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Каспинфо ноябрь 2001 |
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Название: Экологические проблемы Каспия на англ. языке Главные Пункты: * Всемирный Банк обеспокоен растущим риском нефтяных разливов на Каспии в связи с увеличением танкерных перевозок и разведочным бурением на казахстанском и азербайджанском шельфе Каспия. Он собирается инициировать подписание многостороннего соглашения между правительствами, производителями нефтепродуктов и перевозчиками по реагированию на разливы нефти. (01.11.2001) Полный Текст Экологические проблемы Каспия на англ. языке Экологические проблемы на англ. языке *** Russia - Bank Warns of Tanker Spill Risk in Caspian Lloyd's List, October 18, 2001 By John Helmer Moscow -- As more oil is produced along the Caspian Sea coastline, the World Bank is warning that the risk of a catastrophic oil spill from tankers plying the sea is growing. The World Bank will host a conference next month to address the dangers, and to negotiate an agreement on mutual aid among governments, oil producers and tanker operators to deal with Caspian oil spills. Amy Evans, one of the bank's staff working on Caspian environmental problems, told Lloyd's List: "There has been no big maritime spill we know of. "Until now, the problem has been seepage of oil from test drillings that are now submerged along the Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan coasts." She is one of the drafters of the oil spill reaction agreement that will be presented in November in Baku. The World Bank work on this has been under way since 1998. According to Ms Evans, tanker shipping in the Caspian is a serious danger. "Enforcement of standards for ship construction is a problem," she said. "Another problem is the rundown state of navigation aids to reduce collision risk." Vitaly Gorokhov, an expert on maritime tanker transportation at the EcoYuris Institute in Moscow, said: "So far there is no large traffic in oil in the Caspian. It is mostly oil products from refineries that are carried by tankers. "However, the main problem facing Russia is that although there are regulations in Russian legislation concerning the safety of oil transportation by tankers, these regulations do not work in practice." Mr Gorokhov said that regulations requiring oil transportation by double-hull tankers apply in the Caspian, "but the period after which only double-hull tankers may be used does not start in 2008". He believes that Caspar, the Azerbaijan oil transportation company, continues to operate old, single-hulled vessels. Mr Gorokhov was also critical of the Caspian governments' readiness to deal with spills. He added that, because of the recent merger between the government agency responsible for environmental protection and the ministry in charge of issuing oil drilling licences, there is a reluctance at the official level to get tough with oil operators. Tanker movement on the Caspian is dominated by Caspar and the Russian operator, Volgotanker. According to Andrei Kleymenov, head of marketing for Volgotanker, the total crude oil output in the Caspian region is expected to grow by 15% per annum. Baku port is reporting that it is handling 230,000 tons of crude per month, mostly from Kazakhstan. The Russian port of Mahkachkala says it is handling monthly volumes of about 225,000 tons. Caspar has 33 oil tankers while Volgotanker operates 19 Volgoneft-type tankers during the winter season. Caspar reports that in the first half of this year its oil shipments were 2.9m tons, up 28% on the same period of last year. Volgotanker told Lloyd's List it shipped 650,000 tons in the first half; a gain of 30%. At present, Volgotanker's Mr Kleymenov said, "we are shipping 130,000 tons per month in the Caspian, and we expect those volumes to grow". According to Mr Kleymenov, "all Volgotanker's Volgoneft tankers, which transport crude oil, are double-hulled and double-bottomed. "We know that the ecology of the Caspian Sea and the coastlines is very fragile, and we stand for high security standards for oil transportation." Russian Environmental Digest 15 October 2001 - 21 October 2001, Vol. 3, No. 42 |