Waste Handling
The Gazprom Group pays close attention to reducing waste generated as part of its operations and waste sent for burial. This focus is formalized in the Comprehensive Environmental Program of PJSC Gazprom for 2020–2024Approved by Oleg Aksyutin, Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee, Head of Department, on November 26, 2019. and the Corporate Environmental Targets of PJSC Gazprom for 2023–2025.
The Gazprom Group ensures environmentally safe treatment of production and consumption waste and makes every effort to increase the share of recycled and neutralized waste.
Master plan for production and consumption waste management at PJSC Gazprom’s facilities in various regions of Russia
The Gazprom Group’s waste production by type, %
| Waste type | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022, p.p. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom ash waste | 38 | 16 | 14 | –2 |
| Drilling waste | 34 | 53 | 63 | +10 |
| Oil sludge | 5 | 3 | 2 | –1 |
| Other | 23 | 28 | 21 | –7 |
At the Gazprom Group, most of the waste is Gazprom Neft’s drilling waste, Gazprom Energoholding’s bottom ash waste (solid coal combustion products generated by TPPs), as well as oil sludge mainly generated by oil and gas production and processing facilities.
Breakdown of the Gazprom Group’s waste sent for recycling and neutralization or recycled and neutralized by the Group’s own facilities, by waste type, %
| Waste type | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change2023/2022, p.p. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom ash waste | 98.02 | 1.83 | 1.23 | –0.6 |
| Drilling waste | 1.03 | 62.55 | 71.92 | +9.37 |
| Oil sludge | 0.16 | 3.76 | 3.02 | –0.74 |
| Other | 0.79 | 31.86 | 23.83 | –8.03 |
Changes in the breakdown of waste sent for recycling and neutralization or recycled and neutralized by the Group’s own facilities are due to the recycling of drilling waste in 2023 (increase in well drilling), expansion of the Gazprom Neft Group’s reporting scope, and recycling of sand waste from clearing of the inlet channel at Novocherkasskaya GRES.
Breakdown of the Gazprom Group’s waste sent for burial or buried by the Group’s own facilities, by waste type, %
| Waste type | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022, p.p. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom ash waste | 57.69 | 41.03 | 36.33 | –4.70 |
| Drilling waste | 6.17 | 5.65 | 5.81 | +0.16 |
| Oil sludge | 1.82 | 2.12 | 0.49 | –1.63 |
| Other | 34.32 | 51.20 | 57.37 | +6.17 |
Waste sent for burial or buried by the Group’s own facilities primarily includes bottom ash and hazard class IV–V waste.
The Gazprom Group’s waste generation by hazard class
| Indicator | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazard Class I, thousand tons | 0.21 | 0.13 | 0.11 | –15.38 |
| Hazard Class II, thousand tons | 0.95 | 0.61 | 0.77 | +26.23 |
| Hazard Class III, thousand tons | 99.10 | 108.14 | 104.23 | –3.62 |
| Hazard Class IV, thousand tons | 1,417.81 | 1,804.29 | 2,568.12 | +42.33 |
| Hazard Class V (almost non-hazardous waste), thousand tons | 1,528.51 | 675.42 | 817.75 | +21.07 |
| Total, thousand tons | 3,046.59 | 2,588.59 | 3,490.98 | +34.86 |
| Class I and II waste in total waste generated, % | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0 p.p. |
PJSC Gazprom implements the latest best available and innovative production technologies to minimize waste generation and disposal, while also applying these technologies at its waste management facilities.
The Gazprom Group continues progress towards making the most use of waste recovery and recycling for subsequent use of waste in production.
All Gazprom Group entities sort their waste across hazard classes I–V as a way to increase the volume of recycled waste. Additionally, the Group makes efforts to reduce the hazard level of waste by complying with the ban on burial of waste containing valuable recyclable components and waste that can be used as secondary feedstock. Waste that may not be buried is handed over for recycling.
All the Gazprom Group's waste placement facilities are listed in the relevant state register. We monitor the environment and contamination levels at such facilities and within the area of their environmental impact. The Gazprom Group strictly complies with environmental regulations for waste management by taking due account of applicable waste generation standards and disposal limits.
Special emphasis is placed on drilling waste. The Group develops and uses low toxic drilling muds and the pit-free drilling method for the construction of wells. The drilling waste recycling technologies that produce mineral construction materials for general construction works in the course of field pre-development are increasingly being used.
