Retrospective
BackPioneer
Tulegen Bayzakov, veteran of oil industryHistorical milestones of the oil industry origin in Kazakhstan are the dates, when the oil was discovered in 1899 at Karashungul, the oil presence was proven and, hence, the production at the Dossor (in 1911) and Makat fields (in 1915) was started. Thus, the Embaneft is the oldest oil producing enterprise in the country, which recently celebrated its 95th anniversary.
The history of oil-rich Emba development is described in the book “The oil-rich Emba-annals of centuries history”, which was written by Makash Balgimbayev, former Chief Geologist of the Embaneft enterprise, the laureate of the state prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which was got by him for the discovery of the Tengiz field. The series of great leaders of the enterprise must not disregard one more Tengiz pioneer, the Head of the Embaneft during the period from 1971 to 1986, the laureate of the state prize of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bulekbay Sagingaliyev, who could celebrate his 90-th anniversary on May 2017.
How was the oil industry in Kazakhstan established? According to the archival data, Obneftekom factory committee was elected in early January 1920 after the nationalization. In spring, Obneftekom was reorganized into the temporary oilfield administration of the Ural-Emba region. In 1922, the administration was reorganized into the Management Board, and since October 1, 1922 - into the National enterprise (trust) of the Embaneft Emba oil industry.
In the report of the activities overview of the Moscow Administration of the Embaneft Emba oil industry’s National enterprise in the period from January to March 1923, which was stored in archival holdings of Atyrau region, it is states that "by the decision of comrade Smilga, the SCNE Vice-Chairman, as of January 27, 1923, the temporary Regulation on Embaneft Emba oil industry’s National enterprise was approved, according to which the commencement date of Embaneft enterprise is October 1, 1922”. According to the temporary Regulation, the enterprise involved oilfield of Ural-Emba region, which are located on the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea, within the Astrakhan, Aktobe, Bukeyev and Ural regions, as well as two oil refineries: Constantinovskiy one of the Constantinovskiy factory near Yaroslavl city and Varinskiy factory, named after 26 Bakuvian commissioners in Sormovo city near Nizhniy Novgorod, along with all immovable and movable property, which consisted of oil and other fields, field equipment, oil refineries, oil pipelines, oil tank farms and its auxiliary enterprises and constructions, as well as other property they own.
The enterprise was solely managed by Reuben Fridman, the Chief of the enterprise, who resided in Guryev city, Ural government, at the location of the enterprise's Management Board. In Moscow, as before, the Moscow enterprise’s administration is functioned and headed by the Engineer S.Kuznetsov, the Deputy Head of the enterprise. Constantinovskiy and Varinskiy plants are directly managed by the Moscow administration.
To perceive the situation in the period prior the enterprise establishment, we will quote the extracts from the report of R.Fridman, the Head of the Management Board of Ural-Emba oil fields Administration, on the 4-th Guryev District Congress of Soviets, which was held in the period from 1st to 7th September, 1922 (stylistics and orthography of the original text are retained). “The task, which was given to us for 1922, is being fulfilled. The increase of work scope has being observed since May. Before August 1 we have produced a bit more than it was expected, and by the end of the reporting year we hope to produce 100-110% of the task.
The work is going well. Our goal is not only oil production, it is necessary to resume the work with the rig derricks and new drilling operations. The scheduled work on drilling has not been commenced yet. The reason is the lack of skilled workers. Living conditions in the oil fields are heavy, and people, who came to work, not withstand the climatic conditions, leave the work or become ill. The labour power has arrive here for earnings, but arriving in spring they left in autumn. But our skilled workers have stuck slightly, but even they are keen to leave. On the way they say a lot of that our conditions and meal service are bad, that is why the counters went to Baku.
1. Unknown;
2. Vassilyev B.Yu. Deputy Head of Balykshy Department of Exploratory Driling;
3. Ustinov V.N., Second Secretary of Guryev regional committee of the party;
4. Bekbulatov Sh.Kh. Minsiter of Motorroads of the KazSSR;
5. Zheltikov O.I., Deputy Head of General Planning Authority of KazSSR;
6. Bayzakov T.B., Head of Bolykshinsky Department;
7. Sagingaliev B.S., General Director of Embaneft;
8. Miroshkhin O.S., Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan;
9. Yassaveev G.N., General Director of the Industrial Unit «Tengizneftegas»;
10. Kulibayev А.А., First Secretary of Guryev regional committee of the party;
11. Tugelbayev S.K., First Secretary of Zhylyoi district committee of the party;
12. Unknown.; 13. Khismetullin G., Head of executive committee of Zhylyoi district
I am authorized by the Council of Labor and Defense to rebuild oil fields. I found this fields being dilapidated, and was able to restore them to the extent possible. We want to rise the number of wells to 60. We have more employees in Guryev, than at the fields. The work in Guryev is preparatory, complicated and heavy. We suppose to build a village against the bridge and wish to transfer the refineries from Rakusha, because living conditions there are very difficult: there is no fresh water; the water is very unhealthy. The water is delivered there from Astrakhan. Generally, in all circumstances it is impossible to leave the plants there. We have to extend the pipeline annually because of the shoreline reduction. Further leaving the pipeline at Rakusha becomes unprofitable. Within 5 years we will be able to transfer the refineries to Guryev.
All of us are preparing for this. To produce the burnt bricks we build the factory with the production volume of 40 t. of bricks. We have a lot of sun-dried bricks. But, unfortunately, recent flooding has done a lot of harm to us, it has destroyed a brick factory and a lot of dried bricks. We built a new brick factory with the production volume of 20 t. of bricks. There is a tree cutting. We need to move to the that side. We inconvenience the population and that is why we plan to build a village.
