A weekend oil spill at the Trebs and Titov field operated by a joint venture between Bashneft and LUKoil saw about 2,200 tons leak across 5 square kilometers of Arctic terriotry, Interfax reported Monday.
The 25-meter high gusher that began on Friday was not brought under control for more than a day. Investigators looking into the incident have not yet ascertained its cause but a regional official said that human error was to blame.
"The accident happened as a result of insufficiently prepared teams, a lack of essential equipment — in other words it was local disorganization," said Vladimir Tsybin, head of the local administration's department of natural resources and ecology.
Greenpeace estimates that 5 million tons of oil leak from Russian pipelines and in accidents every year — the equivalent of seven disasters on the scale of BP's Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
