Languages

Gas explosion at Arctic gas field

Bovanenkovo gas field will have an annual production of 75-115 billion cubic meters by 2015. (Photo: Gazprom.ru)

Eight people were injured in a gas explosion at the Bovanenkovo gas field in the Yamalo-Nenets region early this morning.

Location

The accident happened when workers in a workshop for gas treatment were adjusting equipment. An uncontrolled blast of gas partly ruined the workshop and injured eight workers, Business TASS reports. An investigation group from Gazprom is on its way to the site.

Bovanenkovo  holds 4,9 trillion cubic meter of gas and is the biggest gas field in the Yamal Peninsula. The field is in its final stage of preparation before launch. According to Gazprom, the first startup complex of the field has entered the final stage of pre-commission work. At the same time, the first string of the Bovanenkovo-Ukhta pipeline, which will bring the gas towards western markets, is in the process of being completed. Only small parts of welding remains on the 1240 km long pipeline, and testing is in the progress, BarentsObserver reported earlier.