CPC guarantees efficient and environmentally safe movement of crude oil

The Project is designed to increase the trunk pipeline capacity

Large-scale comprehensive emergency training exersices were held in Astrakhan region by JSC CPC-R and regional MES divisions

20180815-1-1.jpg20180815-1-2.jpg20180815-1-3.jpgOn August 15, 2018 comprehensive emergency training exersices were held in the area of Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, Krasnoyarsky district, Astrakhan region jointly by JSC CPC-R Central Region emergency response forces and the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) of Russia for Astrakhan region with involvement of the local subsystem of the Russian Unified Emergency Rescue Service (RUERS). The exercise was attended by Governor Alexander Zhilkin, who is the Chairman of the Commission for the prevention and elimination of emergency situations and fire safety under the government of the Astrakhan region.

The large-scale resources examination involved 142 people and 73 pieces of equipment.

The exercise script had it that at 6AM the supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA) identified the pipeline pressure drop at the segment between 547 and 573 km. The CPC Main Operations Control Center’s Dispatcher (in Novorossiysk) simulated the pump stations shutdown, remotely isolated the anticipated pipeline emergency segment and notified CPC-R management and CPC-R Central Region management about the situation.

The Security Service response team and the emergency response station standby vehicle headed to the “emergency situation” site and found the simulated oil spill that resulted from illegal earth works in the trunk pipeline Tengiz-Novorossiysk protective zone. It was determined that the oil comes out of the pipeline in the river crossing area on the left bank of B. Ashuluk river.

The information about the incident was also promptly passed to the supervision bodies, MES and internal affairs authorities. Emergency response works were performed based on the developed oil spill response plan.

During the exercise CPC departments and the MES forces involved in the oil spill response operations received an additional scenario inject: the spilled oil burning with two firemen “injured” during the extinguishing thereof. The service for disaster medicine provided medical assistance to the simulated injured persons and arranged their evacuation to the medical institutions.

During exercises the actual oil spill response actions were practiced: booms deployment, oil collection from water surface with skimmers, mechanical and manual collection of contaminated soil, use of backpack sorbent sprayers. Temporary tanks were deployed for oil collection. Laboratory specialists collected soil samples and conducted an express analysis for oil and products content. In addition, the emergency crews practiced pipeline integrity restoration technologies.

The conducted exercise was highly praised by observers: CPC have the required resources for potential emergency situations containment and response at their facilities, resources were deployed within the established deadline, CPC and contractors’ personnel demonstrated good level of training and skills in using the emergency response equipment.

Such large-scale exercises are held by CPC on a regular basis and allow evaluating preparedness of CPC pipeline operations departments, the emergency response contractors thereof, repair services employees, security service and the consortium’s operating and dispatching personnel to emergencies.

In addition, during exercises the interaction between organizations, local administrations, MES divisions and other services involved in potential emergencies containment and response at hazardous industrial facilities is practiced.

For reference.

CPC pipeline system is one of the largest investment projects in the energy industry with participation of foreign capital on the CIS territory. The length of the pipeline connecting the oil fields in Western Kazakhstan with the Marine Terminal near Novorossiysk is 1,511 km. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with single point moorings which allow for safe tanker lifting at a considerable distance from the shore, also when the weather conditions are unfavorable.

The Expansion Project includes rehabilitation of 5 existing and construction of 10 additional pump stations (2 in the Republic of Kazakhstan and 8 in the Russian Federation), six new storage tanks (100,000 cu.m each) in addition to the existing four near Novorossiysk and a third SPM at the CPC Marine Terminal, and also the replacement of an 88 km pipeline section in Kazakhstan with a larger diameter pipe. The total amount of the Project investments will be US$ 5.4 billion.

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% и Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC – 1.75%.