RUSSIA: Oil spill at Russian Arctic Trebs oil field poses a threat to local ecosystem just ahead of the annual mass bird migration

Record ID: 344189

  • Title: RUSSIA: Oil spill at Russian Arctic Trebs oil field poses a threat to local ecosystem just ahead of the annual mass bird migration
  • Date: 25th April 2012
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 24, 2012) (REUTERS) WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF) ENERGY EXPERT ALEXEI KNIZHNIKOV TAKING HIS SEAT WWF EMBLEM ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) WWF RUSSIAN OIL AND GAS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OFFICER ALEXEI KNIZHNIKOV, SAYING: "I would very much like to hope that oil will not reach the waterways. But if it happens it will be a very unwelcome development because snow will soon start to melt in this area, and the mass bird migration will start, so that situation will lead to much more serious ecological consequences." MAP OF OIL SPILL ON DESK (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) WWF RUSSIAN OIL AND GAS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OFFICER ALEXEI KNIZHNIKOV, SAYING: "The oil field is located just near the Barents Sea, several dozen kilometres from it. There are a lot, a lot of coastal lakes there which are obviously a heaven for migrating birds which arrive there every year in hundreds of thousands to spend summer." MAP OF OIL SPILL ON DESK BIRD PICTURE ON WALL KNIZHNIKOV WORKING ON LAPTOP
  • Embargoed: 10th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Disasters,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA7NTT44JV1XA5F3394A1OAQ4QE
  • Story Text: A big oil spill in the Russian Arctic poses a threat to the Barents Sea ecosystem, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said on Tuesday (April 24).
    The spill at the Trebs field containing an estimated 200 million tonnes of oil started on Friday (April 20) and continued for two days until Sunday (April 22).
    The video by Russia's Nenets Region Emergencies Ministry shows large areas affected by the spill, with oil still fountaining in some places.
    The area around the field is largely uninhabited but is very close to the Barents Sea.
    "I would very much like to hope that oil will not reach the waterways. But if it happens it will be a very unwelcome development because snow will soon start to melt in this area, and the mass bird migration will start, so that situation will lead to much more serious ecological consequences," oil and gas environmental policy officer at the WWF Russia, Alexei Knizhnikov, told Reuters on Tuesday.
    ""The oil field is located just near the Barents Sea, several dozen kilometres from it. There are a lot, a lot of coastal lakes there which are obviously a heaven for migrating birds which arrive there every year in hundreds of thousands to spend summer," Knizhnikov added.
    According to the WWF, the area polluted by the oil spill is estimated at 7,500 square metres currently. The reason for the spillage is still unknown, but the human factor is believed to have played a role.
    Russia is keen to explore its vast Arctic areas for oil. Last year, Russia's state company Rosneft sealed an alliance with Exxon Mobil to explore the Arctic's Kara Sea which will require a multi-billion dollar investment.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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