We have a vegetable garden to provide the workers with meal. In order to improve climate conditions in Dossor, we wanted to sow the grain crop there. Professor Dubyanskiy was invited through People’s Commissariat of Agriculture for these agrarian works. And in the not too distant future he will be here. If it will be successful, we would replant the Dossor, stop the sands and for people it would be comfortable to live in Dossor. Water there is salty and people can't use it. Thereto we deliver water. We plan to build narrow-gauge railway until Dossor and our representative in Moscow is negotiating with the Americans; we wish to construct plumbing. If we do not have the required materials in Russia, then we have it abroad and our oil is highly appreciated there, we can get everything abroad with it. Emba oil provides us with very important lubrication products ... ".
Acquaintance with archive data and contents of the reports of the Chief Executive officers, as well as reports for the first operational years of work after the establishment provide an opportunity to suggest that the oil industry involved not random people.
This year, 95th anniversary of the Embaneft coincided with 90th anniversary of its brightest manager - Bulekbay Sagingaliyev, during the period of his management (since 1971 till 1985) the enterprise has achieved the highest annual volume: oil production in 1979 - 4432 thous. tons; drilling in 1980 - 181.2 thous. m, including operational drilling - 100.2 thous. m, and exploration drilling - 81 thous. passage m. 10 new fields were discovered and put into operation. Social and living conditions of the workers were improved noticeably. A wide u-turn of prospecting and exploratory drilling on the pre-salt sediments, which was initiated by Mr.Sagingaliyev, resulted in the discovery of the unique and having no analogues in the world Tengiz field in December 1979.
Thousands square meters of housing were built in the city and in the oil towns. On the shore of the Ural River, Borovikov settlement was upraised (now the Akzhar settlement), allowing access to the benefits of civilization for the families of workers, which are employed in drilling and producing processes. And the workers were able to move to a new watch-based and expeditionary method for drilling crews and oil fields servicing.
A lot of words were written about this extraordinary man, talented organizer and professional in the highest sense of this word. After graduating from the Moscow Institute of Petroleum in 1951, until 1960 he rose through the ranks from the Subforeman, Foreman of the oil field to the Chief Engineer of several large-sized oil field offices and Chief of the Division of oil and gas production of the Kazakhneft enterprise. And in 1960 Mr. Sagingaliev was appointed to the position of the Head of Oil and Gas Industry’s Department of the Kazakh Council of National Economy. In 1963 - to the position of the Deputy Head of the Heavy Equipment Industry’s Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan; from 1969 onwards he was a Deputy Head of the Kazkhstannef enterprise. Since 1971 till 1986 he was chief of the Embaneft enterprise.
What is the phenomenon of Bulekbay Sagingaliyevich? By virtue of the large practical experience of work at the oil fields and broad thinking, which was acquired during the years of work in the Central Committee of CP of Kazakhstan, he was, very handy, the Head of the Embaneft enterprise in the early 70-s of the last century. His worldview, by virtue of his experience, was quite different from his entourage. It was difficult for many people to understand problem solution approaches, which were worked out by him. Often, he had to hold meetings, which sometimes lasted for 10-12 hours. And at these meetings he mainly talked himself, explaining in detail this or that vision for a problem solution.
1. Yassaveev G.N., General Director of the Industrial Unit «Tengizneftegas»;
2. Zharylgassov S., Commader of Guryev Aviation Group;
3. Bekbulatov Sh.Kh. Minsiter of Motorroads of the KazSSR;
4. Makiyevsky N.M., Minister of Heavy Industry of the KazSSR;
5. Taskinbayev E.T., Head of Guryev Regional Executive Committee;
6. Toplov S.M., Deputy Head of the Minister of Oil Industry of USSR;
7. Miroshkhin O.S., Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan;
8. Bayzakov T.B., Head of Bolykshinsky Department of Exploration Drilling, Embaneft;
9. Sagingaliev B.S., General Director of Embaneft;
10. Zheltikov O.I., Deputy Head of General Planning Authority of KazSSR;
11. Kulibayev А.А., First Secretary of Guryev regional committee of the party;
12. Ustinov V.N., Second Secretary of Guryev regional committee of the party
He run himself ragged and gave no quarter to others in the furtherance of desired goal. Within the short period he has managed to expand prospecting and exploration works widely throughout the territory of South-Emba region. Due to his initiative on the basis of Prorvinskaya drilling office there were established: Balykshy management of exploration drilling; Embaneftegeofizika new trust; Embaneftestory trust; Utility Vehicles Department; production and technical complete set and equipment management, etc. The period, which was named “stagnant” during the years of restructuring, was more than successful for the enterprise. And all of this thanks to Mr.Sagingaliyev!
I thank my lucky stars that at the beginning of my productive activity I had the opportunity to participate in his meetings, listen to his speeches about the perspective of our region. I especially remember his offsite production meetings, where against the backdrop of drilling rigs or field, Buke spoke about subsalt oil, about dream of his life with such gusto, that people around listened to him with acute fascination and imagined how our region will be transformed. Nobody can say better words about him than former People's Commissar and Chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee, c-de N. Baybakov.
After a trip to Tengiz oil field in the early summer of 1985 he said about Buke literally the following words: "You are a true patriot, a fan of your business. A man, loving his people, his land and proud of its wealth, must be like you " (from an article by Bulat Elemanov “The word about teacher”, «Kazakhstanskaya Pravda» newspaper, 1997). His another colleague Salamat Mukashev, a prominent public figure of the RoK, wrote the following in his article in the "Egemen Kazakhstan" newspaper as of 18.04.1997 : “Mr.Sagingaliyev was a founder of a century project, initiator of well-doing for over the years, the oilmen, who made a contribution to the improvement of people’s life and also he was the first among the most famous and authoritative public figures in the country”.