
to master good Russian speaking,
reading and writing skills. They
recently accepted new assignments in Nigeria and Thailand,
respectively.
A multi-lingual environment
expands the communication
opportunities of people dramatically. Learning Kazakh, English
and Russian, enables a person to
compete more strongly in the 21st
century labor market.
The purpose of tri-lingual education in Atyrau is to build an
effective dialogue of the Russian
and Kazakh cultures. Learning
to speak Kazakh and or Russian
also positively impacts the cultural
experience of expats from the
United States, United Kingdom,
Africa, China, Italy, Brazil and other
places. In the profession of a language instructor at TCO, the chief
rule is to accept new trainees as
they are, i.e. without any attempt to
alter their culture. Instructors try to
organize effective sharing environments that allow for a dialogue of
cultures – Kazakh, Russian, American, English, European and Asian.
All languages are critical to the
contemporary world community.
The Day of Languages is a holiday
to those who care to know more
about another language. While
celebrating this holiday people
recite poems and sing songs.
Everyone feels himself to be a part
of the great family of Kazakhstan
citizens.
On this particular day we offer
warmest greetings to representatives of all nations and ethnic
groups working in Kazakhstan,
encouraging them to respect more
and treat as superior value each
member of the community, no
matter what nationality, language
or religion.
12
№08-09 (206-207)
objectives of my internship in a
business-like manner. Arman
re-assigned me to Kuliash Junusalieva, senior record keeper,
from whom I learned that typical
immersion into the world of
finance should start from visiting
the archives. My job with general
accounting consisted on inspection of documents, invoices and
financial reports. Pretty boring
and routine at a glance, but this
job was a useful training tool. It
exposed me to being attentive to
details, organized, orderly and
focused.These are the basic skills
essential to everyone who aspires
to be a finance professional.
To Become a True
Professional
Notes about my first internship
was able to extend my internship for two weeks. Then it was
time to visit the office of SCM
supervisor Nugzar Khasanov
for an introduction. Khasanov
treated me fairly, in a businesslike manner, asking about my
previous experience of internship
with GA and my expectations
from his SCM group. At some
point I started to feel somewhat
embarrassed and overwhelmed,
as I was unsure how to answer
his questions. At that moment
Nugzar noticed the look on my
face. He then confessed that
he was just pulling my leg and
apologized. After that, we were
...with Father, Marat Nurkhanov
I
am student of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, in the
department of Economy and
Business. I believe my choice of
Finance as a specialization was
right and I like the training process. However, just the theory,
although rich of interesting facts,
can never make a professional of
a student, practical skills are necessary. During summer vacation,
I participated in my first internship, and the most pleasing fact
about it was that my first practical trainers were goinog to be
specialists of Tengizchevroil, one
of the best employers in Atyrau
region. The days of my internship
appeared filled with important
events and impressions.
I have been hearing about TCO
for quite awhile, from an objective
and trusted source. My father,
Marat Nurkhanov has been working in Tengiz since 1991 and is
recognized among TCO long-livers. Dad tells me about his work
with pride, so I always am eager
to know more about TCO history.
I was particularly impressed by
the fact so many people belong-
...with Arman Muldabaev
ing to different cultures, coming
from different places could work
as one great team and achieve
success unmatched across
Kazakhstan. Naturally, I wanted
to see with my own eyes how this
happens. Therefore, when my
father mentioned an internship
opportunity with Tengizchevroil,
he made my day, it was inspiring.
Upon recieveing my acceptance
letter, I lept, because the term of
my internship was going to be
longer than I originally thought it
would be.
... with Nugzar Khasanov
My internship was with the
general accounting (GA) and
supply chain management (SCM)
groups.
On the first day of my internship,
they announced to me I would
work under financial analyst Arman Muldabaev. I was expecting
to see a stern man of respectable
age. I imagined he would consider me an inexperienced intern.
Instead, Arman Muldabaev turned
out to be a young, self-confident
specialist. He gave me a friendly
smile before we discussed the
After one month of being in the
finance department, I realized I
had developed some valuable
skills. Also, I was able to get
trained in Microsoft Excel and a
few more practical applications.
