The challenges relating to oil spill response in the far north are largely related to ice-infested waters, the darkness and cold during winter and the limited access to emergency response resources.
Our goal is for the oil spill response to be robust, effective and well-adapted to local conditions. As mentioned in the last sustainability report (2006), we are participating in a number of R&D projects aimed at improving oil spill response in Northern Norway and in international ice-infested waters.
In 2007, we played an active part in the management and administration of a research project supported by seven international oil companies with the aim of increasing our knowledge about the migration pattern of oil under different ice conditions, improving existing oil protection technology and developing new technology adapted to operating in conditions characterised by ice and cold.
During the year, a number of studies have been carried out, including:
- The efficacy of various dispersants under Arctic conditions, and the development of a system for applying them from vessels.
- The efficacy of various oil collectors under Arctic conditions in studies conducted in tanks, with subsequent modifications in order to improve efficacy and suitability for operations under conditions involving ice and cold.
- The efficacy of in situ burning as a technology to combat oil spills (oil type, thickness, oil film etc.), including lab tests and field tests on Svalbard. The use of a surface-active agent was also tested under various conditions. This agent is capable of making the oil contract into thicker oil slicks that can achieve greater combustion efficiency. There are plans to continue these tests on a larger scale in field tests in 2008.
We have also participated actively in improving oil spill response in the Arctic areas of Norway We have done this in collaboration with Eni Norge as operator for the Goliat oil production field in the Barents Sea.
Several projects are currently ongoing in close consultation with the industry and various official bodies:
- The detection and monitoring of oil from vessels under darkness.
- A supplier/contractor seminar to stimulate good R&D projects.
- Acquiring more knowledge about oil pollution in coastal zones. In some of these projects, there has been particular focus on how oil impacts on various types of shorelines, both with and without ice present.
- A study of alternative methods to traditional mechanical collection.
- Further development of chemical and biological techniques for cleaning oil from shores, as a supplement to the current mechanical methods. In collaboration with the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the SINTEF research foundation following the Server accident, systematic tests were carried out of the efficacy of various chemical agents for cleaning oil from shores. The work of developing standard test procedures for chemical shore-cleaning agents will continue in 2008.
