In 1992 two incidents caused almost 30,000 tones of oil to leak from ruptured pipelines which contaminated the Pechora, Kolva and Ussa rivers. Russia loses many millions of barrels of oil as a result of faulty pipeline equipment. This caused losses of up to 20 percent of all oil extracted. However, oil is Russia's primary foreign exchange earner and experts say that without sales the country cannot repay its debts or keep a strategic hold on neighboring ex-Soviet republics which are dependent on Russia for their energy needs. In the Soviet Union, the energy sector historically increased production without regard for either efficiency or the environment.
Oil spills can have serious impacts.
At low temperatures, oil tends to persist for long periods of time because of the low rates of evaporation. The frozen ground prevents the oil from seeping in, and this makes it travel for long distances. Tundra environments are particularly susceptible to disturbance, and effects remain visible for many years. For example, it can take decades for a tree to grow just a few feet, and tire tracks in tundra vegetation can last up to 100 years. For at least a kilometer along one dying stream bed, a shiny layer of crude oil lies more than one-third of a meter deep.