The regular term of an internship
is 30 days. After the 30 days,
I felt somewhat sad because I
knew my time to leave was approaching. I shared my frustration
with a colleague who recommended I approach the SCM
group, because tthey needed
interns. I followed the advice and
soon friends. In the SCM group, I
received an opportunity to be part
of a team of very competent and
supportive people and learned
new software applications that
will be of practical value to me as
a financial specialist.
The theory of finance about
which I am learning at the university, coupled with the practical experience of my internship
is invaluable. Now I know, one
needs to try really hard to become a true professional. Also, I
saw sufficient evidence to prove
my earlier opinion of TCO as the
best and promising business in
Kazakhstan. Honestly, I am very
happy about the way I spent my
summer vacation. Many thanks to
all who helped me! I will treasure
my memories of Arman, Kuliash
and Nugzar, also of Aibar Anesov,
who is an excellent humorist, and
of Kalamkas Abdrakhimova, who
gave me priceless support.
Now my dream is to secure
another internship with TCO next
summer.
Ainur Maratova
Intern with TCO
XYZ Goes Bowling
with TCO Senior
Management
O
n Friday, July 16, 2014,
more than 60 members
of the newly formed
Atyrau Chapter of the XYZ Employee Network participated in a
networking event held at Strike
bowling alley.
The evening kicked off with
a welcome from the Chapter
Coordinator, Jeff Hill. General
Managers, John Zager and Bob
Guldner, also participated in
13
№08-09 (206-207)
Hot newsline
Four New Vehicles
Donated to the Region
T
he 23d of September became a true red-letter day in
Zhylyoi region. Tengizchevroil
donated three ambulance vans
to remote communities, plus one
vehicle to the staff of the local
Tuberculosis (TB) Clinic. At the
ceremony held to celebrate the occasion, Tim Miller, general director
of Tengizchevroil, said he was very
happy to observe that two decades
of good relations between TCO
and the local community have been
marked by many such events.
“Last year, during a similar ceremony held to celebrate TCO’s
donation of an ambulance to the
Regional Hospital, Maxim Izbassov,
Akim of Zhylyoi approached our
company with a request to help
remote towns with ambulance vehicles. Today we are happy to turn
over these vans to you, wishing
they will create value to local communities.” Saying this, Tim Miller
handed the car keys to the medical
staff.
Akim Izbassov, head of Regional
Hospital K. Utegenov and chief
physician of the TB Clinic G.
Kalieva spoke of their appreciation
to TCO for the valuable donation to the local community. In the
meantime, the drivers of the new
automobiles enjoyed the brand new
vehicles and tested the controls
to make sure everything worked
perfectly…
Galiya Essenova
PGPA
Speaking about our health
Take Care of Your Legs!
By Ruslanbek Akhmetov,
TCO Clinic
I
n each newspaper issue our
doctors inform you on medical
news and ways to detect, prevent and treat different diseases.
Today, we are going to talk about
varix dilatation: methods of its
detection, treatment and what
one should do to have strong and
healthy legs.
Varix dilatation is a widely spread
disease - approximately 80 percent of females and 30 percent
of males all over the world are
suffering from it. Nowadays every
third woman and every tenth man
has this problem; in most cases
the disease develops when a
person is in their thirties or forties. The more a person spends
in a sedentary position – sitting
in front of a computer monitor or
driving a car - the more at risk he
or she is of developing varicose
veins in the lower extremities.
Varicose veins can appear not
only in the lower limbs, but also
in the stomach and esophagus, small pelvis, testicle and
spermatic cord (the so-called
varicocele). Dilatation of veins
of the small pelvis is one of the
the event, allowing members to
interact with them in an informal
setting. Members of the XYZ
Leadership Team were also
spread amongst the teams.
The members were divided into
cross functional teams of 4 or
5 people, allowing for people
who may not normally interact
to meet and get to know each
other.
During the event, teams worked
together to score as many pins
in pursuit of the award for top
team, top female bowler and top
male bowler. Each team bowled
3 games during the competition. At the end of the event,
causes of hemorrhoids; further,
varicocele can result in infertility.
To avoid this, a surgery can be
performed.
