Investigation of oil spill incident from Maroon-Isfahan pipeline, looking at similar global experiences, pollution cleaning approaches and providing suggestions for pollution removal

Executor of main plan: Dr Razyeh Lak

Project partners: Dr Mohammadreza Ghassemi, Dr Alireza Vaezi, Dr Ehsan Jalilvand, 
Eng Mahsa Sanaei, Eng Reza Eslami, Eng Elnaz Aghaali 

2021

Following the drafting and approval of the law on soil protection and its notification to the government on June 10, 2017, the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture and the Environmental protection organization were required to implement this law. To implement the provisions of the soil protection agency has developed criteria related to soil pollution issues related to geological phenomena. With regard to the subject of criteria and background of the Research Institute for Earth Sciences, the Environmental protection organization entrusted the development of the mentioned criteria to the Research Institute in the framework of an agreement cooperated with the organization on a research project entitled "development of soil environmental criteria on chemical disasters, natural disasters and mining operations".

The contract of the mentioned agreement, No. 357-1002-T-2, was approved and signed by both parties on the 31th of August 2021, and the related operations started immediately. Fulfilling the commitments related to the subject of chemical and natural disasters required a comprehensive review of the history of all these disasters in country. Examination of the available statistics revealed that soil pollution due to such incidents has occurred many times in the country, but the processes of reporting, assessing environmental damage, remediation of contaminated soils, determining the risk of soil environment, technical prevention and monitoring of pollution in such cases, the soil does not have a codified system at all, and therefore the readiness of the country to deal with chemical and natural disasters is very limited.

In the middle of the implementation of the mentioned research project, the 14th December 2020 in Maroon- Isfahan oil pipeline (Sarkhoon area) sounded the alarm for the environment of the country in the field of soil pollution due to accidents and revealing this incident, in addition its local importance has regional significance for the entire route of soil pipelines and their products. What we have learned from all kinds of accidents and help the optimal implementation of the soil protection law. Accordingly, the Maroon- Isfahan oil pipeline accident was raised as a new and important pivotal issue within the framework of the contract of the Earth Sciences Research Institute with the Environmental Protection organization. The amendment to the contract was notified to the Research Institute for Earth Sciences on 99/12/11 after completing the legal steps, No. 377- 1002- T-2. The main points in implementing the service description of this supplement are:

1. Office studies, data and information collection, comparative (global) studies, reports and various map
2. Field visit and obtaining information on the general status of geological hazards, possible cause of the accident, initial measures, how to control and contain
3. An overview of international experiences in oil spills from facilities and transmission lines around the world
4. Proceedings taken to carry out post-accident clean- up operations at similar events around the world and lessons learned for the Sarkhoon incident
5. Reconstruction of oil-contaminated soil in similar events and lessons learned for the Sarkhoon incident
6. Preparing the final report, presenting the priority program for monitoring, controlling, controlling, rehabilitating and clearing the contaminated soils according to the conditions of the region and holding expert meetings

Part of the required data and information was provided to the research institute by the Environmental Protection Organization and meetings and correspondence that took place with the general department of environmental protection of chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, helped to complete the information about the Sarkhoon incident, for which we are grateful. The presentation of the Sarkoon incident report worksheets by the mentioned department also helped to identify the characteristics of the Sarkhoon incident. Following the incident of oil spill in the Sarkhoon area, the risk office of the geological survey and mineral exploration organization visited the site of the accident at the request of the Iranian oil pipelines and telecommunications company, the report of which is used in this document. The report was preared in collaboration with the general directorate of geology of the southwest region (Ahvaz), which thanks both institutions of the geological survey and mineral exploration of the country. A set of documents in the field of safety requirements and procedures and programs for change, reconstruction and safety of maroon- Isfahan pipeline was provided to the research institute by the National Iranian Oil company and through the Environmental protection organization of the country, we also thank you.