24 May 2004 16:40
Oil spill in Russian north concealed for two months
Naryan-Mar, 24 May: Experts learned of an accident at the oil pipeline in Nenets Autonomous Area only two months
after it happened.
The Nenets administration told ITAR-TASS that the accident occurred at the 150-mm diameter Musyurshor-Sandivay oil
pipeline owned by the Severnoye Siyaniye company. The information about the emergency was received from a Nenets
reindeer breeder. A special commission has confirmed the information about the leak in the pipeline near the village of
Khorey-Ver (215 km from Naryan-Mar), through which the company is pumping oil from well No 60 in the Musyurshorskoye oil
field. The oil spill and the time of the accident are being clarified.
The local administration said that the locals had informed Vladislav Peskov, the president of Yasavey, the
Association of Nenets People, of the accident. He concealed the information for an unclear reason.
The Severnoye Siyaniye management also concealed the accident from the executive authorities and controlling
structures and is continuing to pump oil at present. According to one of the versions, the oil pipeline could have been
damaged by heavy machinery since the scene of the accident is not far from winter quarters.
There was already an accident at this oil pipeline last summer. As a result of the leak, the Sandivey and Kolva
rivers were polluted at that time. The oil spill reached the Republic of Komi. The accident caused over R19m of damage
[about 655,000 dollars].
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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