Doctors consider varix dilatation
a hereditary disease, since the
main cause of varicose veins, a
weakness of connective tissue,
is inherited. Hormonal imbalance
is the second contributing factor,
especially in females. Hormonal
contraceptives and pregnancy
are significant factors, but in most
cases varix dilatation occurs in
people who have to stand for a
long period of the day: cooks,
hairdressers, surgeons, etc. Office workers who spend much of
their time in a sitting position can
also be affected by the disease.
Excess weight and weightlifting can be listed among the
risk factors. Wearing high-heel
shoes can worsen the situation.
Constant tension of muscles of
John and Bob presented the top
bowlers with great prizes.
XYZ congratulates all participants for creating a successful
event!
Results:
1.Best Female Bowler – Aigerim
Bilyalova (SCM)
2.Best Male Bowler – Sergei
Keorkov (M&T)
3.Best Team – Lane 7: Botakhanov Berik (SCM), John Zager
(M&T), Kapanov Anuar (IT),
Yeskaiyr Elmira (HES)
the shin impairs blood
circulation and leads
to varix dilatation.
The habit of crossing
one’s legs when sitting leads to constriction of veins and
contributes to their
dilatation, too.
Prior to varix dilatation there is an onset
of the so-called “syndrome of heavy legs”:
by evening hours
legs become swollen,
painful and tired. Disappearance or reduction of these symptoms during walking
or after a night’s rest
is also typical for the
disease.
The next stage of the
disease is manifestation of the so-called
“spiders”- reticular
veins. The main sign
of varix dilatation is
swollen, nodulous
veins, visible through
the skin.
If you have noticed the early
symptoms of varix dilatation,
you should go to a phlebologist
as soon as possible. Success of
treatment depends on the stage
at which the treatment starts. The
sooner you turn to a specialist for
medical aid, the more effective
treatment will be and the less risk
of complications.
There exist several methods
of diagnosing the disease. The
simplest of them is through a
Doppler ultrasound examination
which gives a clear picture of
whether there is varix dilatation.
This type of medical investigation
can be done at the initial stage
of the disease. At this stage
special creams and tablets are
prescribed and the compression therapy is recommended:
special stockings, tights. Special
massage and exercises are also
advisable. It should be noted that
it is possible to slow down the
development of the disease, but
it is impossible to cure it without
surgical intervention. Surgical
treatment does not necessarily mean an operation. In most
cases a method of sclerotherapy
can prove effective. The impaired
veins are not removed; a medicine is injected into the vessels,
which makes them
shrink, thus the blood
flow in healthy vessels
is improved.
Besides classic surgery, there are endoscopic methods. The
main difference of this
method from a surgery
is that in the former,
the cuts are minimal
in size. Surgery can
be combined with
sclerotherapy. Modern
methods of treatment
allow patients to walk
the next day after a
surgery, and within a
week a patient can
return to his normal
mode of life. The
removed veins do not
develop any longer.
Varix dilatation can
be prevented. Do not
wear high heels on
a regular basis, do
not sit with your legs
crossed and please
refrain from frequent
visits to the sauna.
If your job is largely
sedentary, move your feet from
toe to heel, shift from one foot
to another, ascend/descend the
stairs every time you have a
chance. Take a minute to lie with
your legs elevated (best position
is 15-20 cm above the level of
your head.) When prescribed by
the doctor, wear compression
stockings.
Let your legs be strong and
healthy, ready for running, swimming, climbing and other pleasant physical activities.
14
The Pink Residents of Tengiz…
The evaporation ponds of Tengiz Wastewater Treatment Facilities have been
homesteaded by the most romantic and fastidious birds – the pink flamingos
T
he above phenomenon
was an eye-opener even
to the long-livers of Tengiz,
the pioneers who have witnessed
quite a bit of unusual things in
their lives and careers. They
remember well the tracks of
wolves going around the first
construction containers. The pack
of wolves kept visiting the camp
of Tengiz pioneers for awhile until
the beasts finally realized they
were no more the masters of the
ages-old steppe. Until now the
grey-haired local guys remember
as they used to feed local red
foxes during severe winters. The
cunning predators eventually became so friendly, they accepted
food right from people’s hands.
And how many swans used to
choose the evaporation ponds for
their preferred place of habitat.
Sometimes it so happened that
the graceful white birds sneaked
inside the license area and even
the territory of the plant, so later
TCO employees carefully transferred them to the safer location
behind the reeds of the evaporation ponds, trying hard to live up
to the credence the birds gave to
people.
