ANAPA /Krasnodar Region/: Fuel oil continues to be leaking from the wrecked Volgoneft 239 tanker near the port of Taman in Russia’s south...
ANAPA /Krasnodar Region/: Fuel oil continues to be leaking from the wrecked Volgoneft 239 tanker near the port of Taman in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Region, Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov said after inspecting cleanup operations in the area.
"The survey has revealed that the most difficult situation is in the vicinity of the port of Taman, where fuel oil continues to leak into the sea from the damaged part of the Vologneft 239 tanker," he said at a crisis management center meeting in Anapa.
Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov has set a task of removing remaining fuel oil from the Volgoneft 239 tanker, which continues leaking into the sea near the port of Taman, as soon as possible.
"We need to stop the leakage and pump furl oil from the tanker’s stern," he said at a meeting of the crisis management center after inspecting the area.
According to the minister, welding works are impossible right now because oil is too close to the tanker’s hull. "So, it is necessary to clear the path for divers with welding equipment," he said, adding that it is also necessary to organize access to the tanker from the port of Taman.
Apart from that, in his words, cleanup operations must be continues both at sea and on the coast.
The Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 tankers sank on December 15. One crew member died, while the rest were evacuated. According to emergency services, the tankers were carrying about 9,200 tons of fuel oil. The accident led to an oil spill in the Black Sea, and clean-up efforts are underway. According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, some 2,400 tons of oil products leaked into the Black Sea, much less than the initial estimates. A federal state of emergency over the oil spill was declared on December 26.
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