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September, 2, 2010:Yakutian law-makers to work out oil-pollution acts |
The republican parliament now has a special working group focusing on development of measures to raise ecological safety at ESPO oil pipeline and other large-scale industrial projects.
At the first session the working group decided to carry out monitoring of the current ecological legislation in the Russian Federation and Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Having done so, the group decided to outline a conceptual document on advancing the nature protection legislation. The document will include a draft law on oil pollution to be first read by the parliamentarians this fall.
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August,30,2010:Update on ESPO oilspill in Olyokminsky region in southern Yakutia |
The Department of the Federal Natural Resources Management Service (Rosprirodnadzor) in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic from the 8th to 15th of July, 2010, made an extraplanned documentary inspection due
to the ascertained fact of an oil spill on ES-PO oil-pipeline in Olekminsk region.
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August,30,2010:Update on ESPO oil pipeline spill in Lensky region, Southern Yakutia |
We received answer from the Nature Protection Ministry of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) telling about the breakage on the ESPO oil pipeline in January this year in Lensky region in southern Yakutia and the emergency recovery work being done.
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ESPO oil pipeline general info |
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The capacity of the project: up to 80 mln tons of oil per year. The first stage comprises: Tayshet (Irkutsjaya oblast) – Skovorodino (Amurskaya oblast). The overall capacity of the first stage is up to 30 ml tons of oil per year. The extension of the ESPO in the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic: the extension goes from Ust-Kut up along the north-eastern left bank of the Lena river to the Talakan oil field (1 part of the extension); then it turns from the town of Lensk to the east and comes to the town of Olyokminsk where it crosses the Lena river and reaches the town of Aldan (3 part); from there it drops down south to the town of Neryungry and exits the territory of republic in the village of Tynda, Amurskaya oblast (2 part).
The length of the first stage The length of the first stage of the project is about 1200 miles, and more than 800 miles out of that goes in the territory of the Sakha republic. As various specialists state, the construction of the new route of the project will face many difficulties of various origin: technical ordeals due to harsh climate, complex geology and relief (permafrost and multiple kinds of soils). The engineering plans for the first stage of the project include construction of about 300-400 new transportation routes. The cost of the first stage is about 11 mln USD. The construction of the ESPO oil pipeline system is funded by open joint-stock oil company Transneft with its own resources and loans (Sberbank loan is 146 mlrd rubles, and release of debt securities (total sum is $500 mln and 700 mln euro).
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ESPO oil pipeline route, 1st stage |
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The Lena river crossing of the ESPO oil pipeline |
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The ESPO oil pipeline project has about 270 crossing of various water streams, including the major water route, the Lena river. The underwater crossing is projected to be built near Solyanka village, not far downstream from Olyokminsk town.
The method of the crossing had been changed without open public discussion: neither the government nor the people of the republic were informed of the Transneft’s decision to change from the micro-tunnel to the trench method, which then was approved by the state ecological expertise. Together with the approved method of crossing (the trench), the chosen place for the pipeline to cross the river adds risks for the possible oil spills in future as there are the following dangerous factors – high possibility of earthquakes in the area of crossing; ice jams at the spring break-up period (up to 40 feet high and 44 miles long ; the existence of geological shatters under the Oyokma and Lena rivers’ beds; the Olyokma river can drag up big stones to the trench crossing place; and also the washing of soil and salt under the buried pipes, which may cause their deformation, and thus, oil spills. Special construction techniques
Open Cut River and Stream Crossings (open trench method) This crossing method involves excavating a trench across the bottom of the river or stream to be crossed with the pipeline. Depending on the depth of the water, the construction equipment may have to be placed on barges or other floating platforms to excavate the pipe trench. If the water is shallow enough, the contractor can divert the water flow with dams and flume pipe to allow backhoes, working from the banks or the streambed, to dig the trench. The top of the pipe must be 3,3 ft below the non-washable bottom level. The duration of work for this kind of river crossing systems is 10 years.
Utility Tunneling and Carrier Pipe This construction method involves excavating the ground at the leading edge of a shield or boring machine and erecting a lining system from within the excavated space. The minimum size is approximately 48 inches in diameter, which is the size required to allow personnel access to erect a liner from inside the opening. The lined tunnel acts as a host for the installation of the carrier pipe system which is grouted in place. The top of the pipe must be 16,6 ft below the non-washable bottom level. The duration of work for this kind of river crossing systems is 100 years. |
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Ïåðåõîä ÂÑÒÎ ÷åðåç ðåêó Ëåíà |
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