In the meantime, the legendary
and romantic looking flamingos
have always kept clear of people.
The enthusiastic bird watchers
eager to see this miracle had to
travel a long way to the shores
of the Caspian in order to enjoy
their sight at a distance, using a
professional binoculars. In fact,
even such an opportunity was a
pretty rare one, because flamingos are known for their particular
heed.
And now, all of a sudden, they
emerged on the new evaporation
ponds and felt perfectly at home
in the open view, unable to hide
behind scanty young reeds. This
is a truly an unbelievable fact.
“Perhaps, there should be a
solid reason why the beautiful
birds have chosen this location,
- commented Bryan McMenemy,
process engineer for WTF. –
Perhaps, it is the high degree of
cleanness of the water released
to the evaporation ponds after
treatment which accounts for
this extraordinary phenomenon.
Flamingos are the best auditors
of our clean environment without
a doubt.”
Well, this is for a fact, nobody has
purposely brought these birds
here. They arrived all by themselves, because they like it here.
For the first time, this happened
in the middle of July, the hottest
time of the year, when employees
riding the bus to their worksite
spotted a few pink flamingoes
on water of the new evaporation
ponds. The birds arrived unexpectedly. Perhaps, the water in
the Caspian offshore was getting
too hot, so the flamingos decided
to take a cool dive. At the moment most witnesses thought, the
cautious birds would soon know
this was no Caspian, and they
would soon fly away forever.
Indeed, on that very day, before
the night came in Tengiz, the
flamingoes flew away, yet the
Bryan McMenemy
next morning the pink birds were
back, bathing in the serene and
perfectly clean waters of the
evaporation ponds. Apparently,
the necessary ecosphere has
already originated, so the birds
found enough food, and the
reeds were growing fast, expanding their area; thus, making the
artificial ponds a very comfortable
environment.
“Please pay attention,” said Nurgul Aitzhan, a linguist, showing
direction for us to focus our eyes.
– This is not only a flamingo we
have here. Look, there is a duck
hiding with a whole large family
of chicks. I saw a large number of
ducks here. Besides there were
some herons, and the snipes
came in dozens.”
We have written earlier in the
newsletter about the wastewater
treatment facilities modernization.
The newly built network of wastewater tubes allowed for looping
back all flows of wastewater
from the three rotational villages
with a total number of residents
about 15,000 people, plus the
industrial wastewater also. The
wastewater is taken to the water
treatment facility which employs
a pioneering technology and
has a daily capacity of 20,000
cubic meters. The wastewater is
subject to multi-phase treatment,
starting from mechanical filtering
through to biological treatment,
where colonies of useful bacteria
work to eliminate every possible
№08-09 (206-207)
successfully passed a stringent
multistep audit of many competent agencies and was finally
recognized as compliant with all
respective standards existing
in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Some parameters of treated water exceed the existing norms,”
reassured us Zarina. The WTF
of TCO is a unique system of
wastewater treatment implemented in Kazakhstan. Since
the moment when it was decided
that the existing sewage and
wastewater treatment facilities
were in need of comprehensive
reconstruction, a tremendous effort has been made to coordinate
with state agencies and seek
permissions and well-stamped
approvals. We may now speak
with confidence about TCO’s
wastewater facilities as the
best and unmatched system in
Kazakhstan, utilizing state-of-theart technology and demonstrating ultimate effectiveness. All of
us, who have been a part of this
project are very proud of our accomplished mission.
After bringing the new effective
system of wastewater treatment
on stream, TCO has established
leadership in yet another area.
This success, however, is just the
initial step. Next to the newly built
wastewater treatment plant we
can see the outlines of the Water
Recycling Facility (WRF) which is
the next logical expansion. Currently, the process of equipment
installation goes at full steam.
This water treatment facility is
absolutely unique to Kazakhstan, and not only Kazakhstan.
The water used at the plant will
no longer go to the evaporation
ponds, but instead will be treated
additionally to the standard of
industrial water. Thus, can be reused for technical purposes. This
is an innovation unseen so far in
the domestic petroleum industry.
