In this issue:May 9 - Victory Day!НОВОСТИ ТШО № 05 (179) 2012 TCO NEWS

«Теңізшевройл» жауапкершілігі шектеулі серіктестігінің басылымыИнформационная газета ТОО «Тенгизшевройл»Tengizchevroil Newsletter

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Page 4.Wishing undying glory to the heroes of the War.

Lest we forget.

Blitz-campaign to support Safety

ATYRAU. May 9, 1945 – this date is getting more and more remote, hence the impor-tance to pay tribute to the fallen and living heroes and teach the younger generations of their experiences. As long as the old sol-diers’ memory keeps in detail the heroic episodes of the war, its chronicles can nev-er be complete. The memory of the past lives in our hearts. The most recent Victory Day celebrations held across the country, dedicated to the 67th anniversary of Great Victory served as ample evidence to this fact. The Victory Park in Atyrau was filled with crowds of people. Both local residents (Continued on page 2)

TCO named Safest Company of the Year in Kazakhstan, for the second time in two years.Tengizchevroil: winner of KIOSH 2012 title

The two days of April 26 and 27 in Astana saw the Kazakh-stan International Occupational Safety and Health (KIOSH) 2012 Conference and Exhibition, held for the second time in the capital. The project is formally supported by the Republic of Kazakhstan Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. Acting on behalf of Tengizchevroil at the event was Operational Ex-cellence/Health, safety and Environmental group (OE/HES).

Tengizchevroil once again demonstrated its superior level of occu-pational safety and health, winning the Petroleum Sector Compa-ny of the Year title in the all-Kazakhstan Korgan industry contest. Our company was recognized as having confirmed in practice its strong commitment to maintaining the highest standard of opera-tional safety and health.

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and visitors headed for this location from morning hours to lay flowers to the Eter-nal Flame Memorial. Families and teams of employees of various enterprises and public organizations participated. Among representatives of multiple companies we could see the proud oilmen of Tengiz. The Tengizchevroil group was headed by depu-ty general director Anuarbek Jakiyev. In his remarks at the ceremony he said on behalf of TCO team of employees, “This memorial day serves all of us as a reminder of the war that was a severe test of our nations’ endurance and strength of

mind. This memory is sacred, same as our duty to take good care of the veterans, who braved all the hardships of this terrible war-fare, and keep the memory of the heroes, who died in the battlefield.”The true VIP attendees of the ceremony were the veterans of the war and those who contributed to the victory working be-hind the scenes. The Mayor’s office provid-ed transportation for them to make sure ev-eryone was in attendance. At 11.00 Bergei Ryskaliev, Akim of the Atyrau Oblast and

Memory of Heart

Productive dialogue

TCO at recruitment fair

CHESM 2012 Forum

Kind heart knows no limits

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Wishing undying glory to the heroes of the War.

Lest we forget.

(Continued from page 1)

his deputies offered warm greet-ings to the veterans.

In his ceremonial speech the governor emphasized that the Kazakhstanis had made a great contribution to the victory over the Germans. All in all, 42,509 soldiers from the Atyrau Region were at the front during the war, and 13,287 of them died in the name of the Motherland. Addressing the veterans of war and labor, the Akim said, “You, the brave heroes, defended the happy future of our nation. The present day thriving Kazakhstan, sure-footed on its way to prosper-ity, is the result of your selfless contribution. Dear veterans, your heroic deeds will forever serve the example of endurance, total dedication and life-long service for the happiness of future gen-erations. I thank you from the bot-tom of my heart for your courage and the peace you secured for mankind.”After the traditional minute of si-lence there was a triple salute made by the military which gave the signal to start the solemn procession to the Eternal Flame Memorial. Acting on behalf of the team of TCO employees, deputy general director Anuarbek Ja-kiyev and Reservoir Management planning and budget manager Myrzakuat Karabalin put a basket of flowers at the foot of the monu-ment. More flowers were brought by representatives of TCO de-partments. Most TCO employees brought their children with them which stressed the importance of the event and served as education to the younger generations. The once favorite war-time tunes and military marches filled the air in the park area. Victory day festivities were held across the city. At night, the Isatai-Makhambet Square hosted the gala concert. The residents and visitors enjoyed the scenery of the Victory Day fireworks.

KULSARY. On the 9th of May, the Victory Day, a wreath laying cer-emony was held in Kulsary, at the Eternal Flame Monument where thousands of local residents gath-ered to commemorate their brave countrymen who had died in the

battlefields of the WWII, and give honor to the veterans, now just 29 people left among the living in the entire Zhylyoi Region of Atyrau Oblast. Attendees were treated with special respect and care, seated comfortably close to the monument, in the shade of the elms, where their fellow citizens came in endless cues to strew flowers at the feet of the War he-roes. It has now been a lasting tradi-tion that Tengizchevroil General Director attends the ceremony in the seat of the Zhylyoi Region. Yet another tradition is a business meeting hosted by the Zhylyoi Administration, although brief, but

Solemn Duty

with agenda heavily loaded with priority issues. This time every-thing went as usual, which means Tim Miller and Akim Rakhme-tolla Nugmanov took their time to discuss a number of items. It is a common knowledge that the relations between Tengizchevroil and local government are marked with mutual understanding and respect. Serving as the evidence of good neighbors’ relations are multiple important social infra-structure development projects accomplished in the area to which TCO provided strong support or invested time and resources. One such project is the reconstruc-tion of the water system in Kul-

sary, now almost complete and a happy resolution of a problem of clean water shortage in Kulsary. The festive march of representa-tives of local enterprises and pub-lic organizations moved across the central city square and head-ed for the Eternal Flame. A bas-ket of flowers on behalf of TCO team of employees was placed at the foot of the monument by Tim Miller, TCO general director, accompanied by Brad Middleton, general manager of Operations and Rzabek Artygaliyev in charge of Policy, Government and Public Affairs. After the ceremony a public meet-ing was held in the square and Akim Nugmanov offered his Vic-tory Day greetings to his country-men. Taking the floor next was Tim Miller, greeting the audience in Kazakh. Please find below the text of his remarks.

Dear veterans, citizens of Zhy-lyoi!

On behalf of TCO’s workforce, please accept our warmest con-gratulations on Victory Day! We are honored to be here today to celebrate with you in Kulsary.We express our most sincere re-spect to all the heroes who con-tributed to the Great Victory. Your valiant deeds are a priceless gift

for us and for all the generations to follow. We are proud to call Zhylyoi re-gion home for almost 20 years now and we want to thank you for your support. We hope that you were as delighted as we were when President Nazarbayev named Tengizchevroil as the win-ner for the Grand Prize Paryz Award for Corporate Social Re-sponsibility. Because so many of our Corporate Responsibility proj-ects are here in Kulsary, I feel that we share this honor with you, the Zhylyoi citizenry. We will continue to work hard to make a contribution to the eco-nomic and social development of Kazakhstan, the Atyrau region, and especially, the Zhylyoi dis-trict. We are near to finalizing the re-construction of the $60 million water supply system here in Kul-sary. We hope that the completion of this project improves the lives of residents, including veterans of labor and war. Additionally, we are pleased to be beginning con-struction on a new kindergarten in New Karaton this year. As we celebrate the Great Victory we would like to wish harmony, health and prosperity to you and your families and to the entire world that you fought to protect. Mereke kutty bolsyn! (Happy holi-day!)

