Waste

Our production activities generate solid and liquid waste, including hazardous waste, such as oily sludge, waste chemicals, catalysts, and construction debris. Examples of non-hazardous waste include concrete not containing dangerous substances, welding waste, drilling wastes, mud without oil content, as well as mixed municipal waste, paper, and metal.

In addition, as a producer of plastics, we are deeply aware of the issue of plastic waste. Too often, unmanaged plastic waste is dumped in unsanitary landfills or burned, therefore increasing the risk of leakage into waterways, lakes, or oceans and thus causing negative impacts on the environment, marine life, and, potentially, human health. This section of the Sustainability Report focuses on waste management in our operations. (For more on end-of-life waste, please see the focus area Circular Economy.)

Specific Policies and Commitments

According to OMV’s Environmental Management Standard, all OMV Group businesses and activities are required to identify and to use the lowest hazardous material option as well as to minimize both the use of raw materials and the subsequent generation of waste. The following hierarchy is applied to control waste: prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, other recovery (e.g., energy recovery), and, lastly, disposal in a controlled manner. The disposal of liquids in landfills and the burning of solid and liquid materials in open burning pits or any other locations are not permitted.

The OMV Group Environmental Management Standard further requires that environmental and social components be identified for the entire life cycle of facilities, including decommissioning and abandonment, so that any future adaptation measures can be identified and planned for. The needs of local communities, including indigenous peoples, are incorporated and addressed throughout all phases of the project life cycle, including during decommissioning or abandonment.

Management and Due Diligence Processes

Application of Best Practices

International industry best practice is applied for the management and treatment of waste. Where existing local, regional, or national waste management facilities are inadequate, OMV supports third parties to develop their capability.

We also apply best practices in the management of drilling waste. For example, in our E&P OMV Petrom Crișana asset, inert drill cuttings stemming from water-based drilling waste are picked up by a waste management contractor and used as a stabilization agent for other waste (mostly sludge) along with other stabilization materials such as cement. The stabilized waste is subjected to a leaching test and, depending on the test results, can be used as a cover layer in non-hazardous waste landfills.

Recycling

Waste is recovered and recycled where possible, including during site closure and decommissioning. If recycling is not possible, all waste is processed and/or disposed of only in licensed facilities or via reputable licensed contractors. Waste contractors are regularly audited.

2021 Actions

Waste Recovery or Recycling Rate

In %

The following key activities were carried out across the Group in 2021:

• In 2021 we completed a challenging pilot project: the subsurface abandonment of the 805 Bustuchin well in Romania. The well was affected by a landslide, so we did consolidation work through a mining construction to reach the depth of 27 m. Land consolidation was necessary to cut and reconnect broken casings. In addition to the land slide and large area to be excavated, another challenge was working in a confined space and dangerous environment. We successfully restored the verticality of the casings with environmental benefits including the elimination of the blowout risk (the well is located in a forest area and closed to the community); the avoidance of gas emissions from the well area; and the aquifer being isolated in the excavation area.
• In 2021, OMV Petrom continued cleaning, remediation, and ecological reconstruction work on nine former fuel terminals, which started in 2019. This showcases the company’s commitment to responsible management of the end life of operations. Besides the around 145,000 m³ in petroleum-contaminated soil/subsoil, which was removed and treated in 2020, around 77,000 m³ of contaminated soil/subsoil was removed and treated in 2021 using site-specific methods in line with best practice (e.g., bioremediation technologies off-site, on-site, in-situ, in‑situ with injection). The bioremediation infrastructure includes 11 bioremediation plants, 4 final deposit and 8 temporary storage platforms, strategically distributed throughout Romania. Our state-of-the-art bioremediation plants receive contaminated soil from, e.g., abandonment works, accidental spill, and operation works, which is saved and then placed in batches. The addition of minerals, nutrients, structural materials, and water follows, after which it is aerated. Thus, the microbiological activity that leads to the degradation of petroleum products is stimulated. After several aeration cycles, soil samples are taken from each batch and the total oil hydrocarbon content is determined. Depending on the results of the analyses, the bioremediated soil is classified as backfill soil, used to fill excavations, stabilizations, leveling and final storage soil, which is stored in final deposits, which belong either to our Company or to third parties. We achieved a recovery rate of 99% for the contaminated soil treated, which we further used for on-site backfills or directed to other authorized locations. In 2022, we will continue with the site restoration of the old Constanța and Oradea fuel terminals.

Outlook

As part of our Strategy 2030, we plan to increase waste reuse and recycling from operations. In 2022, we plan to review the Waste Management Plans across OMV.