TCO specialists have already
estimated the economic impact of implementing the WRF
Project, which will be millions of
USD. Presently, TCO is using
the freshwater sourced from the
Kigach, which is a tributary of
the Volga. The WRF is expected
to dramatically cut the volumes
Inside TCO WTF Lab – Wastewater before and after treatment
New Building that Reaches the Level of the Flight of the Flamingo
factor of infection. In
the interval between
the above two stages,
there is also the aeration process (cleaning
by oxygen) and the
conventional chemical
treatment. The photo
made in the WTF Lab
shows very vividly the
difference between
the original wastewater and the product
exiting the facility. At
a glance, the water
looks perfectly clean.
According to Zarina
Janbatyrova, regulatory advisor for the
WTF Project, “WTF
of imported freshwater, which
means a significant savings, both
in terms of environmental impact
and economically.
In trying to quantify environmental impact of the WRF Project, it
would be difficult. Perhaps, we
should ask the pink flamingos, as
they are trusted experts.
Georgy Trukhin
PGPA
№08-09 (206-207)
Life-giving Water for Baby Fish
O
ver the past three years,
rescue missions to save
baby fish have evolved
into a regularly planned activity
under TCO’s Yntymak program,
which is a part of the TCO Community Investment Program
(CIP). Pyxera Global NGO coordinates the activity for TCO.
Last summer, TCO Policy,
Government and Public Affairs
Department (PGPA) took the
lead in organizing three rescue
missions at isolated ponds which
resulted in over 50,000 baby fish
being rescued and transported to
the Ural river.
“We hope the saving fish initiative
contributes to the preservation of
the Ural’s bioresources,” commented Gulnara Aitzhanova,
community affairs advisor in
charge of TCO’s CIP. TCO is
by far not the only company in
Atyrau Oblast. Should more
enterprises pool their efforts and
organize at least one such rescue mission each year, this would
result in valuable help to the local
bioresources department. The
local authority approves of TCO’s
good initiative.
Aibolat Moldagulov, oil and gas
production operator for Matin Petroleum, joined in the activity together with his wife Gulzhan and
daughter Dariga. They learned
about the initiative from Zhanna
Moldagulova, Aibolat’s sister and
an employee in TCO Finance.
“She described one of last year’s
rescue missions with such enthusiasm, we decided we should join
the next mission,” said Aibolat.
- I am particularly pleased to
observe our daughter’s reaction.
She is literally radiating happiness. This is a great and valuable
initiative. Thousands of baby fish
rescued. I am really touched to
the bottom of my heart.”
“I also have mobilized my entire
in buckets filled with fresh water
then poured the fish into larger
barrels. Later we transported the
baby fish to the Ural. Honestly
speaking, we are truly proud to
be part of this important mission.
The organizers did a great job.”
Among the expatriate volunteers
who participated were three
Chinese Americans. Shuncheng
Ji, ECD Engineer who participated in a rescue mission last
year. He remembers he got tired
after trawling the pond with his
push-net for some 3-4 hours, yet
the impressions were absolutely
family,” said TCO
projects engineer
Vladislav Kushnevich, leaving his
push-net for a second. – Please meet
our family team
of rescuers – my
wife Gulmira, our
two sons Maryan
and Arthur, and
daughter Milena. I
operated the pushnet and Maryan also
tried. The ladies
collected the fish
The Kushnevichs – Family Team of Fish Rescuers
Aibolat Moldagulov and Family
Zh. Waliev and T. Kaliev
15
wildlife. My wife Joyce and I find
this a rewarding experience.”
I am truly short of words to
express how I feel watching the
small fish migrating from the
barrels into the river. Guess, to
them this is true life-giving water.
Yippee!”
Maya Shamenova of Pixera
Global made a delicious fish
soup using the fish (fresh pike
perches, asp and carp) presented to the volunteers by the
team of fish wardens and veteran
fishermen Zhassulan Waliev and
Turemurat Kaliev. The chef’s
Ming-Ming, Joyce and Shun
unique. While on
vacation back in the
States, Ji bought a
pair of high rubber
boots, specially for
future fish rescue
missions. Ji also encouraged his friends
to join the initiative.
“This activity has surpassed our expectations,” confessed
Ming-Ming Chang,
reservoir engineer.
- Through such
rescues we assist
with maintaining the
natural state of the
soup cooked on the open fire
and was seasoned with sweet
fennel.
