Watchdog says Moscow Refinery does not emit excess hydrogen sulfide

MOSCOW, Nov 13 (PRIME) --The Russian Federal Service for Natural Resources Oversight has not registered an increase of hydrogen sulfide on emission sources of the Moscow Refinery belonging to Gazprom Neft, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

“In accordance with the service’s protocol, the level of hydrogen sulfide on emission sources on the Moscow Refinery equals a zero,” the statement said.

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry initiated a criminal case over a discharge of hydrogen sulfide from the refinery.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has said that Moscow may suspend operations of the plant for up to 90 days as the plant does not have permission to discharge air pollutants in 2014. But the refinery said it has a court decision allowing it not to receive the permission until November 2015.

On Monday, the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources launched checks of several large Moscow plants, including the refinery, looking for a source of strong stink in the air.

A wind chart suggests that the odor reached the center of Moscow from the city’s south, where the Moscow refinery is located. Hydrogen sulfide is used during petrochemicals’ production.

Gazprom Neft said the protocol did not contain proofs that the plant was not the reason for air pollution outside it.

“Isopropyl benzene and propanal are not the substances which are typically produced during refining or as a result of additional activities of the Moscow Refinery. Special technological processes, which were never used at the refinery are necessary to synthesize the substances,” the statement said.

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