The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has initiated a series of studies on the possible consequences of all-year petroleum activities in the regions from Lofoten and into the Barents Sea. The main objective of the studies is to examine if year-round petroleum activities can be conducted in ways that are not harmful to other activities (fisheries) or to the environment. The findings from the various consequence studies will form the basis for a final report that will be presented to the Norwegian Parliament later this year.

Marine Environmental Technology has recently been granted contracts on three of these studies. The first, related to the possible adverse effects in the water masses of accidental discharges, is conducted in co-operation with two other institutions, Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Alpha Miljørådgivning AS. The second study deals with regular discharges from drilling operations and oil production, while the last one is a study of the potentials and limitations of oil spill counter measures in the region.

Contact at SINTEF Materials and Chemistry: Øistein Johansen