Arctic Oil
Halt Arctic Oil Drilling Urges UK Parliamentary Committee
The Environmental Audit Committee has published the report of its inquiry into Protecting the Arctic. The Environmental Audit Committee calls for a halt on oil drilling until: • A pan-Arctic oil spill response standard is in place • A stricter financial liability regime for oil and gas operations is introduced that requires companies to prove that they can meet the costs of cleaning up • An oil and gas industry group is set up to peer-review companies' spill response plans and operating practices, reporting publicly • Further independent research and testing on oil spill response techniques in Arctic conditions is conducted, including an assessment of their environmental side-effects • An internationally recognised environmental sanctuary is established in at least part of the Arctic Chair of the Committee, Joan Walley MP, said: "The oil companies should come clean and admit that dealing with an oil spill in the icy extremes of the Arctic would be exceptionally difficult. The infrastructure to mount a big clean-up operation is simply not in place and conventional oil spill response techniques have not been proven to work in such severe conditions.
Arctic Route Helps Owners Slash Fuel Costs
The debate regarding working in and around the Arctic is multi-tiered, with environmental, technical and emergency response heading the list. There is no debate regarding the fuel, money and emissions to be saved by shortening select global shipping routes. In a report from Bloomberg news posted June 13 on http://www.businessweek.com, it was said there will be a rise in dry bulk cargos hauled through Arctic waters this season
Underprepared for Maritime Accidents
The UNH/NOAA said that the existing infrastructure for responding to maritime accidents in the Arctic is limited and more needs to be done to enhance emergency response capacity as Arctic sea ice declines and ship traffic in the region increases, according to new report released on Jan. 29 by the University of New Hampshire and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report details findings from a panel of experts and decision-makers from Arctic nation governments
Arctic Ocean Foreign Ministers' Meeting
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with foreign ministers of the five Arctic Ocean coastal states—Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the United States—in Chelsea, Quebec on March 29. “By virtue of our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in large parts of the Arctic Ocean, we are in a unique position to address new opportunities and challenges in the region,” said Minister Cannon
Arctic Spill “Response Gap” Under the Microscope
Make no mistake about it: the Arctic is open for business. The cumulative environmental footprint of oil exploration outfits, merchant shipping, mining, eco-tourism and the cruise ship trades is thus far minor, but the potential for an exponential increase in commerce – especially if the climate trends now affecting the region continue – is seemingly limitless. For the maritime industry, the down side to this is as big as the most promising business opportunity to come along in
Norway Looks to the Arctic as Production Declines
According to a report from NASDAQ, Norway's status as one of the world's leading producers of oil is being threatened by the rapid declines in oil production from its mature wells. Norway expects new oil & gas finds in the Barents Sea region of the Arctic to offset some of the decline in its oil & gas output. The recent discoveries by Statoil (STO) in the Barents Sea have fueled new interest in exploration activity in the Arctic regions of Norway
Aker Arctic Ice Lab Inaugurated
Aker Arctic, which started operations as a new company in the beginning of 2005, has erected a modern new office and ice model test facility in the Vuosaari district of Helsinki. The premises were inaugurated today in the presence of Finland s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Mauri Pekkarinen. Speeches were also heard from President Yrjö Julin with the compliments of Aker Yards, and Mikko Niini, Managing Director of Aker Arctic.
Inuit Villages Sue to Stop Tests for Oil & Gas
According to an August 21 report from The Seattle Times, above the Arctic Circle in Canada near Greenland, five Inuit villages have won a court order that blocks a German icebreaker from conducting seismic tests of an underwater region that abounds with marine life — and possibly with oil, gas and minerals. For the villagers who live in this mostly treeless region of fjords, icebergs and polar bears, the case was a victory that forces the national and territorial governments to consult
2011 IMarEST Arctic Shipping and Offshore Technology Forum
This fall, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) will sponsor the IMarEST Arctic Shipping and Offshore Technology Forum 2011, including the 1st Annual IMarEST ClassNK Lecture. The conference, to be held in central London, will consider Arctic Shipping Technology on Wednesday, October 5, and Arctic Offshore and Energy Technology on Thursday, October 6. The 1st Annual IMarEST ClassNK Lecture will take place on the first day of the conference.
