ARKHANGELSK, May 5 (Itar-Tass) —— Most oil, which spilled as a result of the breakdown at the Trebs deposit in the Nenets Autonomous Area on April 20, will be removed by May 10-12. The oil stain will be fully removed this summer with the re-cultivation of lands. Next winter the contaminated ground will be taken away for reprocessing. The polluted area makes one hectare, the press service of the authorities of the Nenets Autonomous Area told Itar-Tass on Saturday after a visiting meeting with the participation of Governor of the Nenets Autonomous Area Igor Fyodorov and Bashneft President Alexander Korsik.

The breakdown occurred when the well number 11 Varktnavskaya was demothballed. The specialists of the subcontractor that is the Bashkir well repairing department allowed for uncontrolled open discharge of the gas and oil mixture. About 600 tonnes of oil have been emitted to the surface for more than a day. Bashneft suspended the demothballing of all other wells at the deposit. The fines will be imposed on the company after the oil spill cleanup, head of the department of the Russian natural resource watchdog in the Nenets Autonomous Area Vladimir Bezumov said. “The main result should become the conclusions, which will not allow for nothing like this in further development and exploration of the natural resources in the autonomous area,” Fyodorov said. For his part, Korsik stated that the breakdown will not affect the deadlines to launch the oil production at the deposit in 2013.

The human factor was named as one of the reasons for the breakdown. The team of workers in the well turned out to be unprepared for actions in the emergency situation.

The deposit named after Roman Trebs is considered as one of the largest explored oil deposits in Europe.