Following the meeting, the attend-ees enjoyed a gala concert as part of the Victory Day. Meanwhile, the honored veterans were invit-ed to a luncheon hosted by Akim of the Zhylyoi Region. Speaking on behalf of local government, R. Nugmanov once again offered warm greetings to the veterans and presented gratuity and a Let-ter of Appreciation to each hero. Tim Miller, Brad Middleton and Rzabek Artygaliyev, acting on behalf of Tengizchevroil team of employees, presented gift cer-tificates for purchase of quality goods at best boutiques. Local musicians and singers performed for the veterans, singing favorite war-time songs the old men ad-mired greatly.

T. BERISHBAIG. TRUKHIN

Together with the citizens of Ka-zakhstan, we, TCO employees, members of the great multina-tional team joined in Victory Day events on May 9 in communities around Tengiz to commemorate the priceless Victory. Dozens of million brave sons and daughters of the Motherland died in the war, defending the freedom of the na-tion. Those who survived this hor-rible bloodshed, are getting fewer each year. The most appreciated support we can offer to them is not the money or product packages, but the true caring and goodness. We need to treasure the moments we can share with them to take over the legacy we must preserve as the apple of our eye and later commit to the hands of our chil-dren and grandchildren. Special recognition should be giv-

en to those who worked behind the scenes during wartime. Although some never were in action, never smelled the gunpowder and even escaped bombing raids faraway from the frontline, they were sav-ing the lives of people and made a priceless contribution to Victory. They shared their shelter in the steppe and their scanty food with the evacuees, never bothering to care what nationality they were or the god they prayed to, or what lan-guage they spoke. What really mat-tered was to save lives of people and help them survive the severe ordeal. This we must remember at all times, not just on memorial days. What we need to do is simply take our son or daughter, or grandchil-dren to a local Museum, to the obe-lisk in the Victory Park, playback

a DVD with a video tell-ing about WWII, or read a book out loud. Let our children know the names of heroes, the dates, the names of the cities that stood the ground and were demolished, the out-standing exploits of he-roes. This is our solemn duty before the younger generations. Memory transfers genetically, from heart to heart. We inherit it along with family name, and then it converts into true love and caring of the roots, the holy sources. This memory inspires us to hope for the better, endows a strong belief and gives the power to withstand and meet all challenges. The times parched by the war are

getting a more remote past each year, and fewer veterans remain among the living, those who de-fended our right to enjoy freedom and peace. We bow to you, dear veterans and from the bottom of our heart thank you for the opportu-

nity to live and dream, and aspire to make our noble dreams come true.

Lest we forget!Long live, dear veterans!

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(Continued from page 1)

Tengizchevroil - Company of the Year

Perhaps, not all of our read-ers know that the International Labor Organization (ILO) cele-brates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April to promote the prevention of occu-pational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and on the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide. Occupational accidents and diseases cause great human suffering and loss. According to ILO statistics, on average, they cause about 5,000 fatalities daily around the world, thus average yearly loss totals 2 to 2.3 million work-related deaths. Around 350,000 of those result from se-vere occupational incidents and 1.7 to 2 million are caused by work-related diseases. The KIOSH project of Kazakh-stan’s petroleum industry is yet another initiative supporting the ideas of World Day for Safety and Health at Work. It essen-tially serves as important venue to discuss safety aspects in all areas of human activity, share ideas and experience in occu-pational safety. The project’s primary goal is to bring down the DAW and fatalities record, reduce the risks of incidents in hazardous operations, minimize potential negative impact on the environment and community and increase labor productivity. KIOSH has already claimed its role of the number one in-dustry event in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which includes a conference, an exhibition, a roundtable and workshops. Addressing the attendees with her greetings was Minister of Labor and Social Protection Gulshara Abdykalikova. Among other speakers making their reports on the initial day of the event were executive officers of related ministries and state agencies, renowned interna-tional experts, CEOs of lead-ing companies in the petroleum sector, heads of large trading

Memory of HeartThe wartime and the days of the final victory our brave soldiers won from German fascism become more remote past each year. Today, very few veterans make it to the streets and city squares to join the solemn marches and crowds of people celebrating Victory Day. However, the Victory Day parade on the 9th of May in Atyrau with thousands of people, old and the young, march toward the Eternal Flame in the Victory Memorial Park looks like a river of sorrow, sympathy and proud memory, as its flow seems to never lose its energy and emotional power. This holy date and the high cost of the victory is embedded on our memory and kept in our hearts forever, therefore the glory of the brave heroes will never fade away.

Perhaps, some of our younger expatriate colleagues may won-der why we keep celebrating the Victory Day as a true nation-wide event of tremendous importance. It seems to me, just to know the num-bers of losses and the scale of mili-tary operations of WWII, even the facts about the German fascism and its inhuman ideas which led to unleashing the most bloody and cruel warfare in the history of man-kind is not enough to understand what a heavy toll the war took on the minds and hearts of people. We measure such things not only men-tally, but take them very close to heart, because the Great Patriotic War has impacted almost every family, so in each home you will find at least a faded out photo, or a soldier’s letter from the front, or a fragile piece of paper that turned yellow and crisp with the years – the unmistakable death notifica-tion sent by the military command. They serve as a breathtaking echo of that time of ordeal. From my early childhood I have been bearing in my heart the pre-cious memory of by Grandfather, Orazymbet Kobtleov, whom I never met. He was born in Guryev in 1908, lived in the Kirpichny rural suburb and worked as a loader at the co-operative warehouse. My Grand-pa was married to my Granny, Sharkhat, and they had a son. In January of 1942 my Grandfather was drafted by the Guryev military commissariat and assigned to the Rifle Division #418. Then he fin-ished a short-term training at the Armor School in Orenburg and soon was sent to the front near Leningrad. He kept sending let-ters home, but the last one arrived in May of 1942. Some time later a formal notification came from the military commissariat saying Ora-zymbet Kobtleov “was missing in action in May of 1942.”This is the biography of my Grand-dad, just a few lines and a life story short-stopped mercilessly by the war. My Grandma remained a widow, all alone with her son two years old and her pregnant daughter, my fu-ture Mom.

This sad story, I heard when I was a child from my Mother. Yet, start-ing from 14 years of age, I began thinking of trying to find out what happened to my Grandfather and, perhaps, his burial place. Now for almost twenty years, I together with my Mom and uncle have been trying to find at least some data. Back in 1988 we sent a request to the Ministry of Defense Central Archive in Podolsk, yet to no avail. Possibly, this is due to the fact the Kazakh name could be spelt incor-rectly in military records, hence the problem.Sometimes I feel a strong pain in my heart, thinking where my Granddad could be buried. Maybe that is some communal grave, or, perhaps, a small grassed hill with a red star on top of a rusty obelisk. In 2001, I sent a letter to the popu-lar TV program called “Wait for me”, so they posted my note and a single photo of my Grandfather on their website. Also, I continue to try to find at least some facts about him through Memorial NGO. Many thanks to the students of Atyrau In-stitute of Oil & Gas led by renowned historian and ethnographer Profes-sor Afanasyev, who support my pursuit.The name of my Granddad has been entered on the Atyrau Oblast Bozdaktar Book of Memory, how-ever, the record only mentions the fact he was drafted to the military during the wartime and took part in action.I truly hope my continued attempts will yield a positive result, finally. The memory of heart makes me feel restless, and now it has be-come the legacy inherited by my children, Orazymbet Kobtleov’s great grandsons.In our country the heroes fallen in the battlefield are generally referred in the saying No-one and nothing is forgotten, which is similar to Lest we forget in English. This is why I shared with the readers what I treasure in my memory of heart.

