The Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) is pleased to announce that it continues to support local schools around the Sangachal Terminal. As part of this support AIOC is currently implementing a project, which covers 160 sixth graders from all of the four schools located in the Garadagh district where the terminal is based, including three schools for children from internally displaced families temporarily living in the Sahil settlement and the Umid refugee camp. The project is aimed at supporting the schools in their efforts to improve the standards of the teaching process and provide more opportunities for schoolchildren from needy families to visit places of interest in Baku and tour children’s entertainment facilities.
The project, which started on January 11, 2005 will last until the beginning of next month. Within this period the children will be taken in groups on educational trips to the National Zoo and treated to some entertainment at the McDonalds restaurant in the Fountain Square. Altogether eight 7-hour trips will be arranged and will comprise up to 28 children per trip, accompanied by their schoolmasters and representatives of the Parents’ Councils and AIOC.
The project covers children who represent the Sangachal village school No 222, school No 294 in the Umid Refugee camp, school No 7 for children from internally displaced families from the Lachin district and school No 49 for children from internally displaced families from the Fizuli district. A staff zoologist is leading each group at the zoo to deliver environmental information to the children.
Jacobus Nieuwenhuijze, Sangachal Terminal Expansion Project Director, says: “The project is another example which demonstrates our commitment to continue supporting the development of education in Azerbaijan as part of our efforts toward creating sustainable benefits in the communities where we operate. We believe development of education is one of those key areas, which are vitally important to any country’s sustainable future. For Azerbaijan, a country which is proud of its highly-qualified workforce, it is essential to ensure the continuity of its best educational traditions, and AIOC is pleased to have this opportunity to work closely to that end with the communities living near our facilities in general and Garadagh schools in particular.”
Note to Editors:
BP together with its partners in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, and Shah Deniz projects, is implementing world-class oil and gas development and export projects in the region. These projects present a great opportunity to make a positive difference to the people of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. As part of our efforts to achieve this, we and our partners in these projects will spend around $40 million between now and the end of 2006 on social and community projects. Our social investment project selection process is open and transparent, and is based on such criteria as impact, sustainability and active community involvement. Overall allocation of funds by individual projects is as follows: BTC - all three countries; SCP - Azerbaijan and Georgia, and ACG – Azerbaijan and some in Georgia, and Shah Deniz - Azerbaijan.
The parties to the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) Production Sharing Agreement are: BP (operator - 34.1%), Unocal (10.3%), SOCAR (10%), INPEX (10.,0%), Statoil (8,6%), ExxonMobil (8%), TPAO (6.8%), Devon (5.6%), Itochu (3.9%), Amerada Hess (2.7%).
The BTC Co. shareholders are: BP (30.1%); SOCAR (25.00%); Unocal (8.90%); Statoil (8.71%); TPAO (6.53%); ENI (5.00%); Total (5.00%), Itochu (3.40%); INPEX (2.50%), ConocoPhillips (2.50%) and Amerada Hess (2.36%).
The parties to the Shah Deniz Production Sharing Agreement are: BP (operator - 25.5%), Statoil (25.5%), SOCAR 10%), LUKAgip (10%), NICO (10%), Total (10%), and TPAO (9%).
The SCP Co. funding shareholders are: BP (technical operator - 25.5%), Statoil (commercial operator - 25.5%), SOCAR (10%), LUKAgip (10%), NICO (10%), Total (10%), and TPAO (9%).
We have three key themes around which we prioritise our social and community programmes:
Through our social and community programmes we will work with local communities in collaboration with local and national authorities, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders to ensure long-term, sustainable benefits in the communities where we operate.
In addition to the social and environmental investment activities we undertake jointly with our partners, we have also funds for direct 100% BP projects. We use these (a) to support social and community activities in those regions of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey unaffected by our operations, and (b) to fund national-level impact or pilot projects in private sector support and civil society development.
We will continue to work closely will all our stakeholders toward creating sustainable benefits in the communities where we operate.
Tamam Bayatly at BP’s Press Office in Baku.Telephone: (+994 12) 525 5895