Arctic Alaska Bound Units of Shell Fleet Set Sail
Units of Shell's oil drilling fleet leave Dutch Harbor for the Arctic Ocean. The Aiviq anchor-handler has begun the long sea journey, bearing some of the massive anchors that will be set to hold the drilling rig Noble Discoverer in place as it drills a well in the Chukchi Sea, Shell informs the 'Alaska Dispatch'. The ice-breaker Fennica , which will deploy a sound-recorder to establish an acoustic footprint of the anchors being set, also left Dutch Harbor
Aker Arctic Brings Oblique Ice Breaker to Market
With construction underway on the first ever Oblique Icebreaker, research specialist Aker Arctic Technology has unveiled a new version of the vessel type that will bring ice management and pollution control in thick first year ice to a new level.
Coast Guard Initiates Arctic Shield 2013
The Coast Guard 17th District announced its Arctic Shield 2013 plans to protect the maritime community in the Arctic and to strengthen their partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal and community members Wednesday. “We are committed to having a sustained presence in the region
China Gains Formal Arctic Council Recognition
At the recent 8th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council, China and another 5 states were granted observer status in the organization. Founded in 1996, the group now has eight member states in the Arctic region, including Russia, the United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland
Arctic Council Sign Oil Spill Agreement
At their recent meeting the circumpolar states of the Arctic Council have agreed to tackle oil spill disasters as a team. The Agreement on Cooperation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic—the Council’s second ever binding agreement—was signed by all
Arctic Summers Possibly Ice-free Within Twenty Years
"It’s not a question of 'if' there will be nearly ice-free summers, but 'when,' say two NOAA scientists. James Overland of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Muyin Wang of the NOAA Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of
Editor's Note
Offshore energy is a unique animal. I say that because, increasingly, the vessels that provide offshore service are becoming the mainstream of our bluewater merchant marine. Smaller than their containership or tanker cousins – although getting bigger every day – these vessels pack
China Gets at Least a Toe-hold in Arctic
The Arctic Institute sees agreement the China-Iceland trade agreement as a clear sign of China's drive to gain a foothold in the Arctic region. In response the signing of a free trade agreement between China and Iceland today, The Arctic Institute’s Executive Director Malte Humpert said:
New Arctic Oil Spill Recovery Icebreaker
Aker Arctic Technology to introduce the ‘Heavy Duty’ oblique icebreaker project for Arctic operations (Aker ARC 100 HD) at upcoming expo. With the awarding of drilling permits in the Arctic subject to increasing scrutiny, Aker Arctic Technology will be explaining the new concept
Aker Arctic to Design Icebreaker for Finnish Government
The Finnish Transport Agency signed a contract with Aker Arctic Technology Oy for design of a new icebreaker for the government. Aker Arctic in cooperation with ILS Oy will design the vessel and prepare the technical documents needed to hold tender for its construction in compliance with the
Protection of the Arctic Environment High on the IMO Agenda
The IMO Subcommittee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE) has made progress in its efforts to develop international environmental and safety regulations for navigation in polar regions. For the recent session of the Subcommittee on Ship Design and Equipment held in March 2013, Denmark had
Innovation Driven by Demand - Oil Spill Response
Oil spill equipment manufacturer Elastec brings new and sophisticated tools to a market in need of better, faster, more efficient and environmentally sound tactics. Just what the doctor ordered. Elastec/American Marine may well be the largest manufacturer of oil spill and environmental equipment
Bowhead, Crowley Announce Joint Arctic Venture
Bowhead Transport Company, LLC, and Crowley Marine Services, Inc., announced the formation of a joint venture to provide marine services in Alaska’s Arctic. The new Alaska-based joint venture will operate under the name UIC Bowhead-Crowley, LLC
TITAN to Address WISTA Conference
TITAN Salvage executive to speak on salvage work in the Arctic at upcoming Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association's (WISTA - USA) 2013 AGM & Conference. TITAN Salvage's Lindsay Malen, director of business development
Arctic Voyage Planning Guide Published
The Arctic Voyage Planning Guide (AVPG), published by Fisheries & Oceans Canada, is a strategic planning tool for vessels navigating the Canadian Arctic. The government publishers begin by explaining that the guide, a compilation of data and services relevant to mariners
Russia's Gazprom to Step Up Arctic Drilling
Under increasing pressure from competitors & the authorities, the Russian gas major is stepping up exploration & drilling in Arctic waters. A total of four wells were drilled and 3000 square km of 3D seismic mapping was conducted in the years 2011-2012 resulting in an increase in