CPC shuts down No. 3 single buoy mooring after due to damage, oil shipments unaffected so far

MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax) - The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) has temporarily shut down its No. 3 single buoy mooring after an inspection found it was damaged.

In line with regulations governing the operation of marine terminals, the consortium is conducting an inspection of single buoy mooring equipment following a period of bad weather and resulting extreme operating conditions, the CPC said in a press release.

In the course of the unscheduled inspection, the CPC found damage in the form of the displacement of the primary structure of one of the No. 3 mooring's hose strings. It therefore decided to shut down the mooring to flush and repair it, the CPC said.

The timely discovery of the damage made it possible to eliminate the risk of oil spilling into the Black Sea, the CPC said.

The consortium now plans to do additional inspections of the No. 1 and No. 2 single buoy moorings, after which it will decide on the need for scheduled preventative maintenance.

The temporary shutdown of a damaged single buoy mooring should not affect oil shipments from the CPC marine terminal, the consortium said.

The weather outlook remains unfavorable for about the next week. A separate tanker is needed for flushing and one is expected to be booked for the job, the CPC said, adding that it would report when the weather is right for doing this work.