A new oil spill from a corroded pipeline in Russia's far northern Komi republic has disrupted output in the region, Itar-Tass said Friday.


The pipeline, near the town of Usinsk, was closed after about 300 tons of oil spilled Jan. 23, covering 1.5 hectares of tundra, it said.


The spill, the second this year, was from the same pipeline that leaked between 90,000 and 120,000 tons last autumn, according to the Environment Ministry.


"The constant ruptures to the main pipeline are destabilizing oil supplies from the majority of oil-production units in the northern deposits of Komi," the news agency said. The units consist of 68 wells. The agency said most wells had closed, but gave no details.


Itar-Tass said repairs to the 52-kilometer pipeline, which is more than 20 years old, were going slowly and cleanup work was hampered by lack of finance.


Less than a fifth of the area polluted by the series of spills since autumn had been cleaned up, it said. Environmental groups are worried that more oil could seep into rivers during the spring thaw.


A new parallel pipeline had been due to come on stream last month, but construction is still not completed.


Environment Minister Viktor Danilov-Danilyan said the situation was worsening by the day due to delays in completing the new pipeline.


Norwegian firms had expressed interest in helping with the cleanup, he said, without naming them.