BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 5. Atyrau Oil Refinery, a subsidiary of KazMunayGas (KMG), has introduced an electronic permit-to-work system designed to improve industrial safety and strengthen oversight of high-risk operations, KMG said.
Under the new system, permits for repair, excavation, electrical work, hot work and gas-hazardous operations are issued and approved electronically.
Permits can be signed on a computer using a digital signature or through the eGov Mobile application. Work can begin only after all responsible personnel have signed the document.
One of the system's key features is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). An integrated AI assistant checks whether work permits have been completed correctly, identifies potential omissions in safety measures, and provides recommendations based on the refinery's internal instructions. However, the final decision remains with the responsible employee.
The system has been deployed across all the refinery’s production facilities.
The electronic permit-to-work system provides centralized monitoring of all permits, their validity periods, and the locations where high-risk operations are carried out. This is expected to strengthen compliance with industrial safety and occupational safety requirements while reducing the amount of paperwork.
Atyrau Oil Refinery is one of Kazakhstan's three major oil refineries. Built during World War II, the plant was commissioned in 1945. KazMunayGas holds a 99% stake in the refinery. The refinery has a designed processing capacity of 5.5 million tonnes of oil per year, with a refining depth of up to 86.4%.
