Global Witness and the Financial Times contacted bp directly and we provided the following statement in response to a series of questions they asked:
bp reports each year total hydrocarbons flared from our upstream operations globally. Over the past decade (2013-2023), the amount flared fell by almost 60%, and by almost 40% from 2019 to 2023.
bp remains on track to achieve zero routine flaring by 2030, in line with both the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring Initiative and the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter, to which we are signatories. The amount flared, both overall and at any given asset, can vary from year to year. At a particular asset, this can be due to factors such as a significant maintenance programme or an unexpected outage.
bp businesses have been operating in the Caspian Sea region for more than 30 years. They currently hold interests in, and operate to applicable regulations, a number of assets – including the ACG field and Sangachal terminal. The operator of the Sangachal terminal monitors air quality around the terminal on a quarterly basis. Despite the highly industrialised nature of the area, over the period referenced (from 2019), this monitoring has not identified any exceedances of applicable air quality environmental standards.
bp is committed to respecting and working with communities where we operate. At Sangachal there are long-standing community engagement programmes, including procedures to maintain dialogue and enable community concerns to be raised and responded to. Over the past five years, air quality or health-related concerns have not been raised through the channels made available to community members.