Oil and gas exploration off Norway’s Jan Mayen Island, due to be opened up to drillers this year, poses “significant environmental challenges” and shouldn’t proceed, the country’s Climate and Pollution Agency said.
The island’s remote location, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Norway and 600 kilometers from Iceland, would hamper any oil-spill response, the agency said today. Most of the land is protected and can’t support emergency facilities, while the surrounding waters contain vulnerable wildlife, it said.
Norway has completed environmental impact studies for Jan Mayen and plans to open the area to energy exploration in 2013. The Nordic country, western Europe’s biggest oil and gas exporter, is seeking to tap new resources as production from aging North Sea fields declines.
“Recovering possible resources in this area will pose significant environmental challenges,” agency director Ellen Hambro said in a statement. “Maybe these are resources that should be allowed to stay in the ground.”
The agency also advised caution in opening up the southern Barents Sea to drillers this year. Exploration in the area shouldn’t be rushed, it said in a separate statement, urging the government to strengthen its emergency response capability.
State bodies and other stakeholders have until Jan. 16 to comment on the environmental studies for these areas. Oil Minister Ola Borten Moe has said he wants to present his plan to open the prospects in parliament in the spring, and may include them in the next licensing round this year.
By Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) – Nine Egyptian men who were on board a migrant boat that sank off Greece last year, killing hundreds of people, are to face trial next month,...
By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden took an aerial tour on Friday of the collapsed Baltimore bridge that is blocking a key East Coast shipping lane, and he pledged...
KORSOR, Denmark, April 4 (Reuters) – A Danish frigate deployed to the Red Sea as part of a U.S.-led operation suffered malfunctioning of its weapon systems when attacked by drones operated by Houthi militants last...
April 4, 2024
Total Views: 2201
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.