On 25 June, the Kazakhstan Oil & Gas Council held the 3rd PetroHSE 2026 Industry Conference in Atyrau, bringing together representatives of government authorities, national companies, international operators, petrochemical enterprises and service companies to discuss current issues in industrial safety, occupational health and environmental protection.

The event was held with the support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Industrial Safety Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the British Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan, the PetroMining Association, and the strategic communications agency Magunaly Business.

Rashid Dubaev, Chairman of the Industrial Safety Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, spoke about ongoing efforts to improve the country's industrial safety system, recent legislative amendments, and the strengthening of state oversight of hazardous production facilities. Particular attention was given to the responsibility of company executives for ensuring the effective operation of safety management systems, expanding supervisory powers, and implementing risk-based approaches to industrial safety.

"Industrial safety requires more than formal compliance with regulations—it demands the active engagement of company leadership and the effective operation of safety management systems. Today, our objective is to shift from responding to the consequences of incidents to preventing risks, including through the implementation of modern process safety management approaches," said Rashid Dubaev.

In his welcoming remarks, Assylbek Jakiyev, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Oil & Gas Council (Petrocouncil), emphasized the importance of bringing together all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to address issues related to industrial safety, occupational health and environmental protection.

"Today, the Kazakhstan Oil & Gas Council brings together more than 170 companies employing over 80,000 professionals. Our mission is to create platforms for open dialogue between government authorities, operators and service companies. Industrial safety, occupational health and environmental protection cannot be addressed separately—only through collaboration and the exchange of experience can we build a strong safety culture across the industry," said Assylbek Jakiyev.

Ualikhan Zhanaissov, HSE Director at NCOC, spoke about the role of digital technologies in enhancing industrial safety, the implementation of automated monitoring systems, and the potential of AI-based video analytics. He also highlighted cooperation with contractors and the importance of developing unified HSE standards across the industry.

According to Mr. Zhanaissov, digitalization is not just about convenience—it is a practical tool for monitoring and reducing technological and environmental risks while improving the overall sustainability of operations. In this regard, it is particularly important to establish common safety approaches and standards for all industry participants.

Mr. Zhanaissov also noted that even the most advanced technologies cannot replace leadership and employees' commitment to strengthening the safety culture.

The central theme of this year's conference was modern standards and emerging trends in industrial safety, occupational health and environmental protection in Kazakhstan's energy sector.

Anuarbek Karimov, Director of the Industrial Safety Department at KazMunayGas National Company JSC, presented the company's achievements in industrial safety, highlighting a reduction in occupational injuries and road traffic accidents over the past five years. He also spoke about the implementation of a predictive risk management model and the continued development of a strong safety culture.

"Our objective is to move from reacting to incidents to proactively managing risks. We are strengthening our safety culture, implementing digital tools, and enhancing employee training because only a systematic approach can reduce occupational injuries and improve the safety of production processes," Mr. Karimov emphasized.

Alexander Graf, Planning Efficiency and Business Performance Manager of the Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Department at Tengizchevroil (TCO), presented TCO's approach to strengthening safety culture and operational discipline. He spoke about leadership through safety, the implementation of the Six Characteristics of Operational Discipline programme, and the role of corporate culture in reducing risks and preventing incidents.

"Nothing is more important than ensuring that every employee returns home safely to their family. Operational discipline and a strong safety culture enable us to build systems and practices that reduce the likelihood of errors and help us achieve high standards in occupational health and industrial safety," said Alexander Graf.

Against the backdrop of growing technological risks, the development of new industrial facilities and increasing sustainability requirements, HSE has become one of the key factors determining business reliability, resilience and competitiveness.

In this context, conference participants showed considerable interest in the presentation delivered by Borkit Safety, which introduced the Blackline Safety G7—an intelligent device that combines a gas detector with a lone worker monitoring system.

"The G7 provides continuous real-time data transmission, automatic incident notifications, location tracking, and rapid communication between employees and safety personnel. It represents a transition from conventional gas detection to the Connected Safety concept, where personnel safety is monitored online 24/7," said Sergey Babkin, Deputy General Director for Gas Detection and Breathing Apparatus Sales and Service at Borkit Safety LLP.

Talgat Uandykov, Senior Manager of the Health, Safety, Environment and Industrial Safety Department at QazaqGaz NC JSC, spoke about the digital transformation of the company's HSE system and the implementation of the BaQylauplatform, designed to manage risks, analyze industrial incidents, and monitor occupational health and industrial safety processes. Particular attention was given to the use of analytical tools and artificial intelligence to identify risks and improve the effectiveness of industrial safety management.

Separate panel sessions focused on industrial safety at oil refining and petrochemical facilities. Representatives of KPI Inc. LLP, Atyrau Oil Refinery LLP (ANPZ), Karazhanbasmunai JSC, KMG PetroChem LLP, GPC Investment LLP, Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO), Kazatomprom, and other companies shared their practical experience.

"Major industrial accidents do not occur suddenly—they are the result of systemic failures. Our objective is not to eliminate the consequences but to identify risks at an early stage and establish effective protective barriers capable of preventing hazardous events from escalating," said Sebastian Glaser, Business Development Director at Edil-Oral.kz LLP, whose presentation focused on preventing major industrial accidents and implementing modern approaches to industrial risk management. It was noted that most serious incidents are the result of systemic shortcomings in safety management and that effective risk management requires a comprehensive approach, including hazard identification, independent audits, and continuous monitoring of safety barriers.

A separate session was devoted to the digital transformation of HSE processes. During the discussion, participants explored the application of digital tools, environmental monitoring, data analytics, and modern technologies for managing industrial risks.

Irina Bakhtiyarova, Head of the Environmental Control and Data Integrity Department at Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO), and Yevgeny Kotelnikov, Senior Environmental Information Systems Engineer, presented the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support occupational health, industrial safety and environmental protection. Their presentation showcased digital solutions that enable environmental monitoring, support emergency response activities, and automate HSE data management.

Throughout the conference, B2B meetings were held to foster professional cooperation and facilitate the exchange of best practices in the field of HSE.

The organisers extend their sincere appreciation to the conference partners for their valuable support: Borkit Safety, Edil-Oral, Novabolt, IKOD, Infinity Group, and Business Information Systems Kazakhstan, as well as the conference's long-standing technical partners, Ayacom and Samal Rakhym.