On 9 and 11 July 2024, in Turkmensky and Trunovksy Districts of Stavropol Krai, Caspian Pipeline Consortium conducted a two-stage comprehensive drill to confirm the readiness to act to contain and respond to oil and oil product spills, check the compliance of the resources and equipment with the new CPC-R Oil Spill Response Plan (OSRP).
The first stage of the comprehensive drill was accomplished on 9 July on the CPC crude pipeline line pipe in direct proximity to one of the mainline ball valves (MLBV). According to the drill scenario, a surge there caused a hypothetical rupture of the pipeline with spillage of 13,544.5 tons of oil on land and subsequent fire. Thirty-four specialists from Professional emergency response units and eighteen vehicles (bulldozers, dump trucks, forklifts, fire and medical vehicles, etc.) were engaged in the containment of spill of 80,622 sq. m and mitigation of its consequences. Specialists of EMERCOM fire and rescue squads No. 4 and No. 5 participated in the fight against a simulated fire.
In the course of Stage I of the drill, actions were practiced on coordination with management bodies and forces of the unified state system for emergencies prevention and elimination (Department for Civil Defense and Emergency, Turkmensky District UDS (Unified Dispatch Service), EMERCOM of Russia Main Department in Stavropol Krai), notification, firefighting, assistance to the hypothetically injured (four persons) with transportation to hospital, collection and removal of hypothetically contaminated soil, environmental control. A 120 m long retaining wall was erected to contain the spill and the collected oil we re-injected into the pipeline.
The second stage of the comprehensive drill was accomplished on 11 July on the sub-water crossing of the Tashla River (KP 1124 of CPC crude pipeline). According to the drill scenario, a surge there caused a hypothetical rupture of the pipeline with spillage of 6,898.5 tons of oil offshore. Thirty-six specialists from Professional emergency response units and forty-five vehicles (motor pumps, tanker trucks, motor boats, excavators, skimmers, etc.) were engaged in the containment of spill and mitigation of its consequences. In the course of Stage II of the drill, actions were practiced on coordination with management bodies and forces of the unified state system for emergencies prevention and elimination (Department for Civil Defense and Emergency, Trunovsky District UDS (Unified Dispatch Service), EMERCOM of Russia Main Department in Stavropol Krai), notification, assistance to a hypothetically injured person with transportation to hospital, collection and removal of oily water to PS-5 receiving area, cleaning of the coastal area, environmental control. 300 m of booms were installed to contain the spill, five temporary oil skinning tanks and five earth pits were used to mitigate the consequences.
In the course of the two-stage comprehensive drill, personnel of CPC and Contractors (TsASEO ERC, STARSTROI, Nachin, Firefighting Service, Medis, Kuban-Ecoproject and others) demonstrated coordinated actions in emergency situations, promptness of notification, professional skills in the use of specialized equipment. All objectives and tasks of the two-stage comprehensive drill were successfully accomplished. The Commission of EMERCOM of Russia Main Department in Stavropol Krai made a decision on CPC-R readiness to act to contain and respond to oil and oil products spills.
CPC conducts at least 10 large-scale oil spill response and fire extinguishing drills annually. Large-scale exercises are conducted in CPC on a regular basis, allowing to assess the readiness of CPC pipeline operation teams, Security and dispatchers of the Consortium to emergencies.
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CPC Pipeline System is one of the major investment projects with foreign capital in energy sector in the CIS. The length of the Tengiz – Novorossiysk pipeline is 1,511 km. This route transports over two-thirds of all Kazakhstan export oil, and crude from Russian oil fields, including those in the Caspian Region. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with three Single Point Moorings (SPM) that allow to load tankers safely at a significant distance offshore, also amid poor weather conditions.
CPC Shareholders: Federal Agency for State Property Management represented by Transneft (trust management) – 24 %, IC CPC Company – 7%, KazMunayGas – 19%, Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC – 1.75%, Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company – 15%, Lukoil International GmbH - 12.5%, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company– 7.5%, Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures Limited– 7.5%, BG Overseas Holdings Limited– 2%, Eni International N.A. N.V. S.ar.l. – 2% and Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC – 1.75%.