NARYAN-MAR, August 6 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Gazprom and LUKOIL companies with the aid of Defense Ministry and Ministry of Emergency Situations units are carrying out a test liquidation of a 1,200 ton-oil spill in Pechora Sea as part of Arctic-2014 drills, a representative of Russia’s Security Council told RIA Novosti.
“Planes, ships and vessels belonging to Russia’s security ministries with their own rescue equipment and the participation of Gazprom and LUKOIL services have first tackled a fire on oil tanker board and then resorted to oil skimming,” the representative said.
As the concept of the drills has it, an oil tanker collided with a service vessel while hauling off the Prirazlomnaya platform, damaging the tanker hull. Five crew members fell into the water, some 1,200 tons of oil spilled out in the sea and a fire broke out on board.
Arctic-2014 drills are a part of the international Arctic Council member states meeting in the Russian Northern city of Naryan-Mar, held under the guidance of the Security Council of Russia (SC). SC Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and a number of international experts are overseeing the drills from the ice-resistant Prirazlomnaya platform.
Northern Fleet’s Antonov An-26 (Curl) and Ilyushin Il-38 (May) airplanes, a Federal Security Service’s coast defense ship, Ministry of Transport’s Spasatel Karev rescue vessel, Emergency Ministry’s Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft, Gazprom’s Yuri Topchev icebreaker ship have been among the machines applied in the drills.
