LUKOIL CONDUCTS SATELLITE MONITORING OF THE NORTH CASPIAN SEA
Thursday, March 11, 2010
ООО LUKOIL-Nizhnevolzhskneft (an OAO LUKOIL wholly-owned subsidiary) obtained the results of satellite monitoring for the North Caspian Sea conducted by the Research and Development Center ScanX on the request of the Company.
The monitoring was aimed at tracing pollution and identifying its sources during the assembly of an offshore ice-resistant stationary platform at Yu. Korchagin field. After quasi-real processing, the satellite data were sent to specialists of OOO LUKOIL-Nizhnevolzhskneft via the web-service LUKOIL-Kosmosnimki.
No oil spills have been traced during the monitoring period within the boundaries of the license areas of OOO LUKOIL-Nizhnevolzhskneft.
To trace pollutants and their sources, a multi-satellite monitoring technique was used, which ensured a high frequency of observation and direct satellite image acquisition. These observations efficiently control license areas and the neighboring sites, ensuring a high probability of pollution tracking.
The monitoring also allows engineers to trace the spill drifting dynamics and the cases of offshore zone pollution caused by oil spill transfers to license areas affected by hydrometeorological factors. Thanks to the integrated use of satellites and other types of information, it is possible to define the nature and possible sources of pollution (for instance, related vessels which often cross license areas and may serve as sources of petroleum product discharges within the boundaries of the license areas of OOO LUKOIL-Nizhnevolzhskneft).
The greater part of the traced pollution in the waters of the North Caspian Sea is the result of contaminated-water and petroleum-product discharges by vessels, which accounts for the typical shape and location of the discharges in the vicinity of shipping routes. It is also possible to trace the vessels that caused the pollution.
Overall, during the satellite monitoring period, the Russian sector of the Caspian Sea was characterized by a stable ecological condition without considerable deviations from the average multiannual values.
