Fire extinguished at major Russian oilfield

It was not immediately clear if production had been affectedREUTERS  |  January 07, 2019, 16:22 IST
A worker climbs stairs at the Halfaya oilfield in Amara, southeast of Baghdad, January 21, 2016. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/Files
A worker climbs stairs at the Halfaya oilfield in Amara, southeast of Baghdad, January 21, 2016. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/Files
MOSCOW: Russian fire-fighters overnight put out a blaze at one of the country's biggest oilfields, the emergencies ministry said.

It was not immediately clear if production had been affected.

In a statement, the ministry said the fire broke out at the Priobsky field in the western Siberian region of Khanty-Mansiisk.

The fire broke out in a furnace used to evaporate water from crude oil, it said.

The statement said the fire covered an area of 300 square metres, and that 16 oilfield staff had to be evacuated. It said 76 fire-fighters and 17 fire service vehicles were despatched to the scene.