Proceedings of the Seventh (1997) International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference Honolulu, USA, May 25-30, 1997 Copyright © 1997 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers ISBN 1-880653.-28-1 (Set); ISBN 1-880653-29-X (Vol. I) Environmental Impact Assessment for the Baydaratskaya Bay Crossing of the Yamai - West Europe Gas Pipeline System Alexander V. Beloshapkov, Vladimir B. Leschinsky and Alexander S. Tsvetsinsky EPS EcoSystem Moscow, Russia Konstantin A. Kashunin JSC Petergaz BV Moscow, Russia ABSTRACT BOVANENKOVSKOE GAS FIELD~ The Baydaratskaya Bay crossing in the Kara Sea is a part of the Yamal - West Europe gas system project, It is the fast ° experience of the large-diameter gas pipeline engineering in the Russian Arctic seas. The Environmental Impact Assessment of the construction for the fast two lines of the crossing is based on the results of six-year scientific program of Baydaratskaya r YAMAL Bay environmental studies. Laws, rules and regulations MARRE-SALE applicable to Environmental Impact Assessment in the Russian Federation are considered. The sources and types of possible impact during construction and operation stages are shown. % q4} KEY WORDS: Environment, impact, assessment, pipeline, underwater crossing, ecological examination. O q/. INTRODUCTION URAI \, B s ° The development of the Bovanenkovskoye gas field on the Z~ 20 40 km Yamal Peninsula in Northwest Siberia by JSC Gazprom, the Russian Gas company, requires a gas transport system to be PIPELINE i laid across the Baydaratskaya Bay in the Kara Sea. The .... PIPELINEUNDERWATER CROSSING i underwater crossing of main gas pipeline will connect the Yamal gas fields and onshore pipelines in the Yamal Peninsula with the Ural - West Europe pipeline system. The Fig. 1 Location map length of the offshore part of the crosshag is about 67 kan (Fig. 1), the maximal depth reaches 22 m. The common occurrence during the ice free period. The shallow Baydaratskaya Bay underwater crossing will consist of 8 zone of the crossing is covered by ice in the winter, while parallel lines of 1220 mm gas pipelines. Detailed engineering drifting ice dominates in the central part of the Bay, The has been completed for the first two Lines. It was carried out environmental studies were carried out by the engineering by the Joint Stock Company Petergaz BV. production society (EPS) Eco-System during 1990-95 within the framework of JSC Gazprom program. It included 10 The environmental conditions of the crossing region are offshore and 15 onshore expeditions including rigorous. The ice free period in the Bay is generally about 70 oceanographic, side scan, shallow seismic and biological days. Storms with intense waves, currents and surges are a surveys of the area, as well as geological and sediment 582 .