By Gulsara Sagiyeva,SEP Project specialist, granddaughter of World War II soldier

companies, representatives of international associations pur-suing their activity in the area of occupational safety and health, executive managers of large pro-duction companies and tools and machinery producers. Tengizchevroil made its input, in-troducing the participants to its ef-fective solutions and innovations in the area of occupational safety and health (OSH). Speaking on behalf of TCO with an overview of Tengizchevroil’s achievements in operational and environmental safety was Dastem Zhassanov, Regulatory Affairs consultant, who was eager to share best practices in transportation safety management and safety culture development. More interesting scientific re-search findings and innovations in the area of OSH were present-ed to the audience on day two of the KIOSH conference by profes-sors and researchers of various think tanks in Kazakhstan and the UK, specifically, the IOSH Institute of Great Britain, the As-fendiyarov Kazakhstan National Medical University, the Karagan-da State University and Hygiene and Occupational Health Nation-al Center under Ministry of Public Health. The KIOSH Exhibition introduced its visitors to the most recent in-novations in OSH, including con-temporary individual protective equipment, safety gear, fittings and textile fabric for safety suits, safety boots, respirators, hard-hats, safety glasses and gloves, metering instruments, safety gear for builders and industrial high rise works, air cleaning systems, collective protective equipment and more. The attendees were surprised by and admired the new products of Borkit Company, particularly the innovative, creative solu-tions in design of hardhats, which look like baseball hats, and styl-ish safety boots looking exactly like sports shoes. Said Bereket Ibraev, TCO HES Manager in Tengiz, “We have been contract-ing with Borkit Co. for quite some time, purchasing individual pro-tective equipment for TCO staff,

so we can say we are happy with this local provider, and our cooperation continues and proves extremely productive.”More comment was contributed by Nurtas Kenganov, deputy general manager of TCO OE-HES, who suggested, “Next year we should probably rein-force our delegation by repre-sentatives of other TCO depart-ments, like Operations, medical, HR and also labor unions.” He also added his impressions, saying, “KIOSH Exhibition defi-nitely gives a great chance to see innovations and draw on best practices.”The conference held this time under the motto “Pursuing total safety” appeared extremely use-ful in terms of sharing achieve-ments and best practices in occupational safety and health. The experience and knowledge sourced by attendees from KI-OSH 2012 will surely help do-mestic companies to further en-hance their safety performance. But the most pleasant impres-sion from the KIOSH 2012 event is the fact TCO took the Safest Company of the Year title.In his congratulatory remarks at the award ceremony Vice Min-ister of Labor and Social Secu-rity Birzhan Nurymbetov said, “I am happy to always cite Ten-gizchevroil as model company where every employee, from general director to roustabout treat safety as the highest prior-ity.”In our turn, we are very proud to celebrate the superior per-formance and recognition of all our colleagues, knowing that the Safest Company of the Year title is the product of a dedicated col-lective effort and personal con-tribution made by each member of the team at his workplace. Please accept our warmest greetings and congratulations! Wishing you continued success and the best of health!

Olga Filyushkina, OE/HES coordinator on behalf of TCO delegation at KIOSH 2012

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PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUEAtyrau community discussed Future Growth

ProjectOn Friday, April 13 the auditorium of the Renaissance Hotel in Atyrau hosted public hearings on prelimi-nary Environmental Impact Assess-ment (EIA) of Tengizchevroil’s Future Growth Project (FGP). This was the second session; the first FGP public hearings were held in August of 2010 in Kulsary. The event gathered about 200 people, including representatives of government agencies, business community, public organizations, NGOs, educational establishments, residents of Atyrau and Zhylyoi Re-gion and media. Chairing the public hearings was Magauya Cherdabayev, president of Environment and Safety of Living In-ternational Academy, Atyrau branch, who introduced the audience to the agenda and the procedure of public hearings. Delegated to the Presidium of the meeting were Bolat Daukenov, Deputy Akim of the Atyrau Oblast, Tim Miller, general director of Ten-gizchevroil and Rzabek Artygaliyev, general manager of TCO Policy, Government and Public Affairs. Act-ing as secretaries on the registry board were officers of the Atyrau Oblast government and representa-tives of Tengizchevroil. In his opening remarks Bolat Dauke-nov emphasized the strategic impor-tance of the project discussed and its strong impact on the development of both local and national economy. Speaking of the benefits, Deputy Akim noted, in particular, that FGP is expected to add 12 million tonnes per year of total production of crude oil in the Atyrau Oblast and create new jobs which will play a critical role in further increasing the standard of living of local residents. In the mean-time, he also mentioned the growth of the man-caused impact on the lo-cal environment. In view of this fact, the ideas and recommendations of the local community at large and opinion-leaders with regard to the environmental aspects of the given project are deemed extremely valu-able and will be, for sure, very use-ful to its practical implementation in environmentally responsible manner. Mr. Daukenov called on the residents of the region and all stakeholders to take an active part in the proac-tive planning and execution of FGP through giving practical recommen-dations, contributing expert advice and articulating concerns which should be properly addressed. Then the floor was given to TCO general director Tim Miller, who updated

the attendees on the project status, saying FGP is currently in the early engineering phase, and all techni-cal parameters will be made avail-able after the detailed engineering is finally completed. He also briefed the audience on the superior value the project will create for the com-munity and Kazakhstan economy through creating new jobs, offering vast opportunities for local labor pro-

of FGP feasibility study was Kairat Baikulov, representative of respec-tive company in charge, who spoke about the project concept and shared on its future implementation.Sergei Pleskach speaking on behalf of EcoProject LLP, the company ex-ecuting the preliminary EIA for FGP, made available to the audience the data of research completed to date

to 36 million metric tonnes per year has not been properly substantiated from the environmental standpoint. According to him, the upstream op-erations in Tengiz produce a general negative impact on the environment. Speaking next at the hearings was Askar Rziyev, a local elder from Zhylyoi Region, who appraised the input Tengizchevroil has made to the

the questions asked by the audience demonstrated the local residents cared of many aspects of petroleum industry companies’ activities in the given region. In particular, they have been watching carefully the activities of Tengizchevroil, including placing a strong focus on issues ranging from environmental impact to the increase of local labor employment and involvement in the improving of the standard of living in local com-munities. Among the issues of pri-mary importance to the communities raised were the renovation of Atyrau – Tengiz highway, effective industrial wastewater management, the inde-pendent monitoring of local environ-ment and making its data available to local NGOs, the improvement of Zhy-lyoi and Atyrau public health facilities opportunities, archeological surveys in locations of future construction sites and measures to protect the historical, archeological and cultural sites, employment opportunities and internship for the undergraduates of the Kulsary Vocational School (social project of TCO), additional monitor-ing stations in the Sanitary Protection Zone, reduction of sulfur inventory, active sulfur marketing and research of new uses of sulfur in Kazakhstan. Many of the above questions were answered on the spot by representa-tives of respective TCO groups, while those needing more insight into the matter and more detail was properly handled by TCO specialists and re-sults reported in writing. Making a re-cap of the public hearings in Atyrau, Tim Miller, TCO General Director, spoke of appreciation of the aware-ness and attention demonstrated by local residents to TCO activities. He reassured the audience and stake-holders saying FGP will make a sig-nifican contribution to local economy and create employment opportuni-ties to the citizens of Kazakhstan and residents of Atyrau and Zhylyoi re-gion in particular. In general the pub-lic hearings have evolved into an ex-cellent venue for productive dialogue and sharing of views between Ten-gizchevroil and the local community. Many ideas and issues have been proposed for review and discussion, many critical issues raised and prob-lems highlighted for TCO to consider carefully in the project engineering and further execution.

