Oil Spill Detected in Caspian Sea
A spillage of oil into the Caspian Sea has been identified through radar imagery from the European satellite Sentinel-1A, pinpointing the Kazakhstan field and the Kashagan oil production site.
Galina Chernova, executive director of the “Globus” environmental and legal initiative center, confirmed the occurrence of the spill. “According to space monitoring data from the European Sentinel-1A satellite radar image, the spill spans approximately 7 square kilometers, shifting northward in the Caspian Sea,” she stated.
Potential causes of the spill include accidental oil leakage during production, discharge of industrial waters containing petroleum products, or emergencies involving service ships.
Chernova highlighted that preceding the incident, the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC) had conducted public hearings regarding the company’s marine operations in Damba village on March 29. Despite assurances from NCOC managers regarding efforts to prevent air and sea water pollution, the recent spill casts doubts on their commitment to environmental protection.
Previous oil slicks in the Caspian Sea have been detected, but monitoring conducted by Mangistau ecologists along the Aktau coast did not reveal an escalation in harmful substance concentrations.