Combating plastic pollution
The Gazprom Group strives to reduce the volume of plastic waste, as it causes significant environmental damage. With this in mind, in the reporting year Gazprom adopted an Action Plan to Quit Using Disposable Plastic Items in Offices, with 28 subsidiaries developing their own plans to ban single-use plastic products.
Additionally, Gazprom Group entities put in place sorting procedures for plastic waste, with their offices installing special containers for waste to be collected and recycled by specialized operators.
Waste handed over for recycling, thousand tons
| Indicator | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total, incl.: | 1,405.75 | 1,628.93 | 2,617.28 | +60.67 |
| • waste recycled at the facility | 285.01 | 418.59 | 750.11 | +79.20 |
| • waste handed over to other business entities for recycling | 1,120.74 | 1,210.34 | 1,867.17 | +54.27 |
The significant increase in waste sent for recycling in the reporting year was driven by expansion of drilling operations (start of natural gas and gas condensate production at the Urengoyskoye and Bovanenkovskoye fields and infrastructure commissioning at the Pestsovoye field (Gazpromneft-Zapolyarye)), changes in the Gazprom Neft Group’s reporting scope, and recycling of sand waste from clearing of the inlet channel at Novocherkasskaya GRES.
Waste handed over for neutralization, storage or otherwise treated, thousand tons
| Indicator | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total waste managed, incl.: | 128,814.0 | 116,022.5 | 109,151.54 | –5.9 |
| • generated as of the beginning of the reporting year | 125,661.5 | 113,321.5 | 105,544.64 | –6.9 |
| • generated in the reporting year | 3,046.6 | 2,588.6 | 3,491.0 | +34.9 |
| • received from other business entities | 105.9 | 112.4 | 115.9 | +3.1 |
| Processed at the facility | 0.0 | 5.8 | 5.1 | –12.1 |
| Recycled at the facility | 285.0 | 418.6 | 750.1 | +73.2 |
| Neutralized at the facility | 102.9 | 109.7 | 114.2 | +4.1 |
| Handed over to other business entities: | ||||
| • for processing | 15.6 | 22.9 | 58.0 | +153.3 |
| • for recycling | 1,120.7 | 1,210.3 | 1,867.2 | +54.3 |
| • for neutralization | 196.1 | 250.9 | 195.7 | –22.0 |
| • for storage | 13,250.4 | 0.7 | 14.8 | +2,014.3 |
| • for burial | 186.7 | 167.7 | 142.4 | –15.1 |
| Disposed at operated (own) storage facilities | 902.3 | 279.3 | 369.3 | +32.2 |
| Disposed at operated (own) burial facilities | 344.2 | 156.3 | 150.7 | –3.6 |
| Generated as of the end of the reporting year | 113,312.3 | 113,685.4 | 105,858.5 | –6.9 |
Handling of oil-contaminated waste at the Gazprom Group, %
| Activity | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022, п. п. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste handed over to other business entities for recycling and neutralization | 57 | 45 | 75 | +30 |
| Waste handed over to other business entities for disposal | 5 | 4 | 3 | –1 |
| Present at the facility as of the end of the reporting year, including storage facilities | 38 | 51 | 21 | –30 |
| Recycled and neutralized at own facility | 0 | 0 | 1 | +1 |
Drilling waste volume and handling of drilling waste at the Gazprom Group
| Indicator | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change 2023/2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total drilling waste managed, thousand tons | 1,348.73 | 1,750.28 | 2,755.86 | +57.5 % |
| Waste handed over to other business entities for recycling and neutralization, % | 54 | 49 | 53 | +4 p.p. |
| Present at the facility as of the end of the reporting year, including storage facilities | 27 | 28 | 23 | –5 p.p. |
| Recycled at the facility, % | 17 | 22 | 23 | +1 p.p. |
| Disposed of at own storage and burial facilities, % | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 p.p. |
The increase in drilling waste generation in 2023 was due to changes in the Gazprom Neft Group’s reporting scope.
In 2023, the Gazprom Group launched a campaign to collect used batteries, which will be sent for recycling in 2024. The total weight of collected and recycled batteries came in at 621 kg. If these batteries had been simply thrown away without recycling, soil contamination area would have been equivalent to the area of nearly 70 football fields.