UNESCO asks Russia for details on oil field near Curonian Spit

UNESCO has contacted Russia seeking information about plans to develop the Nadezhda oil field in the Baltic Sea near the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO heritage site, LRT reports, citing Lithuanian presidential adviser Ramūnas Dilba.

Dilba, head of President Gitanas Nausėda’s Environment and Infrastructure Group, said the UNESCO secretariat had asked Russia for details of the proposed development. He said Lithuania’s government should do everything possible to prevent the project from going ahead because the location is highly sensitive to nature.

Russia has not ratified the Espoo Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context, Dilba said, making it unlikely that Moscow would coordinate its plans or assess potential environmental damage. He warned that an incident in the Baltic Sea, which he described as particularly sensitive and polluted, could severely damage its ecosystem.

Dilba also said the plans could indicate that Russia is facing serious fuel and oil production challenges. He questioned whether Lukoil would be able to develop the field, noting that the company remains subject to US sanctions.

According to Russian media reports cited by Verslo žinios, Lukoil is expected to receive a licence to develop the Nadezhda field by the end of the year. Development had long been prohibited because the field lies within 12 nautical miles of the Curonian Spit and borders a national park. Russian reports say the field was recently added to a special federal list, allowing a licence to be issued without an auction. The Natural Resources Ministry has also prepared an order on the protection zone of the Curonian Spit National Park that would leave the field outside the zone.

According to the oil and gas services association, Lukoil produces about 500,000 tonnes of oil a year in the Kaliningrad region, which has 40 oil fields, including seven in the Baltic Sea.