The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) is investigating an oil spill from the Equinor-operated Njord A platform in the Norwegian Sea at the end of last year.
The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) is investigating an oil spill from the Equinor-operated Njord A platform in the Norwegian Sea at the end of last year.
Courtesy Thomas Sola/Statoil (Equinor)
The Njord A platform is shown being towed to Kværner Stord by the anchor-handling tug supply vessel KL Sandefjord in 2016.
Oil escaped via the produced water system, with about 75 MMcm released into the sea and eventually reaching the shore.
Response action has started along parts of the coast of western Norway, from Frøya in Møre og Romsdal and northward.
The Njord field, in 330 m water depth, started production in 1997 and recently underwent a redevelopment to ensure sustained long-term production from the area.
A Tale of Two North Seas
To paraphrase from Dickens’ classic work, the North Sea has become a tale of two seas: the UK North Sea and the Norwegian North Sea. The difference is already being manifested in drilling activity and field development plans in the two regions. This difference is largely due to extremely contrasting fiscal regimes and regulatory policies.
