On April 27, 2017 Caspian Pipeline Consortium conducted special oil spill response drill near Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai. 26 people took part in the drill, 13 motor and special vehicles were involved in the emergency response as well as over 30 units of equipment.
In line with the drill scenario, at 8 in the morning CPC received information that an oil spot was found on the ground at 1489 km of Tengiz-Novorossiysk pipeline in the region where the pipeline crosses river Tsemes. The pipeline was immediately “shut down” and the emergency segment was “isolated”. The emergency response crew of emergency response station (ERS) Novorossiysk came to site. They sized up the magnitude of the spill and found its source – an illegal tap. Some volume of “crude oil” spilled in Tsemes river.
The emergency response resources of CPC as well as regulatory authorities and specialty organizations were immediately notified of the event. Additional security resources and fire brigades were called to the accident scene.
As soon as the main emergency response resources came to site, they started oil spill containment and clean up operations. They deployed booms on the river and skimmers to collect oil from the water surface. The drill participants deployed tanks for temporary storage of collected oil; they installed special partitions, laid down absorbing dams and mats to prevent oil spreading out on the ground. They cleaned river banks contaminated with oil. Upon completion of the drill as part of the environment protection activity, they removed contaminated earth for further disposal by a specialty company. The quality of clean up was controlled and the integrity of the trunk pipeline was restored.
The drill was a practical exercise of interaction between the drill participants to contain the spill and clean up. Also, the purpose of the drill was to check the efficiency of the existing scheme of notification of CPC-R and contractors’ resources. The results of the drill have proven readiness of the resources for prompt response to emergencies.
Each year CPC conduct over 15 major oil spill response and firefighting drills. Being a part of the Company’s policy in the area of HSE, these drills are aimed at ensuring readiness of CPC and contractors’ resources for emergency response along the entire route of the pipeline.
FYI:
The CPC pipeline system is one of the largest investment projects with foreign capital in the energy sector in the CIS. The length of the pipeline connecting oil fields in Western Kazakhstan with the Marine Terminal in Novorossiysk is 1,511 km. CPC’s Marine Terminal is equipped with Single Point Moorings that allow to load tankers safely at a significant distance offshore, including bad weather conditions.
CPC Shareholders: Russian Federation (represented by Transneft – 24% and CPC Company – 7%) – 31%; Republic of Kazakhstan (represented by KazMunayGaz – 19% and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC – 1.75%) – 20.75%; Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company - 15%, LUKARCO B.V. - 12.5%, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company – 7.5%, Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures Limited – 7.5%, BG Overseas Holding Limited - 2%, Eni International N.A. N.V. - 2% and Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC – 1.75%.