Kharyaga field pipeline leak into the Kolva River, October 2020, and court finding of RUB 24 million damage
- The Usinsk water intake on me was said not to be under threat. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- The Naryan-Mar City Court found damage of 24 million rubles to the Russian Federation and to me in 2022. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Press and investigations A source of the Telegram channel Life Shot: 0.9 cubic metres. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Communities and civil society Save Pechora Committee: The volume cannot be determined because rescuers lacked recovery and metering equipment. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Government and regulators Komi's Natural Resources Minister: Gave no figure. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Government and regulators Roman Polshvedkin, Komi's Ministry of Natural Resources: 'Certainly not a disaster'. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Courts Naryan-Mar City Court: Found serious consequences to the Russian Federation and the Kolva River in the amount of 24 million rubles. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Communities and civil society Save Pechora Committee: The emergency was declared 15 hours after the accident was reported and rescuers lacked equipment. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
Oil leaked from an inactive pipeline at the Kharyaga field in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug into the Kolva River in October 2020. In January 2022 the Naryan-Mar City Court convicted an employee and fined the person RUB 240,000, finding damage of RUB 24 million.
Court finding of 24 million rubles of 'serious consequences to the Russian Federation and the Kolva River'; fine of RUB 240,000 on an employee (28 January 2022).
Status As of 28 January 2022: an employee convicted and fined RUB 240,000 by the Naryan-Mar City Court; no payment of the RUB 24 million damage on record.
- An employee of Lukoil-Severneftegaz — Convicted and fined RUB 240,000 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Kolva River — Oil film seen from aerial reconnaissance; damage of RUB 24 million found by the court 7x7 Horizontal Russia
What happened
On 17 October 2020 the Save Pechora Committee reported a leak from an inactive oil pipeline at the Kharyaga field in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug; oil reached the Kolva River and flowed toward Usinsk in the Komi Republic. Emergency regimes were imposed in Usinsk and the NAO on 19 October 2020 and the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Article 246 of the Criminal Code. A source of the Telegram channel Life Shot put the volume at 0.9 cubic metres; Komi's Natural Resources Minister gave no figure. Four booms were placed, two in the NAO and two in Komi, with a fifth planned, and the film was collected with sorbent.
The Komi Ministry of Emergency Management saw an oil film on the Kolva from aerial reconnaissance, and the Usinsk water intake was said not to be under threat. The Save Pechora Committee criticised officials for declaring the emergency 15 hours after the accident was reported and said rescuers lacked equipment.
On 28 January 2022 the Naryan-Mar City Court convicted an employee under Article 217 (industrial safety rules, major damage by negligence) and Article 250 Part 1 (surface water pollution) and fined the person RUB 240,000. The court found that the defendant broke the approved procedure for cleaning a pipeline section and gave instructions that led to the spill, with 'serious consequences to the Russian Federation and the Kolva River in the amount of 24 million rubles'.
- 2020Leak reported by the Save Pechora Committee (17 Oct); emergency regimes in Usinsk and the NAO and criminal case opened under Art. 246 (19 Oct)
- 2022Naryan-Mar City Court convicts an employee under Arts. 217 and 250(1) and fines the person RUB 240,000 (28 Jan)
What was said
“serious consequences to the Russian Federation and the Kolva River in the amount of 24 million rubles.”
“was certainly not a disaster”
“the main task”
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Lukoil-Komi reported the spill and Lukoil-Usinskneftegaz took part in the response.
7x7 Horizontal RussiaThe convicted employee worked for Lukoil-Severneftegaz.
7x7 Horizontal Russia0.9 cubic metres.
7x7 Horizontal RussiaThe volume cannot be determined because rescuers lacked recovery and metering equipment.
7x7 Horizontal Russia'Certainly not a disaster'.
7x7 Horizontal RussiaFound serious consequences to the Russian Federation and the Kolva River in the amount of 24 million rubles.
7x7 Horizontal RussiaThe emergency was declared 15 hours after the accident was reported and rescuers lacked equipment.
7x7 Horizontal RussiaHow it looked
Shown
- The spill was 'certainly not a disaster' and the Usinsk water intake was not under threat.Komi's Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of Emergency Management · 7x7 Horizontal Russia
- Work was to be done openly, with public information.Yuri Bezdudny, Governor of the NAO · 7x7 Horizontal Russia
Recorded
- The court found that the defendant broke the approved procedure for cleaning a pipeline section and gave instructions that led to the spill.