By Botagoz Kulshayeva, PGPA Specialist for FGP

Dear Colleagues,

Dick Filgate, after serving four years as Tengizchevroil Production Operations general manager and 42 years of distinguished service to Chevron, has elected to retire in May. Dick joined Chevron in 1970 as a production engineer in Alberta, Canada. Dick has served in a variety of operational leadership positions at some of Chevron’s most dynamic assets in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, Nigeria and Kazakhstan. Dick has also served in corporate leadership roles such as general manager of Base Business and general manager of Operational Excellence. As Production Operations GM, Dick’s experience and leadership have been critical in the successful start-up and optimization of the Second Generation

Brad Middleton - TCO Production Operations General Manager Organizational Capability in Houston, Texas. Brad has also served in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility in Thailand, Nigeria and Indonesia. Some of our colleagues might remember Brad from his 2000-2003 service at Tengizchevroil when he developed the 2002 Tengiz Technological Scheme as part of the SGI reservoir management group in Camberley, United Kingdom. Brad holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Louisiana State University.

Please join us in welcoming Brad and his wife, Lisa, who will be joining us in Atyrau later this year.

Best regards,Tim Miller

General Director

Plan and deployment of base business processes into Tengizchevroil. Dick and Jackie have been a wonderful addition to our company and community and they will be missed deeply. Please join me in thanking the Filgates for their service and wishing them the very best in their retirement.

It is my pleasure to introduce Brad Middleton who will follow Dick as Production Operations general manager in May. Brad has more than 25 years of experience in leadership in operations, petroleum engineering and strategic planning. Most recently, Brad has led Chevron’s Corporate Strategic Planning department in San Ramon, California. Previously, he served as general manager of Chevron Global Upstream and Gas

fessional development, higher Ka-zakhstan content through contracting with more local suppliers of goods and services across Kazakhstan with a special focus on the Atyrau Oblast and Zhylyoi Region. Taking the floor next was Rzabek Artygaliyev, gen-eral manager of TCO Policy, Govern-ment and Public Affairs updating the audience on TCO’s safety record, emissions control data, the status of sulfur inventory and results of suc-cessful sulfur marketing strategy and also quoted the latest TCO report on corporate social responsibility. Mei-ram Shldenov, speaking on behalf of FGP team, shared the expectations of the project’s strong positive impact on the local labor market. According to his data, the total of 15,000 new jobs will be created at FGP at the peak of construction phase, includ-ing 500 permanent positions nec-essary for future operation of newly built facilities. The spokesperson also expanded on the practical ben-efits of the project to the Republic of Kazakhstan and Atyrau Oblast. Intro-ducing the attendees to the core facts

characterizing the potential impact of the project on the environment. His presentation contained data charac-terizing the chief sources of project impact, including air emissions, the use of freshwater, industrial wastes, the impact on vegetation, soils, wild-life, the results of comprehensive assessment and measures to be taken to minimize potential impact on the environment. In the follow-ing discussion the floor was given to Makhambet Khakimov, leader of Caspi Tabigati NGO, who specifically addressed the concept of module-type construction of FGP facilities, giving recommendations to consider the water canal, the highway and vessels to be used for transporting module structures to Tengiz. He also voiced a few concerns with regard of the gas injection concept, operational costs and enhanced production. Taking the floor next was Academi-cian Muftakh Diarov, director of Re-gional Research Center for environ-mental problems at Atyrau Institute of Oil & Gas. Mr. Diarov claimed the plan to increase production in Tengiz

region as very positive. He thanked the company management for main-taining a continuous contact with the community of Zhylyoi, including through hosting meetings with local residents and administration in Kul-sary prior to the hearings with the purpose of sharing ideas of further expansion and collecting feedback. He made a special focus on the is-sue of formation water produced by gas injection and also recommended to revisit the route of the highway projected for FGP. In addition to the above, he also raised the issue of the quality of gas supplied to local com-munities and the provision of indus-trial water for New Karaton. These two issues were raised before the Oblast government. Tokzhan Kizato-va, leader of Demos Public Society in her remarks at the hearings reported a certain progress she has observed in the way TCO has been treating local opinion-leaders. However, she mentioned the employment practices of TCO were deemed by her as lack-ing transparency. In the questions and answers session that followed

№5 (179) 2012 5CHESM 2012 Forum

CHESM at TCO stands for Contractor Health and Safety Management process which is a whole sophisticated system of requirements, methods and organizational measures extending Tengizchevroil’s philosophy of operational safety to contractors across the board.

Over some period of time, TCO was holding annual CHESM fo-rums in Atyrau and Tengiz to analyze the safety performance. Normally those were regular meetings with reports made by managers, instructions and an award ceremony to recog-nize the best in safety contrac-tors. In other words, everything was done properly, yet at times looked rather boring…Comment by Nurlan Jackiyev, CHESM Group Supervisor – After the 2011 Forum the CHESM Leadership Team arrived at the conclusion that the used format of the event became outdated,

ineffective and disliked by many, thus a new one had to be de-signed. What we were looking for was a type of meeting that would pro-vide a more sensible and useful content and an active interaction with the process sponsors. With this idea in mind, we suggested a safety fair format, so all in-volved could hold a sort of panel discussions to share ideas and problems, and necessarily pro-pose newer methods of work. The preparation for the 2012 CHESM Forum started three months ahead of time, yet from the middle of December, 2011. We decided to split the entire event into three phases: (1)the introductory session to review safety records and set new tar-gets; (2) a safety fair and (3) the award and recognition ceremony in the finishing part. The organi-zation of the safety fair appeared the most complicated challenge, because the majority of people involved had no background ex-perience in this type of activities. Honestly speaking, we encoun-tered multiple problems, howev-er, the concept was very attrac-tive and workable, thus we had sufficient motivation to overcome all difficulties and meet the chal-lenge. In the first place, we need-ed to explain to the people the safety fair did not imply we will act as peddlers trading hardhats and safety glasses. What we actually meant was selling and buying into ideas and the new vi-

