Sakhalin-2 situation to be considered at Russian parliament’s upper house
The situation over the Sakhalin-2 project prompts the need for a closer look at the progress of other oil and gas projects, Russian Minister of Natural Resources Yuri Trutnev said according to Itar-Tass. He spoke at an irregular meeting of Russian parliament’s upper house over the Sakhalin-2 project on Friday.
The operator of Sakhalin-2 is ready for a constructive dialogue, Trutnev said.
The operator company Sakhalin Energy “practically has fully admitted violations of Russia’s environmental legislation”, he said.
Trutnev said that he had received a letter from the company’s chief executive officer saying that 98 percent of shortcomings were already abolished at one of pipeline stretches.
“The company plans compiling within the next month a list of measures for eliminating other problems,” Trutnev said.
“Pursuit of fast profit often leads to unscrupulous, barbaric treatment of nature,” he said.
Trutnev cited several violations revealed in progress of the project.
The operator ignored a hazard of mudflows that that can cause serious damage to pipelines.
Besides, the pipeline deviated from a project route at tens of places.
Construction operations destroyed tens of fish breeding grounds and changed the bottom structure of the Aniva Bay, causing the massive demise of the sea fauna.
Trutnev said that the Ministry of Natural Resource and the Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office would hold a joint collegium meeting in the middle of November over compliance of companies with license agreements and environmental legislation.