ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 3. There is no substantiated evidence confirming the alleged leakage of oil, wastewater, or any other liquids at the offshore complex of the Kashagan field in the Caspian Sea, Trend reports via the field's operator, North Caspian Operating Company N.V. (NCOC).
"NCOC conducts its operations following the regulations and standards outlined in emission permits and environmental impact assessments. As of March 30, 2024, at 7:43 (GMT+5) or 2:43 (UTC), there has been no conclusive evidence to support claims of oil, wastewater, or other liquid leakage at the offshore complex of the Kashagan field," the report reads.
According to the company's statement, images captured by Sentinel-1A satellite on March 30, 2024, and TerraSAR-X space radar on April 2, 2024, revealed a natural phenomenon occurring in the Northern Caspian Sea, particularly in a small area north of Island D within the Kashagan field. However, subsequent images taken in the following days showed the absence of such phenomena.
"The area around D Island referenced in the publication underwent inspection, revealing no evidence of spills or leaks. NCOC's offshore facilities are functioning without any abnormalities," NCOC emphasized.
On Monday, Executive Director of the Globus Center for Environmental and Legal Initiative Galina Chernova reported that an oil spill was detected in the area of the Kashagan field.
Chernova identified accidental or emergency oil spills during extraction, discharge of production water containing oil products (which should be stored and transported to land for disposal), and emergencies involving service vessels as the causes. She mentioned that the spill covered an area of approximately 7 square kilometers, with the slick drifting to the north of the Caspian Sea.
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