The volunteers kept asking about
the date of the next mission.
“Are you serious? Do you want
to come again?” – we asked the
trio of teenagers who introduced
themselves as students of
Atyrau School #3. “Sure thing!”
– answered Ruslan Kulchukov,
student of the 8th grade.
– Why such absolute sureness?
– Because we want to save more
baby fish.
Something makes me think we
have achieved our primary goal.
Aibar Khamiev
Our Mission – to rescue the “living silver” of the Ural
T
he blue patrol of the Yntymak community development program has been
a part of the common effort of
preserving the environment of
the Atyrau Oblast for quite some
time. The fish rescue initiative
has become a critical mission.
Thousands of baby fish, have
been caught and transported to the
Ural over the past few years. This
valuable initiative is organized by
Tengizchevroil in partnership with
Pyxera Global NGO.
Each year the floodwater causes
the fish to migrate down the Ural’s
plain, yet not all the fish are able
to make it back to the river after
the water sinks. The majority of the
young fish become trapped in isolated ponds which get shallow and
dry out; thus, the fish are doomed to
perish, unless timely action is taken.
The first such mission this year was
on the 26th of July in the vicinity of
Petrushkino village, in Makhambet
region. As a result, according to
the fish warden’s estimate, about
5,000 fish were rescued, including young asps, Caspian roach,
bream and carp. The total number
of volunteers involved was about 20
people, including children. The main
tool used throughout the day was
the close-meshed push-net, while
the strong desire to do goodness
served as the primary driver.
The noble cause of rescuing the
fish, preserving and increasing the
bioresources can only be achieved
through the common effort of the
community.
Aruna Junissova
Coordinator, Pyxera Global
16
№08-09 (206-207)
Tengiz all out for
Tennis Titles
T
he team of Tengizchevroil employees has been well-known
for its strong support of sports.
We are proud of our excellent minifootball and volleyball teams, having
multiple time winners of prestigious
tournaments in Atyrau. TCO repeatedly delegated a large group of
amateur athletes on a mission to
play for Kazakhstan at various outstanding international events. The
company is known as sponsor of
the popular Zhelayak road race and
prominent chess tournament played
in Atyrau. Also supports orphanages
and boarding schools through upgrading their sports equipment and
sponsoring competitions. Just listing
the events and tournaments played
on a regular basis in Tengiz and
Atyrau, involving teams representing various TCO departments could
take a long time.
However, not too many people are
aware of the fact that in the very
heart of the super-giant oilfield, on
the premises of TCO Village and
Shanyrak Rotational Village a lawn
tennis club has existed for more
than ten years. Its location make it
one of the unique tennis associations in the world.
The Tengiz Tennis Club was
founded courtesy of James Dixon,
Projects Control Supervisor for
Tengizchevroil and all-time Chairman of the Club, a true outstanding
enthusiast of the sport. Upon arrival
in Tengiz in 1998, he found two
open-door courts, yet failed to see
too many supporters of the game,
except for a few expats, who used
to volley the ball across the court
occasionally after hours. Some
of them were seconded Chevron
specialists, who made short-term
tours of Tengiz, thus the yellow ball
was rarely seen bouncing on the
courts to James Dixon regret. It later
transpired he was not alone at TCO
who missed this opportunity.
Meanwhile, the popular sport continued to develop world-wide. Some
Russian athletes scored significant
success, capturing WTA titles, particularly in women’s singles. Sports
magazines featured the names of
Svetlana Kuznetsova, Yelena Dementyeva and Anastasia Myskina.
Marat Safin took the tennis fans by
surprise. Then the time of Maria
Sharapova came to shake the world
rankings. Such news became the
subject of lively discussions among
the supporters and ardent fans of
sports which appeared many in
Tengiz, keeping loyal to the tradition
of keen interest for sports inherited
from the Soviet times. James Dixon
identified this interest immediately.
He responded to local adherers of
Maria mania an idea of a Tengiz
Club of lawn tennis. “Why not? – He
addressed men and women.We
could start right away to learn to
play to Sharapova’s standard. Well,
perhaps, we can try to be close in
style…”
The reaction was positive, thus the
wheels started to roll, as the news
of a tennis club opening in Tengiz
spread quickly. Finally, the project
materialized. In 2002, a multinaMonthly Newsletter of
LLP Tengizchevroil. Printed in
Kazakh, Russian and English.
free distribut.
tional team of tennis supporters converted into a club, uniting players
with sometimes awful disparity of
levels of skills, yet marked by strong
enthusiasm.