- Fine of RUB 240,000 on the acting tool-pusher of Lukoil-Severneftegaz's commercial oil transportation party.
- Volume of 0.9 cubic metres per a source of the Telegram channel Life Shot; Save Pechora said the volume could not be determined for lack of recovery and metering equipment.
- No damage amount or affected area was reported at the time of the leak.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- lukoil-komi (2020-10-19): Reported the spill, according to a source of the Telegram channel Life Shot cited by 7x7. · 7x7 Horizontal Russia
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2020–2022Claimant wonRUB 0.24m fineCriminal case after the October 2020 Kharyaga leakNaryan-Mar City Court · Criminal · Investigative Committee (Arkhangelsk Oblast and NAO directorate) → An employee of Lukoil-Severneftegaz (not named in the source)
The Investigative Committee opened a case under Article 246 of the Criminal Code on 19 October 2020. On 28 January 2022 the Naryan-Mar City Court convicted the defendant under Article 217 (industrial safety rules, major damage by negligence) and Article 250 Part 1 (surface water pollution) and fined the person RUB 240,000. The court found damage of RUB 24 million. 7x7 Horizontal Russia
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Accounts
- Disputed Which Lukoil subsidiary was responsible for the pipeline?
Record
- Not measured Not measured: the volume leaked; the Save Pechora Committee said it could not be determined because rescuers lacked recovery and metering equipment.
- Not disclosed Not disclosed: no damage amount or affected area was reported at the time of the leak (7x7, 19 October 2020).
- Disputed Disputed: the operator; 7x7 in 2020 cites Lukoil-Komi reporting the spill and Lukoil-Usinskneftegaz taking part in the response, while its 2022 court report names an employee of Lukoil-Severneftegaz.
- Unclear Unclear: whether and by whom the RUB 24 million was paid.
Did the harm stop?
By 19 October 2020 four booms were in place and the film was being collected with sorbent; emergency regimes were imposed in Usinsk and the NAO the same day.
Who paid?
The court found damage of RUB 24 million and fined an employee of Lukoil-Severneftegaz RUB 240,000; payment of the RUB 24 million is not on record.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Regime of emergency was imposed in the North-East of Komi due to petroleum products spill7x7 Horizontal Russia · 2020-10-19
- Court in the NAO fines LUKOIL's tool-pusher for oil spill in the Kolva River7x7 Horizontal Russia · 2022-01-28
Connected cases
- Lukoil-Komi oil spills in the Usinsk area and the Kolva River, 2011–2023, damage claims and payments Russia · 2011–2023 Related matter
- Lukoil-Komi (Company) — here: Reported the spill (per 7x7, 2020); there: Operator of the lines; paid the 2021 amounts; defendant in the RUB 615 million case
- Investigative Committee of Russia (Public authority) — here: Opened the criminal case under Art. 246; there: Opened criminal cases after the 2021 and 2023 spills
- Save Pechora Committee (NGO) — here: Reported the leak; criticised the speed of the emergency declaration; there: Local environmental group; reported spills and contested the 2021 damage settlement
- Norilsk diesel spill Russia · 2020–2023 Related matter
- Avacha Bay marine die-off, Kamchatka, autumn 2020 Russia · 2020–2022
- Investigative Committee of Russia (Public authority) — here: Opened the criminal case under Art. 246; there: Opened the criminal case on 7 October 2020
- Siberian wildfire season of 2019: Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Yakutia Russia · 2019
- Investigative Committee of Russia (Public authority) — here: Opened the criminal case under Art. 246; there: Opened the Krasnoyarsk criminal case (1 August 2019)
- Talnakh Concentrator tailings facility: wastewater pumped onto the tundra, 2017–2020 Russia · 2017–2024
- Investigative Committee of Russia (Public authority) — here: Opened the criminal case under Art. 246; there: Opened the criminal cases; completed the investigation and charged five people in July 2024
- Tukolon reserve sanitary logging conviction in Irkutsk Oblast Russia · 2018–2024
- Investigative Committee of Russia (Public authority) — here: Opened the criminal case under Art. 246; there: Detained and charged the former minister