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Disaster may stain Arctic oil
Norway reexamines northern plans after Gulf of Mexico disaster

Oil moves past an oil rig, top right, in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Eric Gay/AP.

Published May 11, 2010

Hopes of drilling for oil in the Norwegian Arctic may be dimmed by the massive spill from a rig in the Gulf of Mexico as Norwegian authorities say that, at the very least, the industry needs to learn from the accident.

"After this no one can seriously claim that this could not happen in Norway or anywhere else," said Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim, in an interview with Reuters. "If you are not completely blind it will affect everyone on the entire globe."

The impact of such a spill is also subject to debate after two recent in-country studies reached somewhat contradictory conclusions. An industry-backed report suggests low Arctic temperatures may actually help during spill cleanups, while a Norwegian Institute for Nature Research study concludes Arctic ecosystems are more vulnerable to a spill than southern areas. The ability of the Norwegian Coast Guard and other agencies to respond to a crisis of such magnitude is also of concern.

More than 4 million gallons of oil have been released since the accident at BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig three weeks ago, with containment efforts to prevent catastrophic environmental and economic damage to the southeastern coast of the United States unsuccessful to date. A lack of regulation has been faulted, and various companies involved in the rig's construction and operation have pointed fingers at one another during an investigation by Congress.

Norway’s three-party ruling coalition is debating whether to start a process this year that may open areas in the Norwegian Sea near the Lofoten and Vesteraalen islands, home to Arctic cod spawning grounds and sperm whales., The area is believed to hold an estimated 1.3 billion barrels in crude and natural gas.

The Labor Party led by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is split on the issue, while the Center Party and Socialist Left are opposed.

“In Louisiana you find some of the most vulnerable coastal areas in the U.S., and the same goes for Lofoten and Vesteraalen in Norway,” said Snorre Valen, a spokesman on energy and the environment for the Socialist Left, in an interview with Bloomberg. “It has been a dramatic wake-up call.”

Norway’s biggest spill came from a blowout at the North Sea Ekofisk Bravo field in 1977, when about 80,000 barrels leaked during an eight-day period. Another notable incident occurred in 1980 when a storm toppled the Alexander L. Kielland accommodation platform at Ekofisk, killing 123 out of 212 workers.

Different behaviors of oil in ice-covered sea water are depicted in this chart by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program. An industry study suggests oil may spread more slowly in Arctic waters, while a science institute analysis concludes oil presents a greater threat to Arctic ecosystems.

Svalbard got a taste of responding to a spill on a very small scale, relatively speaking, when the Russian ship Petrozavodsk ran aground on the southern coast of Bjørnøya last May. Hostile weather and the rocky cliffs prevented officials from reaching the scene as diesel spilled into the protected bird sanctuary, although the light fuel ultimately caused minimal damage. The ship, now spilt in two, remains grounded despite repeated salvage attempts, with the success of further attempts later this year in doubt.

The question now being asked in oil-rich Arctic areas – Norway and elsewhere – is what happens if a spill like the one in the Gulf of Mexico occurs?

A coalition of environmental groups are seeking an emergency order to stop Shell Offshore Inc. from beginning a drilling project in Alaska's Arctic, for instance, claiming the company lacks sufficient crews, emergency equipment and plans to respond quickly to a significant oil spill. Industry officials, in addition to defending their readiness, point to their research indicating Arctic conditions will aid their efforts.

"Ice is a blessing and a curse," said Ron Morris, general manager of Clean Alaska Seas, an industry co-op that handles spill cleanup on the North Slope, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "It's hard to get around in it, but it also doesn't allow the oil to expand; it keeps it kind of like a boom, captured, and it keeps the oil layer thicker."

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