OREANDA-NEWS. August 23, 2012. TNK-BP is to boost utilization of associated petroleum gas (APG) at the East Uvat Hub in West Siberia by 50% versus 2011 to 78 million cubic metres, following the launch of a 15 MW gas piston power plant in September 2012, reported the press-centre of TNK-BP.

TNK-BP is implementing a program to expand APG utilization for captive power generation, thereby also helping optimize spending on electrical power. By 2014, TNK-Uvat (a subsidiary of TNK-BP) will finish construction of a 95 MW gas-to-power system, which will provide power to oilfield facilities at the Ust-Tegusskoe and Urnenskoe fields.

TNK-BP launched the first 20 MW unit of the Ust-Tegusskaya gas-turbine power plant in 2011, and plans to complete the second 65 MW unit in 2014. The Company will invest around USD 170 mln in the project, which will bring APG utilization in Eastern Uvat to the 95% target.

“Commissioning of the entire captive power generation complex in 2014 will help achieve two major objectives. First, we will increase our APG utilization to 95%, which is fully consistent with the Company’s strategy for sustainable growth and our aim to minimize our environmental footprint. Second, the captive power system will fully satisfy the growing power needs of the Uvat project, one of TNK-BP’s most promising assets,” said Yuriy Masalkin, General Director, TNK-Uvat.