Norway ends seismic testing after pressure by environmental organisations Oslo - August 21 - The seismic testing in the Barents Sea, commissioned by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has been stopped four days after Greenpeace exposed to testing programme in the Norwegian TV2 news. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza approached the research vessel Artemis Atlantic on Wednesday when it changed course towards Hammerfest. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate decided to stop the testing in the Svalbard waters one month before the schedule. A route of 5 600 kilometres was tested while the plan was to test 7 100 kilometres. The most controversial northernmost part of the planned testing area was not tested. The seismic testing has been under pressure by environmental organisations and the Norwegian Liberal Party and Christian Democratic Party the last days, but the Petroleum Directorate has insisted that other reasons led to the cancellation. “This seismic testing program was an unacceptable sneak opening of the vulnerable and ice covered Svalbard zone for oil drilling. We are happy that the Petroleum Directorate decided to stop it, but we think that it should not have happened in the first place”, says Truls Gulowsen, Greenpeace Nordic Programme Manager in Norway. Several key politicians in Norway have voiced that this program is in breach of the Governmental Declaration, which was negotiated between the Government and the supporting Liberal and Christian Democrats. The Declaration states clearly that “petroleum activity shall not occur near the ice edge”. (1) Greenpeace believes the icy waters of the Arctic are far too vulnerable for oil activities, and are calling on Norway as well as other governments of the world to refrain from exploiting these costly resources, that the world cannot afford to burn if we are to avoid dangerous climate change. The Greenpeace ship Esperanza has been in Svalbard waters several weeks this summer, and was approaching the seismic operation on Wednesday, when the Artemis Atlantic changed course towards Hammerfest. Esperanza is still sailing in the Svalbard zone, currently documenting seabirds at Bear Island, which are at risk from Statoil and Rosneft joint drilling program at the Pingvin well South of the island. Read more about Norway’s seismic attack on the Arctic greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/arctic-seismic-mapping/blog/50308/
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:55:12 +0000
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