sion. Our enthusiasts undertook to prepare a dozen of special displays dedicated to different safety-related topics which re-flected practical areas of health and occupational safety relevant to contractors, such asprotection of hands, pinch points, behavioral safety rules, Incident investigation, Leader-ship in HES, Lifting and loading works, Functions of Ve-hicle Drive Observation (VDO) keys, Working at heights, Train-ing of BBS observers, Drunk driving, Eye and face protection, “Disgraceful” toolssaid N. Jackiyev, “we assigned different groups at TCO and Contractors in charge of prepar-ing the above topics. Some of the subjects selected originally contained a touch of irony which was done so purposely in order to add some intrigue and enliven our event. This added more flex-ibility, creativity and attraction to CHESM in general. All the three components of the forum were eventually built into a solid and logical format. The substantial comprehensive reports made by Richard Filgate, Operations General Manager and Ops man-ager Robert Dobrick in the open-ing session highlighted the focus areas and outlined priorities in working with contractors to en-hance safety and cultivate safety

culture. When later the attendees moved from the auditorium to the area of displays and stands, they were able to visualize the prac-tical content of safety rules. By the way Dick Filgate admired the Disgraceful Tools exhibit with a large collection of makeshift tools. Using those rusty bars, de-fective and lopsided implements could, probably, theoretically help lift or whop something, but, for sure, would lead to a trauma or severe injury. Such type of de-vices of own design are banned at TCO, yet occasionally found used by contractors’ staff and, of

course, immediately confiscated. These are truly disgraceful facts that must be ruled out totally. The stand opposite the Disgraceful Tools offered the certified appli-ances and mechanisms which are definitely a safer option and normally minimize the risk of in-jury. The Drunk Driving section seemed to be the hit of the day. If somebody had imagined he would see a kiosk selling beer and vodka and offered a drunk driving test after, that was a wrong expectation. But the juice of irony was provided by the re-sourceful team of designers. The visitors were offered a collection of drunk goggles with distorted lenses simulating intoxicated vi-sion, working exactly like various stages of alcoholization. Makhabbat Murzina, HES con-sultant with Cameron put on the lite version and tried to walk the straight line, yet in vain. Robert Dobrick volunteered to try the

severe degree on, yet could not stand it for long. He took the glasses off and shook his head to rid of their strong bifurcating effect. Well, the tests were fun no doubt, but also proved very effective, visual and convincing, because exactly simulated how a tipsy driver feels on the road and reassured everybody about imminent ramifications of drunk driving. Comment by Andrei Shakhma-tov, OE/HES specialist –I am in charge of the road safety section at the fair, and we offer the so-called drunk glasses to

volunteers. Our objective is to let the person feel how this hap-pens in reality and assess the risk. What happens is the drunk glasses totally block the side vi-sion and produce the tunnel vi-sion effect which slows down re-action and hampers coordination of movements. The test is simple, yet the result is practically invari-able. Not a single individual man-aged to drive correctly and resist the drunken effect 100 percent. I am positive all who tried the test will now know for sure the drunk driver is a serious hazard. Many thanks to TCO Logistics repre-

sentatives Irina Korobeinikova and Erkin Kunarov for their sup-port. I am also wishing safe work and the best of health to all who attended our annual safety fo-rum.All the ten sections of the ex-hibit gathered many people and caused lively discussions. The attendees of the forum knew a lot of interesting facts, while the contractors representatives realized the importance of oc-cupational health and safety procedures. They appreciated the strong focus TCO has been placing on safety and health, and could see how the safety aware-ness has become a part of TCO employees’ normal behavior. Comment by Abulkhair Jan-gaziyev, coordinator of Safety Rules and Safe Work Manage-ment Group – I introduce the visitors to the Hands Protection and Pinch Points section. We had a special video made for it and a collec-tion of posters to tell about the

typical pinch hazards and re-lated protection gear and meth-ods. We also held a Pick the Right IPE interactive game, qa discussion and a contest aimed at advising the employees how to correctly choose the right pro-tective gloves for various types of works. Our attendees particu-larly enjoyed the Want to be a Safety Champ? quiz game. I am happy to say both the Safety Fair and forum were success and we received positive feedback. The visitors were very active and asked many questions. We be-lieve such events help develop a stronger understanding and cooperation between TCO work groups and contractors, and definitely enhance the safety cul-ture. In the finishing part of the forum Steve Messer acting as CHESM process sponsor at TCO recog-nized the contractors demon-strating the best safety aware-ness and Occupational Safety and Health performance. Many contractors are recognized among the sector leaders proud of their safety records and safety culture. For example, such are TCO contractors involved in SEP and WTF Projects which recently achieved best in sector record of DAFW. Meanwhile, even the award and recognition ceremony was marked with a touch of cre-ativity. At the fair the attendees were given tickets to take part in the raffle, so now the time came for the drawing. Natilia Teriokh-ina, HES inspector for Atyrau-Tengiz Construction Service Company was a happy winner of a gift certificate for purchase of goods at Technodom super-markets. We approached Natalia and asked about her preference in choosing a memorial gift that would remind her of the Safety Forum. - I am not sure yet, be-cause I am considering a few op-tions. I wish I could buy a VCR and a quality digital camera. But, perhaps, I will do one thing at a time. Many thanks to the organiz-ers of the forum. Such events of-fer a brilliant opportunity to know more about your specific area of work and share ideas with peo-ple. I am wishing good luck to all and safe work. Observe safety rules! It is important to remember one thing: There is always time to do the job safely. To compromise safety for early completion of work is a bad idea, because we all must return home to our fami-lies safe and sound. Guess the above can serve an appropriate final statement for our report about CHESM 2012 Safety Forum. I can only add it gathered the total of 177 attend-ees representing 60 companies. We are hoping our story will be continued as the companies build on their success in estab-lishing the best safety practices and benchmarking on the high-est safety records.

By G. Trukhin

№5 (179) 20126

Blitz Campaign to support Safety!

The 2012 TCO Key Focus Areas were determined as a result of the analysis of the incidents which occurred in TCO and Contractor companies in 2011. Having studied the root causes, the nature and frequency of these incidents, Company Management decided to prioritize the 2012 Safety Key Focus Areas as follows: Quarter 1– Pinch Points, Quarter 2 – Working at height, Quarter 3 – Eye and Face Protection, Quarter 4 – Slips, Trips and Falls.

According to the statistics, there were 5 pinch-point related injuries recorded

among TCO workforce in 2011. The root cause of the incidents was the employee was in a rush to finish up the task and neglect-ed to follow safe work practices.

For the purpose of preventing pinch point incidents, a Blitz Campaign was conducted in the 1st quarter of this year. As part of this campaign TCO OE/HES Department and respec-tive BBS Steering Committee representatives developed de-tailed information on the key fo-

Facility. The participants had discussions on Pinch Points. Employees were asked various questions related to TCO Tenets of Operation, Stop Work Author-ity and checked their skills to identify pinch points at work ar-eas and accommodations. Also, every worker left their hand mark on an interactive poster as a sign of their commitment

work places. The workers who actively took part in contests and quizzes were recognized too. The participants of Q1 Blitz

it is to follow safety rules when it comes to eliminat-ing pinch points.

Working at height is the 2012 Q2 Key Focus Area for the entire TCO work-force. To support this, an announcement was post-ed on TCO News. Working at height safety informa-tion materials have been developed including pre-sentations, a safety bulle-tin, a poster and reminder

cards. The Working at heights checklist for use in site visits has been updated. The 1Q and 2Q materials mentioned above are available on the Operational Ex-cellence Process Support web-page in quick links.

