Oil seepage occurred on 7 August 2021 at 04:49 p.m Moscow time at CPC Marine Terminal in Yuzhnaya Ozereevka during the loading of the Minerva Symphony tanker (Greek flag, port of registry is Piraeus) from the Single Point Mooring (SPM 1). In accordance with the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Plan, CPC-R immediately took necessary emergency response measures. To contain the consequences of the incident, resources and equipment of the professional emergency response unit were promptly engaged (17 vessels), booms were deployed, four skimmers and oil storage tanks were used. Interaction with the discipline governmental regulatory authorities was arranged.
The oil spill was contained and the oil spill response was completed by 10:42 p.m. Moscow time on 7 August. The Black Sea water area is being monitored. Independent laboratories are engaged to measure the condition of the water and air, they take samples from the territories adjacent to the Marine Terminal.
The spill area amounted to 200 sq. meters, the volume is approximately 12 cu.m. The cause of the incident was the destruction of the internal space of the hydraulic damper which is an integral part of the SPM (supplier – IMODCO, MONACO).
Oil lifting was temporarily suspended from CPC Marine Terminal while the emergency was being dealt with. According to the information as on the morning of 8 August, the situation was back to normal and posed no hazard to the local population or flora and fauna of the Black Sea.
CPC has set up an ad hoc commission to investigate the causes and conditions of the incident.
The increase focus of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium on assuring safe operation and readiness to emergencies allowed to contain the oil and mitigate its consequences within the shortest time.
CPC conducts at least 10 large-scale drills of oil spill response and fire extinguishing on an annual basis. As a component of the corporate policy in the sphere of industrial safety, occupational health and environmental protection, they are aimed at supporting readiness of CPC’s and contractors’ resources and equipment to respond to possible emergencies in the regions crossed by the Tengiz-Novorossiysk trunk crude pipeline and, as a whole, at minimizing the Consortium’s operation environmental impact.
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The CPC Pipeline System is one of CIS largest energy investment projects that involves foreign capital. The length of the Tengiz – Novorossiysk pipeline is 1,511 km. This route moves over two thirds of all Kazakhstan export oil along with crude from Russian fields including those in the Caspian region. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with three Single Point Moorings (SPM), allowing tankers to be loaded safely at significant distance offshore, including in poor weather conditions
CPC Shareholders: Federal Agency for State Property Management represented by Transneft (trustee) – 24%, CPC Company – 7%, KazMunayGas – 19%; Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC – 1.75%, 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%.