The Russian military is using an anti-tank gun to help put out a fire that has been raging in a Siberian oil field for more than a week, The Siberian Times reported Monday.
The Irkutsk Oil Company, a small producer, last week asked the Russian military to bombard a wellhead at the Yarakta oil field using the MT-12 Rapira weapon. The wellhead at the remote facility caught fire during oil flow measurements on May 30, the company’s subsidiary had said.
Nighttime footage shared by the Russian military showed troops loading the 100mm gun and shooting it with what it called “surgical precision” at the burning wellhead from a distance of 180 meters.
The well was sealed and the inferno eliminated by late Monday morning, according to The Siberian Times.
“We’re moving to the final stage of eliminating the fire,” said Azat Galimyanov, chief engineer of Tikhookeanskiy Terminal (Pacific Terminal), an Irkutsk Oil Company subsidiary.
The company said there were no casualties and no threat of wildfires from the wellhead fire.
The Soviet Union is believed to have used an explosion, described as a peaceful nuclear blast, to quell a gas-well fire that had raged for three years in 1966.
The fire broke out more than 1,500 kilometers south of Norilsk, the site of a May 29 oil spill that has been called one of the worst in Arctic history and is believed to have been caused by melting permafrost.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
