Norwegian Institute for Marine Research Advises Against Ice Zone Petroleum Exploration

The Norwegian government has proposed offering license tenders for 136 blocks related to petroleum activity in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. In a hearing reply, the Norwegian Institute for Marine Research (NIMR) proposes not to open areas a.o. in the farthest north and southwest of the Barents Sea.

Several of the blocks in the Barents Sea overlap or are located near the ice ridge zone, which is a vulnerable area for outside interference. Another proposed area in the southwestern Barents Sea is near spawning areas for haddock.

The NIMR is also critical of the current scheme with license tenders for petroleum activity as it argues that this goes against the principle of integrated management of land and sea areas.