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Каспинфо декабрь 2001 |
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Название: Нефть и газ в мире на англ. языке Главные Пункты: * В результате утечки нефти с Аляскинского трубопровода, причина которого - выстрел из ружья, 280 тыс. галлонов нефти вылилось на сосновые леса и тундру. Спасатели не могли ликвидировать аварию в течение двух дней, что объясняется фонтанирующим характером утечки и воспламеняемостью нефти. * В результате разлива нефти вдоль побережья Сан-Франциско, Калифорния, США, погибли и пострадали сотни кайр и гагар. Причина разлива неизвестна: Береговая охрана США предполагает, что это может быть как утечка с проходящих танкеров, так и с затонувших кораблей или с буровой платформы. (05.12.2001) Полный Текст Нефть и газ в мире на англ. языке Нефть и газ в мире на англ. языке *** Saturday, 6 October, 2001, 13:37 GMT 14:37 UK Bullet causes oil spill in Alaska The pipeline has been shot at a number of times Crews in Alaska are battling for a second day to control a geyser of oil leaking out of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline after a man shot a bullet through it. In the worst leak for more than 20 years, one million litres (280,000 gallons) of oil have sprayed under high pressure onto the surrounding scrub and pine forest. Daniel Carson Lewis, the man suspected of shooting the pipeline with a rifle has been charged with criminal mischief, driving while drunk, weapons misconduct and assault. Following the attacks last month on New York and Washington, security has been tightened along the pipeline, but police have said that the incident has no link to terrorism. Pipeline shut The pipeline, which carries more than 15% of America's domestic oil production, is over 1,300 km (800 miles) long and runs from Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic to the Prince William Sound port of Valdez in the south. A helicopter spotted the leak close to the pipeline's midpoint, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Fairbanks. The oil has covered two acres (0.8 hectares) of ground in an area of tundra and spruce, pipeline operator Alyeska Pipeline Service Company said. The pipeline carries about 1 million barrels of oil a day, but the pipe has now been shut down to help control the leak. Danger The oil workers had hoped to use a crane to install a hydraulic clamp over the line to cover the hole, but flammable vapours in the area made the operation dangerous. The oil is spraying over the surrounding forest "There's concern about the safety of the workers there. It is a very delicate operation with large machinery in a volatile environment," said Tim Woolston, spokesman for Alyeska. As part of the clean-up effort crews have dug ditches and deep holes to capture the oil, which was being transferred onto trucks. "Our priority is that no oil migrates from the site to the Tolovana River a mile away," said Brad Hahn of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Security problems Mr Woolston said that the pipe has been shot at more than 50 times before, but until Friday, the the bullets have never pierced it. It is protected by a layer of galvanised steel and nearly four inches of insulation. "It's a monumental task to protect every inch of that pipeline 24 hours a day," Mr Woolston said. But Alaska Governor Tony Knowles said that more must be done to protect the vital pipeline. "Clearly the fact that one person with a rifle can do this much damage is a point of concern in terms of vulnerability," he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1582000/1582852.stm *** OIL SPILL KILLS BIRDS OFF CALIFORNIA COAST SAN FRANCISCO, California, December 11, 2001 (ENS) - A mysterious oil Spill off the California coast has killed and injured hundreds of sea birds. The oil soaked birds have appeared on beaches from Monterey to Bodega Bay over the past three weeks, the "San Francisco Chronicle" reports. So far, the U.S. Coast Guard has been unable to find the source of the oil slick, which has killed at least 125 common murres. The Coast Guard plans to compare oil from a five mile long slick Discovered about 15 miles off the San Francisco coast to samples collected from Tankers and freighters visiting California ports, to learn whether any of those ships may have released the oil, either accidentally or intentionally. The oil could also be coming from an underwater source, such as a sunken ship or an oil drilling rig. At the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center in Cordelia, volunteers are helping to clean and acre for more than 170 common murres and several Pacific loons injured by the oil spill. The volunteers help trained wildlife rehabilitators to clean the birds, prepare food, clean pools and wash soiled towels. The oil must be removed from the birds' feathers so that they can fluff their feathers to insulate themselves while diving in cold water. The birds may also become ill or die from ingesting the oil while trying to clean their feathers themselves. The last time an oil spill affected this many common murres off the Pacific coast was in 1997, when a lumber ship spilled 5,200 gallons of heavy crude near Eureka, California. The San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center, which also assisted after that spill, is operated by the University of California - Davis Wildlife Health Center and the International Bird Rescue Research Center, with funds from the California Department of Fish and Game. Environment AmeriScan: December 11, 2001 |