Statoil spells out Chukchi strategy 12/05/2010
Wilems says cooperation among stakeholders, effective technologies and management commitment will be keys to success on the OCS
Cooperative ventures between companies, engagement with local communities and effective coordination with government agencies will be key factors in addressing the challenges of oil and gas developmen...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Accord paves way for Barents development 10/03/2010
Resolution of maritime border dispute between Norway and Russia bodes well for increased Western involvement in Russian projects
It is not unusual for petroleum deposits in remote areas of the world to be brought into production a decade or more after their discovery, especially when exploration and delineation of those hydroca...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Russian aircraft buzz Navy ship twice in Arctic 10/03/2010
Pentagon officials say two Russian aircraft buzzed a U.S. Navy warship in the Arctic's Barents Sea in early September, each coming within about 50 yards of the frigate, which had just completed a port...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Four rigs ready for Barents Sea drilling 10/03/2010
According to a Sept. 15 report in the BarentsObserver, 2011 will be the "all-time-high" for "test-drilling" in Norway's part of the Barents Sea. The four rigs are Aker Barents, Polar Pioneer, West Pho...

ENI gets approval to drill Barents well 10/03/2010
The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway cleared the Transocean semisubmersible Polar Pioneer to drill an exploratory well in the Barents Sea for Eni Norge, Offshore reported Sept. 22. Well 7120/12-5, in...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Forty-one bid in Norway's latest license round 10/03/2010
Forty-one companies applied for acreage under Norway's 2010 Awards in Predefined Area licensing round, three less than for APA 2009, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, or NPD. Accordin...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Two green lights for Shtokman plans 10/03/2010
Two government approvals came through in late September for the Shtokman field in Russia's part of the Barents Sea, which is estimated to hold 130 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 31 million ton...

Canada gets chilly reception 09/26/2010
Insists it has scientific data to back UN case over settling Arctic territorial claims with US in Beaufort, Russia over Lomonosov
Canada, despite its aggressive stance, finds itself out in the cold, sharply at odds with Russia and lagging behind other Polar nations as resource-rich offshore territories start to get carved up. Cr...

Arctic Directory: JIP publishes Arctic oil spill results 09/19/2010
Research shows that cold and ice extends time window for responding; in-situ burning and dispersant use appear especially effective
The feasibility or otherwise of responding effectively to an oil spill in ice-infested waters has for several years been one of the core questions in the often contentious debate about whether or not...

Shtokman investors betting on gas prices 05/30/2010
Environmental assessment released; no surprises but similar risks to Gulf disaster concern green groups; minor fisheries impact
The final investment decision for the $15 billion, phase 1 Shtokman gas field development will be made in March 2011, with first natural gas and gas condensate from the Barents Sea project scheduled f...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Norway, Russia resolve Arctic boundaries 05/09/2010
Agreement on Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean could lead to joint projects developing oil and gas fields, Russian president suggests
After negotiating for 40 years, Norway and Russia have reached an agreement over the boundaries between them in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The recommended solution involves a maritime delim...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Lofoten debate still raging in Norway 04/25/2010
New reports from government agencies add fuel to the fire of arguments over opening sensitive Arctic offshore area to drilling
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has published its conclusions about the petroleum resources in the Lofoten, Vesteralen and Senja offshore Arctic areas, which are currently closed to development be...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Scientist opposes opening of Lofoten area 04/25/2010
The normal activities of the oil industry would not pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems if offshore Arctic fields were to be developed, but a spill could be catastrophic, a Norwegian marine...

JIP publishes Arctic oil spill results 04/25/2010
Research shows that cold and ice extends time window for responding; in-situ burning and dispersant use appear especially effective
The feasibility or otherwise of responding effectively to an oil spill in ice-infested waters has for several years been one of the core questions in the often contentious debate about whether or not...

Arctic sea ice reaches maximum extent 04/11/2010
The Arctic sea ice appeared to reach its maximum extent for the winter on March 31, despite a small, temporary decline in ice cover earlier in the month, the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported...

Hillary Clinton spreads Arctic chill 04/11/2010
Rebukes Canada for leaving 3 countries off summit invitation list at time when 'we need all hands on deck'; ice return seen as blip
Arctic sea ice has returned to average 1979-2000 levels for the first time in a decade after years of alarming shrinkage, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. The expan...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Norway offers more offshore Arctic blocks 03/14/2010
The Norwegian government has expanded the areas available for oil and gas exploration activities in the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea in its announcement of the Awards in Predefined Areas 2010, the Mi...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Statoil solving Arctic offshore challenges 02/28/2010
Snohvit project could pave way for gradual exploration and development of Lofoten, Vesteralen region in Norway's far north
The advanced technology that Norway's Statoil is using for the Snohvit project in the Barents Sea could also be effective in the Lofoten and Vesteralen waters, which are currently closed to oil and ga...

Our Arctic Neighbors: Oil industry could help with shipping incidents 02/28/2010
The Norwegian oil industry could actually make Arctic waters safer by providing the equipment to respond to spills from foreign ships, Statoil's Hege Marie Norheim told the Arctic Frontiers conference...