There is no doubt that presenta-tions, instructions, procedures, bulletins, posters, reminder cards, check lists are a good tool to prevent personnel injuries, but the most critical thing for every employee is to complete job hazard analysis, conduct a sound assessment of the cor-rect work procedures, and make the good decisions – these are the greatest tools to ensure inci-dent-free operations!

OE/HES MSW and BBS Groups

Industry lawyers discussed priority issuesThe total about 200 delegates from various countries attended the International Conference of Petroleum Industry Lawyers hosted by Tengizchevroil in late April, now for the tenth time. Industry lawyers, researchers, oilmen and business people interested in discussing topical issues and analyzing legal practices in Kazakhstan petroleum industry gathered in Atyrau.

The subject of the confer-ence co-sponsored by TCO Negotiations & Legal and

Kazakhstan Petroleum Industry Lawyers Association (KPLA) was Problems and Outlook of Natural Resources Management in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The forums of petroleum indus-try lawyers held in Atyrau on a regular basis have always gener-ated a strong interest among lo-cal and international community. This happens not only because these expert meetings scrutinize the practical application of the law in the lead sector of Kazakhstan national economy. In fact, the is-sues placed on the agenda are equally important to other sec-tors of Kazakhstan economy. It is common knowledge that, cour-tesy of the forum of petroleum industry lawyers, many priority issues related to oil and gas in-dustry have been raised before Kazakhstan legislators, regulato-ry and law enforcement agencies as requiring amendments of the existing law in order to effectively settle problems stalemating the sector development. As a rule,

such problems also appear typical for the entire economy, hence the urgency of the issue. Eventually, all those efforts and initiatives of KPLA proved very productive and beneficial to all key players and stakeholders. Offering welcome greetings to the delegates of Atyrau Conference of Petroleum Industry Lawyers were deputy Akim of the Atyrau oblast B. Daukenov, acting general di-rector of Tengizchevroil R. Filgate, Mrs. Sally Udoma, General Coun-sel Chevron Europe, Eurasia & Middle East Exploration & Produc-tion (CEEMEEP), A. Kravchenko, arbiter of Republic of Kazakhstan Supreme Court of Justice and S. Bogolyubov, head of department at Institute of Law and Compara-tive Legal Science under the Rus-sian Government.The participants listened to and dis-cussed the total of thirteen reports on the chief subject of the confer-ence analyzing various aspects of law application in the petroleum in-dustry, including the following:- Attraction of the land use in Ka-zakhstan as potential investment and related problems & prospects

– report by Zh. Yelyubayev, Doctor of legal Science, executive legal advisor for Chevron Eurasia BU;-Independence of courts in Ka-zakhstan – report by S. Vataev, partner to legal firm Dechert LLP; - Economic mechanisms of envi-ronmental protection – report on activities of Warsaw OECD Inter-national Forum, made by Profes-sor L. Erkinbayeva, Doctor of Legal Science, deputy director of Zhety-su State University in Almaty;- Legal Regulation of M&A activi-ties in Kazakhstan petroleum sec-tor – report by V. Kim, senior advi-sor to Aequitas legal firm;- Settling of legal disputes in the petroleum sector by Kazakhstan

competent courts – report by Zh. Merkusheva, executive partner to Merkusheva & Partners legal firm;- Prevention of disputes in con-nection with fulfillment of license terms: related problems and pros-pects – report by Mrs. Betanelli, lawyer for legal firm Sherman & Sterling LLP, France.The Conference demonstrated a lively discussion and active inter-action and was marked by mutual understanding and the spirit of constructive cooperation. In the final session of the confer-ence the delegates listened to the summaries by Professor Suleimen-ov, Academician of the ROK Na-tional Academy of Sciences and A.

Ramazanov, head of department of Environmental Protection and Use of Natural Resources Parlia-mentary Committee, who praised the activity of the lawyers’ forum as very productive and useful. The minutes of the Conference, including texts of reports, will be published and made available to all interested parties.

By Alexander Borzilov,Advisor, Legal & Negotiations Department

the KTL Plant, the Field Opera-tions office, TCO and Shanyrak villages, TCO Headquarters in Atyrau, and the Water Treatment

to Safety. Those workers who answered questions received Pinch Point Hazard stickers to point out the pinch points at their

Campaign noted the high effi-ciency, value and relevancy of such events as it helped each participant to realize how critical

cus area which was published in the TCO Daily News. The local BBS Steering Committees and Contractor companies made rel-evant posters and placed them at different sites throughout TCO facilities. In addition, onsite meetings with work responsible people were held. Lastly, inter-active events devoted to Hand Protection were conducted at

№5 (179) 2012 7TCO at recruitment

fairThe employment and recruitment fair is an effective tool used by Kazakhstan universities recently. Normally, this happens in the spring time. Before final exams start, universities throw their doors open to welcome headhunters representing large Kazakhstani companies and joint ventures willing to meet with the senior students and graduates. The function of such events is very obvious – Kazakhstan pursues to build a strong potential of qualified human resources able to meet the challenges of the present day and future, and on this way it seeks the support of business to offer productive internships and help with successive employment of university graduates. Such forward looking strategy of the state proves very practical and effective. The graduates receive a good chance to find an interesting job utilizing their specific line of profession, while the employers use a brilliant opportunity to meet with their potential workforce, hold interviews, communicate company requirements and expectations, inform the applicants about vacancies and evaluate the standard of training with the help of special tests.

Tengizchevroil among many other companies takes part in such events on an annual

basis. For example, each year TCO Finance sends a large group of managers and specialists, including recent recruits from various univer-sities to attend the Spring Employ-ment & Recruitment Fair at KIMEP. In meetings with the students, TCO envoys tell the history of the joint venture, introduce the audience to its multiple areas of activity, com-pany mission, vision and strategic objectives and explain the superior value TCO creates for Kazakhstan’s national economy. TCO representa-tives show videos and make reports on various subjects, but what is the most important – young specialists of TCO Finance and ex-graduates of KIMEP share how they feel about TCO employees, about the team spirit and challenges they face as well as the opportunities for the

university graduates to utilize the knowledge and skills they develop at the university and unfold their po-tential of creativity. Gulmaira Eskalieva, lead specialist of TCO HR staff recruitment group explained that TCO has been also introducing itself on a regular basis at similar events hosted by other universities across Kazakhstan, in-cluding by the Atyrau Dosmukhan-betov University and Atyrau Institute of Oil & Gas. She said, “It so happens TCO Fi-nance, HR, Supply Chain Man-agement (SCM and Operational Excellence/Health, Safety and En-vironmental (OE-HES) are the most active among TCO departments attending employment/recruitment fairs. This is a very natural behavior at the labor market. To fill the posi-tions available at TCO we need en-gineers, IT specialists and people trained in professions related to the area of finance and bookkeeping. Each year, based on the results of in-terviews and tests we hire on a com-petitive basis around 20 to 30 young recruits as employees. For example, in 2012, we selected the total of 68 graduates, who performed well at the preliminary test, so in May the winners of the first round will stand the second test, now in Tengiz. Lat-er, based on the results of the tests and interviews we will have the final list of those to whom we can offer jobs at Tengizchevroil. According to Gulmaira, the gradu-ates of Atyrau-based universities have been demonstrating a fairly good standard of training. In Febru-ary of 2012, the Atyrau Institute of Oil & Gas hosted preliminary tests. As

a result, 26 graduates were invited in Tengiz to take part in the second round of testing. Overall, today the standard of training at Kazakhstani universities is fairly high which is the result of close cooperation be-tween the business community and universities. As part of employment/recruitment fairs, productive discus-sions are held where the companies and universities share their vision of priority issues and areas of coop-eration, discuss the short and long-term objectives and ways to better organize internship and recruitment procedures. They also review plans to hold meetings, conferences and workshops to effectively pursue the common cause. All the above efforts will, hopefully, help Kazakhstani universities to train qualified spe-cialists, strong both in theory and practical skills,” underlined Gulmaira Eskalieva. We also need to recognize the im-portant role TCO HR has been play-ing in planning and organizing of recruitment fairs. In most cases, the ultimate positive result and strong impact of such events are courtesy of strong professionalism, dedica-tion and teamwork of TCO HR man-agers and specialists.

