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17 May, 2010
The ICEM-Lukoil Global Framework Agreement, first negotiated in May 2004, was updated and extended last week for a further year at a meeting at Lukoil’s headquarters in Moscow.
By signing the document, OAO Lukoil confirms its adherence to the principles of the UNO Global Initiative, as well as to the basic labor and environmental principles specified in the conventions of the UNO and the ILO. Under the agreement, Lukoil intends to keep its employees’ lives and their health protection as a top priority in relation to production performance.
Signing the agreement were ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov, Russian Oil, Gas, and Construction Workers’ Union (ROGWU) Chairman Lev Mironov, and Georgy Kiradiev, Chairman of the Council for the International Association of Lukoil Trade Union Organizations (OAO LUKOIL IATUO).
From left, Georgy Kiradiev, Vagit Alekperov, Manfred Warda, Lev Mironov
Photo: Lukoil
Following the signature ceremony, the parties engaged in a detailed question and answer session, outlining each other’s views of the present situation in the global oil and gas industry, as well as forthcoming activities. Lukoil also presented an overview of recent investment decisions and challenges posed by the world economic crisis.
Both the ICEM and company and ICEM concentrated at first on the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a disaster so serious it was already impacting on both production and further exploration decisions in deep and ultra-deep water deposits worldwide.
ICEM discussed its program of social dialog in the Caspian Sea region, where Lukoil had recently brought on-stream the Yu Korchagin field in the Russian offshore of the Caspian Sea. The field was discovered by Lukoil in 2000 and the maximum expected output is 2.5 million tons of oil and 1 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
Between 2004 and 2009, LUKOIL invested a total of RUR 34.4 billion into field development. The company expects to extract 343,000 tons of oil by the end of the year.
There was also a discussion on the company's recent investment in Iraq, as well as the ICEM World Energy Conference, slated for Stavanger, Norway, from 6-8 September 2010.
Lukoil, ICEM, and the Russian trade unions present agreed that there should be further detailed discussions on all of the issues raised.