Norway Looks to Arctic Oil Exploration

The Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy is ready to take drilling rigs towards the North Pole

The 22nd License Round announced by Minister of Petroluem and Energy Ola Borten Moe includes as many as 72 blocks in the Barents Sea, several of them near the polar ice ridge, reports the 'Barents Observer'.

And Norwegian Arctic drilling will not stop with the 22nd License Round. According to Borten Moe, his ministry is ready to take it all the way to the 84th latitude, the northernmost point in Norwegian waters.

In his meeting this week with high-ranking international politicians, including U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, as well as a number of powerful oil company representatives, the Norwegian minister made it very clear what he intends to do in the area.

For environmentalists, the signals from the Norwegian government are bad news. “This is bad for the climate, the High North and environmental management regimes”, leader of Bellona Frederic Hauge told the 'BarentsObserver. “The plans for oil drilling are depressive reading and include significant risks”, he underlines.