S5-13 Ecological and social problems of the ESPO pipeline system in Yakutia D.D. Nogovitsyn, N.A. Nikolaeva, Z.M. Sheina, L.P., Sergeeva Abstract: Most specific natural conditions, Besides the oil pipeline will pass through the which can lead to environmental problems territory of compact inhabitancy of along the Pipeline ESPO in Yakutia, are indigenous population of the South Yakutia analyzed in the paper. Amongst them are – evenks, including places of their original climatic, hydrological, cryogenic and householding – reindeer production. In this hydrogeological conditions, providing connection valuation of both ecological and potential risk of occurrence of dangerous natural phenomena, like seismic activity, ice social influence of constructing and dam formation, karst formation, as well as exploitation of ways on natural habitat of different exogenous geologic and cryogenic local people has highly important ecological processes. Issues of feasible negative impact and social meaning. of oil spills on the environment are The region of right-of-way of the pipeline is considered. Level of stability of natural characterized by sharply continental climate. complexes of the area to man’s impact is assessed. Absolute minimal temperature achieves - 60°C (Lensk), -59°C (Olekminsk), - 51°C In addition, problems of socioeconomic (Aldan), - 61°C (Chulman) and absolute influence of the ESPO on accommodation of maximum - +36°C (Lensk, Olekminsk). In the native population are considered. winter territory of the way is under influence Keywords: Natural and social conditions, of cold and dry air mass of powerful petroleum product, impact. Siberian anticyclone. Winter is long, with Intended to transporting oil of Siberian little snow and very cold. Summer is quite deposits to prospective market of the Asian- short but warm. Pacific region the Pipeline system “Eastern Quantity of precipitations on the way of oil Siberia - Pacific Ocean oil pipeline” is one pipeline ranges from 546 mm (Aldan) to 264 of the largest investment energetic projects mm (Olekminsk), therefrom rain which is being realized in the territory of precipitations are 55-70%. Yakutia according to “the Scheme of development of productive power, transport The territory of the right-of-way of oil and energetic of RS (Y) by the year 2020”. pipeline is distinguished by dominance of no-wind weather. Average annual wind In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) the right- speed is relatively not fast: in Lensk – 3,1 of-way of pipeline will pass through the m/s; in Olekminsk – 2,1 m/; in Aldan – 2,9 territories of the South-West and the South m/s, in Chulman – 1,3 m/s. Yakutia within four regions. The sources of oil ingress are deposits of the West Siberia, One of the characteristic features of the way the Irkutsk region and also Yakut deposits as of pipeline is sudden alteration of Talakanskoe and Verkhnechonskoe deposits. temperature formation in the Siberian Besides more than 30 million ton of oil it is anticyclone conditions due to cavities of the planned to recover by 2015 from these Baikal type and deeply cut in river valleys: deposits. air temperature in foundation pits decreases until - 60°C at small-scale (20 cm.) Natural conditions of the territory where the snowpack and no-wind weather. At sudden way of the ESPO passes are characterized alteration air temperature increases as by inhomogenous natural and climatic absolute magnitude increases. conditions, difficult geotechnical, geocryological and seismic conditions. 1 S5-13 Multi-year frozen solids of uniform and change of streambed direction and its water- noncontinuous spread are other natural way, expansion of streambed because of its specialties. This causes wide spread of branching into channels and narrowing its various cryogenic geological processes main streambed and existence of islands, which complicate conditions of oil pipeline shoals and sandbanks. The pipeline passes exploitation (thermokarst saggings, rock through the Lena river, 6 km. higher glaciers, solifluctions, blow-ups, cavings, Solyanka village, 5 km. lower cavity of the etc.). river Olekma, in segment of frequent ice- jam formation. Thus according to Hydrographic net in the researched territory information from the station of Solyanka in shows quite a branched system of rivers, the period of hydrologic observations from creeks and lakes. According to data of 1937-1990 at this place there were 15 ice- “Transneft” JSC the way of oil pipeline jams. crosses 248 water objects of the Lena river within the territory of the Republic of Sakha The process of aufeis formation on the (Yakutia): 65 in the Lensk region, 73 –in the Aldan highlands are everywhere. The map Olekminsk region, 71 – in the Aldan region, of V.R. Alexeev consists of 1000 aufeises. 