“When a little girl, I could watched
tennis on TV for hours excitedly,”
started emotionally Lyudmila Rumiantseva, a linguist with an 18-year
record of service at TCO. – To learn
to play tennis was my dream which
remained so, because in Uralsk
where I am from there was no single
court available. For the first time, I
Таtyana Beschastnaya
took the racquet in my hand in Aksai. The attempt resulted in strong
excitement but little ability. Later
I came to Tengiz and discovered
people play tennis here. This is it.
Now I am in the game.”
Lyudmila’s story is a typical one
among the members of the club. It
is noteworthy, though, that the club
has not only given the opportunity to
learn tennis basics, but also created
a community of like-minded people
which gradually evolved into a team
of strong creative potential, marked
by positive thinking.
“We have built a team based on
very positive objectives, - continued
Lyudmila. – Tennis serves as the
core basis, around which our activities keep spinning, involving the job,
family, hobbies and the news. We
often get together to socialize, and
each such occasion is a special
event.
“Trust me, Lyudmila is not exaggerating in the least, - reassured Tatyana Beschastnaya, specialist with
TCO Security, a friend of Lyudmila
Rumiantseva and a member of the
Tengiz Club of Tennis enthusiasts.
– We all show keen interest in the
world of tennis, particularly tracking events in the Masters. For
example, I have implanted the love
for tennis to my son Vitaly. He is
a student of Moscow University of
Peoples’ Friendship and practices
with players of alumni team. This
is a semi-professional level and I
wish I could reach this level a tsome
point. Speaking of myself, I have
had two strong passions in my life –
ball room dancing and sports. It so
happened, I found the opportunities
to support both in Tengiz. To be honest, in the beginning, I was not very
confident about my chances on the
court, because I started to practice
when I was 30. Yet, unexpectedly, I
discovered one smart technique that
comes off well with me. Perhaps, I
simply made it the right way. And I
have got it bad! Tennis has become
part of my life. Two years ago, I even
Editor in chief – Georgy Trukhin.
This Edition of the Newsletter was
released by: David MacInnis, Chanel
Jolly, Aibar Khamiev, Svetlana
Kairgalieva, Yerlan Islyamov, Shalkar
Yeleshev, Sergei Maltsev.
won a tournament in
Tengiz, beating all
expert competitors.
Tatyana is the moving
spirit of the tennis club
in Tengiz. Together
with Natalia Georgiyevskaya they generated an idea to extend
the club’s activities
beyond the court area
to diversify common
interest. Natasha’s
to recruit more supporters of tennis
in our club. The resources available
for this are unique. Firstly, we have
excellent tennis courts available at
TCO, including the indoor acrylic
court at Shanyrak Village, four open
hard courts within TCO Village, plus
five more asphalt courts in Shanyrak
built to the best standards. Let me
tell you, this is a great resource
base which allows the players to
continuously practice and hone their
playing skills and also serves as a
Victor Кiм and Banu Duisebekova
hitch does not overlap with Tatyana’s
time on rotation, so they meet not
often, however, to enjoy other opportunities to share ideas. Both have
a great potential of creativity and
optimism to implement any project.
Special events like New Year’s or
other holidays have long become a
part of the club’s activities in Tengiz.
The club’s members attend Black &
White charitable events two times a
year and gather to discuss events
about Grand Slam tennis and their
own success on the courts, as well
as, major occasions in eachother’s
lives.
“However, the game is above all,
and it requires hard work to hone
the skills,” said Victor Kim of TCO
Competence Development Group.
“I would like to touch on the subject
of training at our club. Pioneering
as first coach was John Fraser, who
started 7 years ago. Courtesy of his
strong commitment, he succeeded
in growing a true constellation of
Tengiz tennis stars, including abovementioned Tatyana and Natalia,
Sergei Kotlyarevsky, Doug Larter,
Banu Duisebekova and more. This
good tradition continues today. It so
happened, when John was leaving
Tengiz after finishing his term of service, I took over. As a matter of fact,
I am proud of this mission, yet this
is not the chief matter. What we are
primarily proud of is the opportunity
brilliant leisure opportunity, helping to promote an active, healthy
lifesytle.
