Environmental management in the oil and gas sector of Turkmenistan: experience of foreign partners
Turkmenistan's accession to the Paris Agreement and the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) presupposes the implementation of an effective environmental policy, especially in the oil and gas sector, which is strategic for the country. In order to fulfill its obligations, Turkmenistan has adopted a number of relevant national programs. Environmental requirements are also imposed on the activities of foreign oil and gas companies that produce hydrocarbons at local fields and have useful experience in complying with international environmental management standards.
One such company is Eni Turkmenistan Limited (ETL), which has been the operator under the production sharing agreement (PSA) at the Nebit-Dag site in western Turkmenistan since 2008. The company is implementing a long-term “Carbon Neutrality” program aimed at reducing the overall impact of its activities on greenhouse gas emissions.
ETL adheres to the highest standards in the field of labor protection, industrial safety and environmental protection. This is evidenced by the certificate of compliance with the international standard for occupational health, safety and security management systems in the workplace - ISO 45001, received by the company in 2023, as well as the certificate of compliance with the ISO 14001 standard, received in December 2024, which confirms that the company has implemented an environmental management system. This system is aimed at reducing the negative impact of production processes on the environment and the rational use of non-renewable resources.
ISO 14001 is a recognized international environmental standard that companies interested in protecting the environment undertake to implement voluntarily. Today, ETL continues to implement effective environmental practices related to the use of water resources, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and waste management.
Eni Turkmenistan Limited's ISO 14001 certification was carried out by RINA, an Italian private company headquartered in Genoa. Founded back in 1861 under the name Registro Italiano Navale, it initially specialized in ship classification, but over time expanded its activities to sectors such as energy, shipping, certification, industry, real estate and infrastructure. In the field of certification, RINA provides assessment, control, certification and research services related to materials, design, technology, products and processes.
The company offers certification of environmental management systems in accordance with ISO 14001, which is the most well-known standard in the field of environmental certification. This standard is based on the risk assessment of environmental aspects and sets requirements for monitoring, waste management, operational planning and control, as well as emergency plans for environmental incidents. RINA is accredited to conduct certification and has received this right from such organizations as ACCREDIA (Italy), ANAB (USA) and INMETRO (Brazil), which confirms its authority to issue ISO 14001 certificates of conformity and other international certificates.
RINA has a large international client base and hundreds of branches in dozens of countries around the world. In Turkmenistan, the company has successful experience of cooperation with the State Concern "Turkmengas" and has participated in the implementation of about 30 projects.
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