39 – in the Neryungri region. The majority Also the territory of the way of pipeline of the crossed rivers relates to minor rivers relates to avalanche-prone. and creeks. Large rivers which cross the way In addition, the pipeline from the oil of oil pipeline are: the Peleduy, the Nyuya, pumping station (OPS) No 10, located at the Lena, the Tuolba, the Amga, the Aldan, 1092 km. in the upper river Nyuaya to the the Bolshoy Nemnyr, the Khatymi, the station located at 2091 km., passes to the Chulman and the Timpton. territory of the strong karst appearing. Thus, The main feature of water schedule of according to observations on the river touched upon rivers is powerful spring Biryuk, located in Kileer region, intersecting floods, which are reasoned by fast snow with the pipeline, minimum flow rate is 0.15 melting on water accumulation and ice-jam. l / sec. square. km. and on the map adjusted Sometimes summer floods heighten the for the small drains - 0,50., i.e. loss of flow levels of spring floods, but they are more in fractures and karst formations. In case of gradual. spillage of petroleum products to the places where karst appears, they can penetrate into Ice covering achieves 2,5 meters on the the underground horizons being cause of Lena river in spite of meaningless width of pollution of groundwater, sources of snow. Minor and even middle rivers freeze drinking-water supply of settlements in the annually. Rivers with meandering South Yakutia. streambeds and expected annual damages of banks at the transferring through water Despite the fact that during the construction boards are dangerous. and operation of oil pipelines the full range of measures to prevent accidents and oil Specific features of the territories of the spills are taken into account. But anyway South Yakutia are risky for technogenetic they sometimes happen, causing serious constructions. The most meaningful of them environmental damage. are seismic activity, karstification, aufeis formation and ice-jamming. Normative period of service of oil pipelines is 33 years, but in fact some of them are The most dangerous factors of the region exploited for 50 years. During this period influencing on safe exploitation of pipeline conditions of exploitation may change, such are earthquakes, which happen at spring as development of soil erosion under the floods and sometimes are reasons of structure, changes in oil properties, necessity catastrophic floods. for temporary conservation or shutting down Ice-jams appear on reaches of river the oil pipeline, that is why pipelines characterized by decrease of grades, nipping damage and must be repaired. 2 S5-13 Analysis of information according to contaminants such as heavy metals and accidents of existing pipelines showed that pesticides. When oil is distributed over large the main reasons are the following more area, the probability of different reactions is common technical and natural factors: increased as well as substances which are internal and external corrosion, weld soluble in oil, have opportunity to defects, damage of the pipeline by soil, frost participate in a variety of chemical heave, as well as the "human factor", i.e. processes. negligence and poor quality of the staff Petroleum and petroleum products are work. among the oxidation-prone substances by Significant role in the exploitation of oil microorganisms, so self-cleaning water pipelines are natural characteristics of the contaminated with oil, is long enough. In region: permafrost, climatic and Yakutia these processes are compounded by hydrogeological conditions, hydrologic cold climate. water regime, specialties of technology and Because of the geotechnical system pipeline construction in the conditions of the "pipeline-environment" is a system where North. In addition natural factors may the interaction of technical facilities and initiate essential risks, which appeal to natural systems, not only pipeline impact on significant damages, such as floods and high natural environment, but natural floods, reasoning accidental and emergency environment has much influence on it. situations; erosion, river bed slope processes that cause the destruction of infrastructure Activation of exogenous geological and elements, linear structures; thermokarst cryogenic processes at construction and processes, subsidence, and failures, the operation, as well as changes in the deformation of foundations and bases, temperature regime of soils under the provoked by the accelerated erosion and influence of ESPO pipeline way complicate solifluction, threatening polygonal objects. the operation, which could have a significant impact on land degradation and safety of Petroleum products have a negative impact technical installations. The width of zone of on water ecosystems: concentration of influence of construction works depends on petroleum products 0,01 mg per 1 liter of type of exogenous geological processes and fresh water is enough for dying of most of varies from 300-500 m. to 1-2 km. and freshwater fish. Water pollution by oil and more. oil products causes damages for nature which in excess of other types of Aufeis formation. Processes of aufeis hydrochemical impact forming a membrane, formation are significant for pipeline which reduces access of oxygen to the water construction. According to degree of aufeis surface by 60%. formation Chulman highlands allocates of all landscape provinces.