Speaking at a conference in Naryan-Mar, governor Fyodorov underlined that “Russia has to be prepared for the handling of possible emergency situations in the Arctic.”
In case of a spill in the Pechora Sea or Kara Sea, oil could spread along vast coastal territories in the region. “One catastrophe would trigger a watershed of irreversible processes, which would be devastating for the fragile northern nature,” a press release from the regional administration reads.
According to Governor Fyodorov, all companies engaging in offshore oil in Arctic waters must be able to provide guarantees about its abilities to handle emergency situations linked with oil spills. “Everything has to be elaborated down to the smallest detail, no improvisation and foot-dragging should be allowed in the Arctic!”, he underlined in his presentation
Last week`s conference on Arctic preparedness and oil spills took place as Gazprom Neft is on its way to start production at its Prirazlomnoye field in the Pechora Sea. According to the company, all waste materials from the production will be re-injected into an underwater well, thus ensuring the principle of zero discharges.
As previously reported, the Prirazlomnaya platform has been lying idle in the Pechora Sea since August 2011 waiting for technological solutions and equipment to be prepared. According to Gazprom Neft, the platform will now be ready for production “within few months”, Biztass.ru reports.
