OREANDA-NEWS. December 20, 2011. North Caspian Operating Company B.V. (NCOC), together with Agip KCO, the agent company responsible for Phase I of the giant Kashagan project, launched a project today to plant an area between Bolashak Onshore Processing Facility (OPF) and the Samal Camp with thousands of trees under the 2011 Consortium's Environmental Protection Plan, which will continue well into 2012.

The project was launched by Deputy Atyrau Region Akim B. Daukenov and by NCOC's External Communications Director Pierre Delpont. Unveiling the ceremony, Mr. Delpont said: "As today's event clearly demonstrates the North Caspian Sea Consortium takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. In full compliance with Kazakhstan's environmental legislation, the consortium, together with Kazakh forestry specialists, is launching a very important project. We are planting the area between the OPF and the Samal Residential Camp with trees which will benefit all residents of Atyrau Region."

"The timing of the event is rather symbolic: It is happening ahead of celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence, so I congratulate you all on the anniversary and wish you and our Green Shelter Belt Project success," Mr.Delpont added.

Facts and figures:

The Green Shelter Belt is prescribed to be planted in a semi-desert area with highly saline soil. There are extreme seasonal temperature variations and high winds;

An ecologically sound, sustainable modular project fully executed 100 percent by local contractors based upon the scientific research of both Kazakh and international institutes;

The Kazakhstan Institute of Agriculture and the faculties of agriculture from the Universities of Bologna, Florence and Naples have been involved in establishing the scientific basis while local contractors employing more than 120 Kazakh personnel are employed in its execution;

The project uses the most appropriate, sustainable technologies and construction materials;

It will be irrigated by treated water from Samal camp accommodation and the irrigation and drainage system is designed to have a zero impact on ground-water;

Throughout there will be an emphasis on know-how transfer in the use of irrigation the latest methods and innovative planting technologies;

A key feature is a tree nursery with a potential capacity of 300.000 trees. This might serve in the future when the second Phase of Bolashak will be implemented as a desert sub-station for the propagation and conservation of Kazakhstani ornamental and fruit/endangered tree species;

Green shelter belts and the tree nursery will be irrigated with innovative sprinkle and drip irrigation system using treated water sourced from Bolashak evaporation lagoons;

The recycling of a minimum of 250,000 cubic metres/year of treated water encourages project sustainability;

Planting in both the nursery and the trenches have both started and is expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter next year;

Over 102 trenches and 400 planting modules of 180 m each

Total length of green belt trenches - 16,650 m

30.000 m3 of humus from West Kazakhstan

16.646 metres of excavated trenches

17 km of drainage pipes

318 drainage pits

5.400 meters of water delivery network pipelines

46 km irrigation network

85.488m2 of geo-textile insulating materials

137,200 total trees and shrubs for the first phase.

The event was attended by Deputy Atyrau Region Akim B. Daukenov and representatives of the Akimat, NGOs, the media NCOC and its agent companies Agip KCO and NCPOC, EMKI and forestry specialists.