Launching of Kashagan significantly increases risks of Caspian sea ecology

Putting of Kashagan, the biggest oil and gas field on the Caspian shelf, into operation has significantly increases risks related to the sea ecology, Chingiz Ismaylov, Professor of the Baku State University, chairman of the Centre of Regional Development, Director of “Caspian” Scientific Centre, said.

He said very big risks are related to the sea pollution. Kazakhstan government lays serious claims to the oil companies developing this field and for this reason launching of Kashagan has been postponed several times.

“The Kashagan field has complex geological conditions. On the one hand, abnormal bed pressure and on the other hand, unlike Azerbaijani fields, Kashagan located on the depth of at least 5-15 meters. North of the Caspian Sea is not deep and it is not convenient to use platforms for development of such fields. For this reason Kazakhstan is forced to create artificial islands, which cause additional expenses,” expert said.

The third peculiarity of this field is a high sulfur content, which reduces oil quality.

  “All fields in the Kazakhstan sector of the Caspian Sea are sulphury. Any accident on Kashagan will lead to a serious catastrophe. When sulfur comes into contact with marine environment, it turns into sulfuric acid, which will kill all life. Considering that north part of the Caspian Sea is the main area of sturgeon spawning and over 80% of spawning is happening here, this means destruction of the entire Caspian ecological system,” Ismaylov said. 

The expert added that pressure on the Kashagan field reaches 3000 atmosphere. Any platform or a well is like a toothpick for such a pressure. 

Ismaylov said that in 1989 there was a powerful explosion on the Tengiz field on the north east coast of the Caspian Sea. That time the Soviet specialists had to use help of western specialists to extinguish the fire, which lasted one year and a half. That time armed forces were used for the first time in practice and the well was bombarded.

Expert reminded that the fire on the Bulla Deniz field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea has been also extinguished recently with help of frontier troops. He said pressure on the Bulla Deniz was 900 atmospheres.

“There are risks. It is easier to localize pollution onshore, than offshore, but it will be almost impossible to do, if it is sulfurous oil. Considering the anti-clockwise current from the north,  the discharge will flow towards Russia and then Azerbaijan,” Ismaylov said.

He also added that there is blowout in any manufacture and even leading international companies cannot guarantee its absence. We can just talk about minimization of risks, the expert said.—0—