Yet, back to the meetings held at KIMEP, we need to honest-ly praise them as the bright-

est events marked by the strongest interaction and productivity. All in all, the fair at KIMEP was attended by 50-plus foreign and local companies doing business in various sectors of the national economy. The event attracted a great number of visi-tors, including university students

Gulmaira Eskaliyeva

The merry challenges of BarysBarys NGO is a recently formed or-ganization made in Kulsary under the Social Investment Program of Tengizchevroil. Its primary area of activity is advertisement of physical culture and sports. This NGO has already been given credit by local community for its leadership in or-ganizing 2011 Kulsary City Olym-pics and multiple sports competi-tions. During the long months of last fall and winter, both the old and the young champions of physical culture and healthy way of life practiced and exercised in various sections, mostly inside gyms. Now that the spring is back, Barys in partnership with TCO organized the first outdoor competi-tions held under the motto “Mom,

Dad and I are one great family of Sportsmen”. This initiative along with the chess tournament became extremely popular among local resi-dents – employees of state-owned enterprises, public organizations and municipal services.

Among the active participants were the three families of Zhylyoi military commissariat officers forming three teams, namely, Arlan Team – the Abilkanovs, Zhas Ulan Team – the Erzhanovs and Tulpar Team made of the members of the Orynbekovs family. The courses completed by the competitors were fun, indeed. Both the parents and the children faced multiple challenges and dem-

special efforts are made to identify potential candidates from the Atyrau Oblast and western Kazakhstan.”Interestingly enough, among the team of TCO Finance which contrib-uted a lot to the perfect organization of the event in Almaty were former KIMEP graduates, including Zemfira Shamileva, senior financial analyst with TCO Internal Control and Niyaz Shapakov, bookkeeper for Accounts Payable. Said Niyaz, “It was a great pleasure for me to be part of this event and I was honored to act on behalf of Tengizchevroil Finance in my former Alma Mater. I spoke to the students and faculty, saying I was happy to work at TCO and consider TCO one of the best companies in Kazakh-stan, because it creates the best and safest working environment. Also, it truly cares of the young specialists and supports them, providing pro-fessional training and promoting to positions of higher responsibility.”After her four years working at TCO, Zemfira Shamileva can say with confidence she made the right choice starting her career with Ten-gizchevroil. “Tengizchevroil provides plenty of opportunities for career growth”, she said. – “Here we can both apply and further develop our knowledge and skills received at the university. Working together with professionals from all over the world with different experience, we share best practices and develop new skills. I would also like to make a special point, rec-ognizing that working in such a big international company like TCO we improve leadership, communication, decision making and problem solv-ing skills which are very important to have in order to succeed in today’s business environment.”I can only agree with the above. To become a true professional it takes time and effort, and a strong commitment. The employers with a strong strategic vision need to bring on to their companies the best practices and effective programs of personnel development. In this area TCO is recognized as unquestioned leader, and this leadership is non-the-less important than the position of the petroleum sector champion by crude oil production.

By Aibar Khamiev

and graduates. This year, the del-egation of Tengizchevroil at KIMEP Recruitment Fair was recognized for its strong support in preparing and organizing the event which eventu-ally guaranteed its success. The attendees particularly praised the strong professionalism and creativ-ity of the TCO team. In addition to the handouts, displays and presen-tations, TCO Finance also produced a video featuring former KIMEP students, present-day TCO employ-ees sharing their impressions and ideas about working at TCO which definitely enhanced the interest of all attendees to Tengizchevroil. Please find below the comment by Raymond Butler, manager of work-force optimization and competence development group under TCO Fi-nance, who attended the event in Almaty and acted as organizer. He noted the students from all across Kazakhstan definitely we intereted in TCO as a potential employer and in recognition of its strong continu-ous focus on the environmental and operational safety, exemplary cor-porate social responsibility and ac-claimed leadership in Kazakhstan’s national economy. He said, “For several years, KIMEP has been a reliable source of talent for the TCO Finance Department and many of our current employees are KIMEP graduates. The fair takes place one day per year but TCO uses two addi-tional days - one for testing and the other for interviewing candidates. Our goal is to focus our search on KIMEP which has an excellent busi-ness curriculum and students from all over Kazakhstan. Although TCO selects on the very best students,

onstrated a strong will to win. They com-peted in relay, orienteering, tug of war and other events. While watching their parents crossing the barriers, the children tried hard to match and exhibit their fitness. Although some showed better than oth-ers, as is only natural with every normal competition, in the end we had no losers, because everybody was totally happy to be part of this event. The final standings placed Zhas Ulan team in the first place, and Tulpar and Arlan took the silver and bronze, respectively.

Attending the chess tournament were the local elders, who once used to be all-time champions of such events and never missed a single game. The winner’s title this time was awarded to Zhumagaliyev

Young TCO Employees

Erzhan, a renowned sportsman. Sagidolla Demesin took the silver and Kambar Seitov was the bronze medalist.

Dear readers, please do not miss the upcoming new sports events and prizes for grabs.

By Galiya Essenova

№5 (179) 20128

Green mission to KulsaryThis is believed to be a noble duty of every man to plant at least one tree, but to do a few at one time is, for sure, an achievement to admire. On Saturday, the 21st of April, the team of TCO Operational Excel-lence, Health, Safety and Environ-mental (OE-HES) Group acted in support of the Green Leaf initiative and also joining the activities on the eve of the Earth Day, an annual day on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appre-ciation of the Earth's natural envi-ronment. They mobilized volunteers to plant saplings on the property of School #1 in Kulsary. The weather encouraged the volunteers with sun-shine and cloudless skies. Follow-ing a short welcome ceremony and essential safety briefing, the 2012 school graduates in company with the school principal, instructors, at-

tendants and the team of TCO HES specialists pitched into the planting job. Each school graduate aspired to plant his personal tree and mark it in his own way. Fifty poplar sap-lings were planted that day in the park area of the school. The school management committed itself to providing sustainable watering and care of the trees.

This is not the first time our HES specialists visited this particular ed-ucational establishment. Last year, on the eve of World Environment Day this location was chosen for a Planet Earth – our common home presentation and environmental quiz game attended by senior stu-

dents. When we were saying good-bye, the school management and pupils approached us with a request

Kind heart knows no limits

A kind heart knows no lim-its, yet it often happens that a b i g - h e a r t e d

person tends to stay inconspicu-ous in life.