I wish to emphasize, our club is a
community uniting veritable enthusiasts who love tennis. The club is a
self-managed organization capable
of effectively addressing many
logistical issues. We encourage all
to join us.”
Please find below two more brief
comments on the subject.
Trevor Collins, senior engineer for
TCO Projects – I am from Oakland,
New Zealand. When I was a boy,
our family actively supported our
local club of tennis. In my young
years, I was encouraged to take
part in sports competitions and
was taught to enjoy the wonderful
game of tennis. When I grew older,
I started to contribute personally to
the local tennis club activities, occasionally acting as assistant coach.
Over some ten years, I coached my
wife and two sons, also supporting
our local club in every possible way.
Today, we have three generations of
tennis players in our family. When I
arrived in Tengiz, 7 years ago, I was
glad to know they have their own
tennis club here.
The Tengiz Tennis Club is essentially a type of network uniting
like-minded individuals, who are
eager to play and meet new people.
The club also serves as a distrac-
This publication is registered by the Ministry of Culture,
Information and Public Accord of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
License No 2482-Г issued on November 21, 2001.
Address of the Editorial Board:
POB 060011, Republic of Kazakhstan, Atyrau,
Satpaev Str., 3, HQ of LLP Tengizchevroil.
Office phone: +7(712) 302-6248 / 6870.
FAX: +7(712) 302-6729. +7(712) 302-6752
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Tim Miller
Anuarbek Jakiyev
Ted Etchison
Rzabek Artygaliev
Murat Munbayev
Sholpan Altybayeva
Samat Azhenov
tion, an important opportunity to rest
after rigorous work. Each time I am
back home in New Zealand, I share
my positive experience in organizing
tournaments which I have developed in Tengiz.
Sergei Kotlyarevsky, SGP enginner
– I am 57 and come from Kharkov,
Ukraine which is my native town.
I have been supporting sports for
quite some time since as a school
student I attended a local school
of Olympic reserve sponsored by
Metallist FC. In 1974, I enrolled with
the Kharkov Institute of Electronic
Engineering and played soccer for
the alumni team until my graduation,
plus a couple more years during a
later job as part of the faculty. Soon,
however, I had to quit professional
sports, because I was too busy as
faculty and a post-graduate student.
I first took the racquet in my and
when I was 34 and started to
practice together with our 7-yearold daughter. I must admit, she was
progressing better than me. She lost
the game to me last when she was
10 years of age. She never made it
to the professional tennis because
of trauma, yet, currently, works as a
tennis instructor after achieving two
diplomas from higher school –one
as a lawyer, the second from the
Institute of Physical Culture.
I played tennis for three years and
then took a break from sports for a
long seven years, which I partially
filled by playing soccer occasionally
as player for the Kharkov veteran
team. In Tengiz, I made my final
choice in favor of tennis, courtesy
to our great club. Last year, I took
the bronze at the tournament held
in honor of the 20th anniversary of
Tengizchevroil. Now I am looking
forward to helping our granddaughter make her first steps on the court.
So far, this is about all I wanted to
write on the subject. It is getting
dark outside, so I will finish with my
interview. It is about time for the
open hours at the indoor court in
Shanyrak, so the athletes start to
arrive. Practicing tennis is a good
change after hours and excellent
opportunity to replenish stamina and
relax emotionally.
“Hey Timur, come on, show the
class!” shouted somebody encouraging, addressing Timur Kurenkov,
an emerging tennis star in Tengiz.
Timur is serving and…it was a stunning ace.
Everything is alright at the Tengiz
Club of lawn tennis.
Georgy Trukhin
Photos supplied by the writer
The make-up and layout of the Newsletter is done
by the Department of Policy, Government and
Public Affairs of LLP Tengizchevroil. The edition is
printed at JSC «Leader Offset Printing Company»
in Almaty. Printer’s address: The Republic of
Kazakhstan, Almaty, Rayimbek Str., 212 A.
Office phone: 8 (7272) 68 55 68
Number of copies printed – 1000. Order #