Gazprom introduces oil spill technology

Russian energy company Gazprom said it's developed a new biological agent that can help degrade oil spills and is effective in a range of climates.

During an event in St. Petersburg, the Russian company commissioned the use of BIOROS, a biological agent that can help degrade oil spills.

"BIOROS is an innovative product for oil spill cleanup," the company explained. "It is more effective than similar products made in Russia and abroad, as it provides for, among other things, quicker oil spill removal at a greater range of temperatures, from 40 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit."

A subsidiary of Russian oil company Rosneft in March said about 1,000 barrels of oil were spilled at an oil field on Sakhalin Island in Russia's Far East. The company said it was burning off the spilled oil from the Ekhabi oil reserve after local residents discovered the leakage.

Environmental advocacy group Greenpeace said oil had migrated to an area river, countering the claims made by the Rosenft subsidiary. A delegate from Greenpeace Russia said energy companies in Russia have no appetite for the investments needed to ensure their operations are safe. According to him, they'd need to invest only about 10 percent of their net profit to repair pipelines running across the country.

Gazprom offered no statement on investments made in BIOROS development.

"It was noted at the ceremony that the production of the BIOROS biodegradation agent was a result of Gazprom's fruitful cooperation with domestic companies aimed at manufacturing competitive import substituting products," the company said.