Ildar Alimgaliev, consultant with TCO Production Operations looked somewhat embarrassed when he heard about this letter. He strongly believes that good-ness should be low-profile and needs no publicity, because it is not the praise that creates the value of a noble deed. Doing goodness is a superior value all by itself, and it is as natural as a heartbeat. “We all trust it is so, indeed,” he tried to explain emo-tionally, as if apologizing, thus inadvertently shared the names of his friends involved. It turns out the three of them have been taking care of orphans for quite some time. “In 2006 I attended an advanced English class and met Taras Zhalimbetov of TCO IT Group and his friend Leo Gudimenko, a linguist for General Maintenance Group,” was the beginning of Ildar’s story. “We made friends and often discussed various top-ics, including community involve-ment. Somehow, we all arrived simultaneously at the thought that a citizen can contribute to the community more than just through sharing his knowledge and service at work. Soon we decided it was a good idea to

help the pupils of an orphanage in Atyrau. This happened exactly on the eve of Kurban-ait holiday observed in Kazakhstan.”The three guys later visited a few orphanages in Atyrau to see how they could help. The situa-tion in one such social establish-ments, the sanatorium for men-tally retarded children based in Leskhoz micro-region, looked really depressing to them, so the young fellows approached the director and, finally, received a wish-list on two pages listing badly needed items. Interest-ingly enough, 70 percent of all items were spare parts for a Niva jeep and the remaining 30 per-cent looked ambiguous because could be used either at the or-phanage or for personal house-hold. The paper contained not a single reference to the orphans’ priority needs. Apparently, some individuals tend to interpret charity incor-rectly. This is a problem.Luckily, Ildar, Taras and Leo are

by far no simpletons, so they could easily see something about that list of spare parts was fishy. They were determined to help, so decided to talk to Inkash Shureyeva, the housekeeper at the orphanage (she is now re-tired). The lady was touched by the young people’s sincere de-sire to take the orphans under their wing, so she showed them around and indicated all the outstanding problems, normally hushed by the management. It is sufficient to mention, albeit receiving a meager pay, almost all orphanage staffers have been bringing food from their homes to support the disabled children on a permanent basis.Said Ildar, “I could speak for hours about these noble people, the schoolmasters, the instruc-tors, the speech therapists, nurses and more, who treat the pupils as if they were their own children. Their patience is truly extraordinary.” According to Il-dar, they soon heard the director

of the orphanage was dismissed, and currently the situation has improved dramatically. “This institution is very special,” he continued his story. “The children stay there until the age of 14 to 15, and then they are placed in a similar sanatorium in the Village of Saraichek where they stay for their lifetime. Being disabled and in constant need of care and support, they cannot take care of themselves. After we saw the situation of those children, we decided to help them on a permanent ba-sis. Initially, our capabilities ap-peared very limited, because we were only the three of us. Our means stretched to very basic needs; and at that time the most wanted items were prescrip-tions. Because of cash-strapped budget the orphanage could not afford to buy the necessary drugs at all times. We thought this could not be tolerated, thus decided we must organize a fundraising action to collect the missing funds. In 2009, our fundraising initia-tive was given strong support after we wrote a message to all our friends and colleagues. It so happened the message was distributed beyond TCO, thus very soon we received a positive response from companies like Agip, Worley Parsons, Fircroft and KISOrion. Ever since the financial situa-tion of our project has improved significantly, so we could afford to organize holidays at the or-phanage on a regular basis. The raised funds were used to buy toys, clothes, even fancy dress-es and sponsor collective movie sessions. Most recently we organized an-other New Year’s party, now a regular event since 2011, and had enough funds to later hold the Woman’s Day festivities and

celebrate Nauryz, the Kazakh New Year. The remaining funds we are contemplating to use for yet another special event dedi-cated to the International Chil-dren’s Day.”Essentially, this is all the story, which has been given publicity all by chance. The three noble gentlemen, Il-dar, Taras and Leo continue to work at TCO and use their time to help disabled children. Nowa-days they are more than three, and their capabilities are different from what they could afford origi-nally. The three guys behave so not because they expect some recognition or gratitude. Anyway, this does not mean the children have absolutely no way to return courtesy.

Just imagine, the disabled chil-dren managed to score wonderful results at the Special Olympics. Not too many people in Atyrau are aware that the woman mini-football team of the Saraichek Boarding School took the silver at the 2010 Special Champion-ship in Poland. In June 2011 they took the silver and the bronze at the Special Olympics in Athens in table tennis. Furthermore, last February, in Astana, the wom-ens and mens teams of Sarai-chik School won the gold and the bronze, respectively, at the Floorball Championship.The above is not only the suc-cess of schoolmasters and coaches, but also happened courtesy of those volunteers, who became friends in need and friends in deed to the disabled children, helped them gain self-confidence and contributed to their socializing, all the calami-ties of life notwithstanding.

By G. Trukhin

Recently, director of Saraichek orphanage S. Gabdullin sent a complimentary letter to Tim Miller and Anuarbek Jackiyev, General Director and Deputy General Director of TCO in appreciation of TCO employee Ildar Alimgaliev's continuous support and assistance to the pupils of local orphanages.

to help with saplings for their gar-dening project, because they were aware of a similar initiative of TCO’s

in New Karaton village. We could not possibly disregard such a noble idea, so decided to join in and sup-ply the saplings.

Taking advantage of this article, I would like to give many thanks to my Tengiz-based colleagues and volunteers Binazir Akjmetova, Ole-sya Zhuravleva, Vitaliy Puzin, Nur-lan Jumageldinov and Vyacheslav Sazonov for their invaluable logisti-cal support and contribution in our joint project. Also, my special thanks to Galiya Essenova of TCO Policy, Government and Public Affairs for support in keeping contact with the school and true care.

The team of TCO OE-HES believes the tree planting in Kulsary should be made a tradition and making a difference in the world.

By Gulnar Taskali,TCO Environmental Communication Group Supervisor

Lev Gudimenko, Ildar Alimgaliyev and Taras Zhalimbeov

The make-up and layout of the Newsletter is done by the Department of Government and Public Affairs of LLP Tengizchevroil. The edition is printed at JSC «Leader Offset Printing Company» in Almaty. Printer’s

address: The Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Rayimbek Str., 212 A.

Office phone: 8 (7272) 68 55 68Number of copies printed – 1000. Order #

EDITORIAL BOARD:Tim MILLERAnuarbek JAKIYEVBrad MIDDLETONRzabek ARTYGALIEVMurat MUNBAYEVSholpan ALTYBAYEVASamat AZHENOV

This publication is registered by the Ministry of Culture, Information and Public Accord of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

License No.2482-Г issued on November 21, 2001. Address of the Editorial Board:

POB 060011, Republic of Kazakhstan, Atyrau, Satpaev Str., 3, HQ of LLP Tengizchevroil.Office phone: +7(712) 302-6248 / 6870.

FAX: +7(712) 302-6729. +7(712) 302-6752

This Edition of the Newsletter was produced

by the following team: Tolegen BERISHBAI,

Acting Chief Editor: Linsi CRAIN,

Georgy TRUKHIN, Aibar KHAMIEV.

Monthly Newsletter ofLLP Tengizchevroil. Printed in Kazakh, Russian and English.