On November 15, 2017 at JSC CPC-R Marine Terminal Tank Farm near Novorossiysk special tactical oil spill prevention and response exercises (STE) were held. Besides JSC CPC-R Marine Terminal volunteer emergency response team, Novorossiysk Emergency Response Center, OOO Starstroy, OOO Kubanskaya Pozharnaya Okhrana, professional emergency response team JSC Center for Emergency, Rescue and Environmental Operations participated in STE.
Per the exercise script a sharp drop of the oil tank level was detected, the gas detection system responded. The specialists determined the cause of ES, confirmed the accident mode and scale in strict compliance with the tight timeframe. The emergency response teams proceeded with isolation and elimination of the oil spill near the tank. When all oil was collected, an additional scenario with the simulated oil burning was injected; the fire was promptly coped with by the alarmed facility-based fire station personnel.
Per the script during the fire-fighting and emergency response works one person was injured. After the emergency medical response the injured was taken to the city hospital.
In parallel, the conditionally oily soil was collected and removed for further disposal. Special focus in the action plan was on the environmental analytical monitoring.
As a result of the exercise oil spill isolation procedures efficiency was analyzed, the level of the personnel preparedness for ES response was checked, the actions of involved forces and emergency response teams were evaluated. The STE specifically focused on training of seamless interaction between the field emergency recovery center and local response teams of the Russian Federation Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The exercises were positively evaluated by observers and supervision bodies: all goals and objectives were achieved.
CPC holds at least 10 major oil spill response and fire-fighting exercises every year. These events, being part of the company industrial safety, occupational safety and environmental policy, are aimed at CPC manpower and resources preparedness for emergency response to promptly eliminate emergencies and consequences thereof in the regions of the crude pipeline routing.
CPC pipeline system is one of the major investment projects in the energy sector with the foreign capital participation in CIS. The Tengiz – Novorossiysk pipeline is 1, 511 km long; this route puts through more than two thirds of all Kazakstan export oil and crude oil from Russian fields including those in the Caspian Sea. CPC Marine Terminal is equipped with three single point moorings (SPM) enabling safe offshore loading of tankers including amid poor weather conditions.
CPC Shareholders: the Russian Federation (represented by Transneft – 24% and CPC Company – 7 %) – 31%; the Republic of Kazakhstan (represented by KazMunaiGas – 19% and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures LLC – 1.75%) – 20.75%; Chevron Caspian Pipeline Consortium Company - 15%, LUKARCO B.V. – 12.5%, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company – 7.5%, Rosneft-Shell Caspian Ventures Limited – 7.5%, BG Overseas Holding Limited - 2%, Eni International N.A. N.V. - 2% and Oryx Caspian Pipeline LLC – 1.75%.