SEVASTOPOL, September 1. /TASS/. The area of the oil spill in the Black Sea as a result of the leak near Novorossiysk, according to the latest data, is about 350 square km, Sergey Stanichny, a specialist in remote sensing technologies, who cooperates with the Marine Rescue Service, told TASS.
"According to current images, the area [of the oil slick] is already 350 square kilometers. In my experience, such extensive film pollution in the sea has never been observed. The film remains thick enough for this type of oil product. This means that at present [the slick consists of] at least 10 tons of oil products, it is localized west of Anapa, a small discharge onto the shore north of Anapa is possible. The slick is moving towards Crimea, but for now it is passing south of the Kerch Strait," Stanichny said.
Earlier, according to satellite measurements for August 30, it was reported that the area of the oil spill was about 75 square km, the leak was estimated at no less than 4-5 tons of oil products. Current images allow us to obtain more objective data.
On August 29, during a loading operation with a tanker in the waters of the Novorossiysk seaport, an oil leak was recorded.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) has brought out of operation one of its three single point moorings (SPM-2) at its sea terminal near Novorossiysk for an indefinite period after an emergency after the contingency with the oil spill. Earlier, a representative of emergency services told TASS that the oil products that spilled in the Black Sea near Novorossiysk, according to preliminary data, are light, which reduces the severity of the consequences for the environment.