Natural Gas Pipeline Explodes in Russia

[maddezmom]

MAKHACHKALA, Russia - A natural gas pipeline outside the southern Russian city of Makhachkala exploded Wednesday night, sending flames soaring into the sky.



The ITAR-Tass news agency reported that the explosion, which occurred around 10 p.m., appeared to be the result of sabotage.


The resulting fire, less than a mile west of the city, was so hot that workers were unable to get close enough to determine whether it was the trunk gas line or a branch that had exploded, according to a duty officer at the Dagestani regional Emergency Situations Ministry.


A reddish hue was visible west of the city, the capital of the Caspian Sea region of Dagestan. Makhachkala is located about 1,000 miles south of Moscow.


more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&ncid=732&e=5&u=/ap/20041208/ap_on_re_eu/russia_gas_explosion

Interesting that Tass is calling it sabotage, when no one can get close enough to it. :shrug:

[Tempest]

1. This story is approx. 12 hours after the explosion

Authorities most likely have been able to inspect the area by now.

[DS1]

2. Just what they were planning to do in Ukraine

blame it on terrorism and try swing the election days beforehand.

Re-voting is soon, right?

[Igel]

3. The subtext is Chechnya.

Rep. of Dagestan is between Chechnya and the Caspian, shares a reasonably large border with Chechnya. Makhachkala isn't far from Chechnya.

Dagestan is, no doubt, also Muslim; has more or less the same history as Chechnya (see Lermontov and Pushkin, even). But, as far as I know, peaceful until now.

See http://map.rin.ru/cgi-bin/main_e.pl?Region=dagestan for map.

[maddezmom]

4. here's an interesting tidbit

Deputy mayor of restive southern Russian city shot

MAKHACHKALA, Russia — A deputy mayor of the Dagestani regional capital Makhachkala was shot and killed early Thursday at the gateway to his home, police said.

Akhmed Batalov, who was responsible for overseeing the city government’s commerce and settlement of property disputes, had headed Makhachkala’s city planning department in Soviet times and worked in a succession of jobs in the municipal government until now.

A cartridge from an automatic rifle was found near the site of Batalov’s killing, said Abdul Musayev, head of the Dagestani Interior Ministry’s press service.

Batalov’s son, who had worked in the criminal investigation department in a Makhachkala police precinct, was shot and killed several months ago.

http://www.bakusun.az/cgi-bin/ayten/bakusun/show.cgi?code=7001

[Igel]

5. An update

http://www.polit.ru/news/2004/12/08/firewaterburn.popup.html

23.27 (probably Moscow time)

Fire in Makhachkale: One of the main versions--terrorism.

The causes of the accident in the main gas pipeline "Mozdok-Kazimogomed" has are coming out, according to RIA "Novosti".

One of the main versions is that it was an act of terorrism, according to a representative of the Dagestan Internal Affairs Ministry. He said that there was a bang heard before the fire. But this version needs confirmation.

<snip>

The alarm signalling a fire at kilometer 614 in the northwest outskirts of Makhachala , outside the city limits, sounded at approximately 22:00 Moscow time....

[maddezmom]

7. Preliminary information showed the explosion was accidental, Gadzhiyev sai

Two firefighters were injured while responding to the blaze, which occurred in a section of the region's main gas pipeline about 10 p.m., said Murtazali Gadzhiyev, Dagestan's regional emergency situations minister.


The city, which is capital of the Caspian Sea region of Dagestan, is about 1,000 miles south of Moscow.


City residents reported hearing a loud explosion before the fire erupted. A reddish hue was visible in the skies west of the city, and the blaze burned so hot that firefighters could not get close enough to fight it at first, fire officials said.


Preliminary information showed the explosion was accidental, Gadzhiyev said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&ncid=732&e=3&u=/ap/20041208/ap_on_re_eu/russia_gas_explosion

[NYC]

8. Interesting timing.

Only a matter of hours after the explosion?

[One_Life_To_Give]

6. Wasn't this in the book "WW3 Aug 1985"? n/t

[jmcgowanjm]

9. Transneft completes bypass pipeline through Dagestan

http://www.gasandoil.com/goc/company/cnc01972.htm

A second event (in addition to the start of the
economic development program) is affecting the
Dagestani economy.  This is the construction of a major
oil pipeline bypass of Chechnya, re-routing Azerbaijan crude
oil through Dagestan on its way to the Port of
Novorossiysk.  Construction of the oil pipeline by the
Russian company Transneft started abruptly as
Chechnya hostilities broke out in 1999.  A railroad along
the same general route has been in operation since the
Soviet era.  Construction of Dagestan’s Caspian Sea port
at Makhachkala also had started.  Both of these major
projects and the existence of a well planned framework for
the development of the republic’s natural mineral
and agricultural resources should bring the republic
ultimate status as a major transportation and
communications hub for the Caspian region.  U.S.
companies should be poised to explore the
considerable business opportunities that should develop
as order is restored to the
area.

http://www.bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/bisdoc/000112dags.htm

That, too, has its drawbacks, says Robert Ebel,
director of the Energy and National Security Program
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
in Washington:

/// Ebel Act ///

That pipeline bypass runs through Dagestan, and
Dagestan is not the most stable region in the
world. And the bypass, unfortunately, also
comes close to the border with Chechnya. So the
Chechens may just bide their time and say, "We
will not destroy the pipeline until it is full
of oil, and then we will have a go at it."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2000/01/000119-chechen2.htm

[jmcgowanjm]

10. Sabotage or accident-does it matter

The Russian government has always understood
that 
this pipeline(BTC) was part of the broader US strategy to cut
all links with Moscow among the former Soviet states in
the Caucasus, building a new economic infrastructure
that
would dissuade the Caucasus group from ever
renewing
these ties. 
 
Renewed geopolitical tensions in the Ukraine should also
be viewed in this context.  An American-sponsored
Ukrainian pipeline, designed to attract Caspian oil into
Odessa port, on the Black Sea, and then pump it northwards
to Brody, and thence into Poland and other central
European destinations, has lain empty for almost a year. 
It would surely become a more politically viable proposition
were the West’s preferred Presidential candidate,
Viktor Yuschenko, to triumph ultimately in the country’s
disputed elections. 

The shortest, cheapest and most lucrative oil route of
all, southwards out of the Caspian to Iran.

http://www.prudentbear.com/internationalperspective.asp

[Tempest]

11. It was sabotage

http://tinyurl.com/4qp9e