MOSCOW - Russia's Nornickel is pumping out diesel from one of its fuel tanks in the Arctic following a leak of 20 litres, the company said Monday, adding that there was no damage to the environment.
A year ago, 21 000 t of oil products leaked from a cracked tank at Nornickel's power plant into the Arctic rivers and soil. The biggest such accident in the Russian Arctic cost the company $2-billion in fines.
The new leak is much smaller, the company said, adding it had already collected the leaked fuel. The leak was discovered during a routine inspection on Monday of the tank with a total capacity of 20 000 t, it added.
Nornickel said it was pumping out the remaining fuel to other reservoirs to minimise risks. It has not disclosed the amount of oil products remaining in the tank, or the reason behind the leak.
Russia's environment watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, said the diesel leaked from the bottom of the tank due to corrosion.
Last year's accident was attributed by Nornickel to possible melting of permafrost under the tank. However, the technical state regulator concluded that errors during construction and maintenance caused the 2020 leak.
Nornickel has since dismantled some of its old fuel storage and said it would invest 100-billion roubles ($1.35-billion) in infrastructure safety to prevent similar leaks.