An oil spill on Sakhalin threatens the endangered taimen population.

A major oil spill occurred in the village of Katangli on Sakhalin Island, which authorities described as a "natural release of petroleum products." However, environmentalists claim it was an accident at an old oil field, and the pollution could threaten Lake Katangli and Nabil Bay, home to the island's largest population of Sakhalin taimen.

“There is no doubt that a major spill has now occurred at oil production facilities,” said Ecologist Dmitry Lisitsyn said that natural oil seeps in the area have indeed existed for a long time, but such large-scale emissions are not common there.

Environmentalists note that the problem stems not only from natural oil seeps but also from the state of the field's infrastructure. Old equipment regularly leaks, especially during temperature fluctuations in the fall and spring. The injection of superheated steam to maintain oil production puts additional pressure on the reservoirs, increasing the volume of oil spills and contaminated water entering Lake Katangli.

According to the ecologist, natural oil seeps are located directly on the field site, among pipes and production equipment. Typically, the oil flows into a special oil trap, from where it is periodically pumped out. However, this latest release was significantly larger. An ecologist familiar with the situation told NeMoskva that oil constantly seeps in the lowlands near the wells, forming puddles, but what's happening now is beyond the usual pattern.

Dmitry Lisitsyn believes the problem can be solved by modernizing the field and creating a system to isolate natural oil seeps. He notes that Rosneft previously promised to implement such measures, but they were never implemented. The field is currently owned by NNK.

Pollution is particularly concerning due to the risk of oil products leaking through the Katangli River into Nabil Bay. This area is considered home to the largest population of the endangered Sakhalin taimen on Sakhalin.

The Sakhalin Oblast government reported that it is monitoring the situation. Authorities have not yet announced the completion of the spill cleanup.

Video: Sakhalin Oblast Government