Verified Document

Environmental Law The Norwegian Oil And Gas Essay

Environmental Law The Norwegian Oil and Gas Industry: Relatively Successful

Norway became an oil producer when it drilled a hole into the continental shelf off its shores on June 15, 1971 (Law Library of Congress 2010, p. 1). Since then the Norwegian oil industry has become the country's largest sector, representing 26% of economic production in 2006. Norway was the ranked fifth in the world for oil exportation in 2009 and the largest in Europe. Although oil production has begun to decline in recent years, the reserves off its coast remain the largest in Europe (Business Monitor International 2013). Norway is the second leading gas exporter after Russia, primarily because domestic use is low given the heavy reliance on hydropower.

Concerns about a possible drilling disaster were voiced soon after the industry began developing the offshore oil fields. A 1976 report in The Guardian claimed that the oil industry would be powerless to quickly resolve accidents (Goldsmith 1976). Estimates at the time suggested that it would take at least five months to fix a blowout, but in the meantime 10,000 tons of crude would enter the North Sea each day. Given Norway's fishing industry, such an oil...

The Norway Pollution Control Act of 1981 established provisions to prevent and limit pollution. The costs for implementing these measures would also be the sole burden of the oil producers. In essence, this act required the oil industry to prevent oil spills. The Petroleum Activities Act (PAA) of 1996 established the liabilities for acute spills under Norwegian jurisdiction, whether offshore or on land. Under the PAA the licensees are responsible for the costs associated with any spill, including stopping the leak, cleanup, and damage to the fishing industry. Even if the person or persons who cause the leak are not licensed, they are still held legally liable.
Criminal penalties can also be assessed to any person deemed to have willfully ignored PAA provisions, including prison time (Law Library of Congress 2010). Licensees are also required under the PAA to carry sufficient insurance to cover damage to oil production facilities, cleanup costs associated with pollution, recovery of wrecks, and employees. Licensees are also required to ensure that all subcontractors are appropriately insured. These and other…

Sources used in this document:
References

Business Monitor International 2013, Norway Oil & Gas Report Q1 2013, Includes 10-year Forecasts to 2021, digital image, viewed 26 November 2013, ProQuest Reports, document ID: 1282636555.

Environment.NO, 2012, 'Acute Pollution', webpage, viewed 26 November 2013, State of the Environment Norway, <http://www.environment.no/Maps-and-data/Data/?spraak=EN&dsID=AKUTT&rID=VOLO&areaID=>.

Goldsmith, M 1976, 'Norway worried by risks from oil pollution', The Guardian, 7 Apr. 1976, p. 4, digital image, viewed 26 November 2013, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, document ID: 185881493.

Law Library of Congress 2010, Norway oil spill liability and regulatory regime. Digital image, Law Library of Congress, viewed 26 November 2013, <http://www.loc.gov/law/help/oil-spill-norway-2010-004332.pdf>.
NOAA Education Resources, 2013, 'Gulf Oil Spill', webpage, viewed 26 November 2013, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration <http://www.education.noaa.gov/Ocean_and_Coasts/Oil_Spill.html>.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

International Environmental Laws on Oil/Gas Production Effects
Words: 2138 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

International Environmental Laws on Oil/Gas Production Effects of Oil and Gas Production to the Environment in Norway Over the years, oil and gas production companies have been a serious global concern. This is due to impacts on the environment associated with its production. International principles setup aims at governing the extraction and usage of such sources of energy. Norway is located in Europe, located near North Sea. Its high level of

Future Norwegian Oil and Gas
Words: 4262 Length: 13 Document Type: Term Paper

It was from this lesson that legislators began to understand the need to put away large percentages of their oil profits and to not depend so much on spending that cash flow. After the recession of the 1980s, Norway drastically re-examined its oil policy from both a fiscal and regulatory perspective. Up into the late 1980s, "foreign oil policy followed what was called a 'purely commercial line.' That is, it

Managing Natural Resources - Natural
Words: 4609 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

In the GEOMAR methodology, carbon dioxide displaces methane within the water lattice which reforms into a more stable state than was present with the methane. While this new technology is still in development, it is very promising (Traufetter, 2007). Recent advances by researchers from Japan, China, India, Canada, Australia, and the United States could result in commercial exploitation of Methane gas within the decade. Natural gas recovery techniques have come

International Regulation of Tourism in Antarctica
Words: 19613 Length: 75 Document Type: Term Paper

International Regulation of Tourism in Antarctica Since the mid-1980s, Antarctica has been an increasingly popular tourist destination, despite the relative danger of visiting the largest, least explored -- and arguably least understood -- continent on earth. Beginning with the 1959 treaty establishing Antarctica as an international zone free of claims of sovereignty by nation's that had been instrumental in establishing research stations there, there has been almost constant negotiation about how

Polish Companies Reacted to Ethical Issues and
Words: 22311 Length: 76 Document Type: Term Paper

Polish Companies Reacted to Ethical Issues and Changes in Business Standards Since the Fall of Communism in 1989? Poland's Economy Pre-Communism's Fall Poland's Natural Resources Minerals and Fuels Agricultural Resources Labor Force The Polish Economy Under Communism System Structure Development Strategy The Centrally-Planned Economy Establishing the Planning Formula Retrenchment and Adjustment in the 1960s Reliance on Technology in the 1970s Reform Failure in the 1980s Poland's Economy After the Fall of Communism Poland After the Fall of Communism Fall of Communism Marketization and Stabilization Required Short-Term Changes Section

Slavophilic Russian Ideas Vs. The
Words: 4190 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

This similarly encourages modest investment in Russia, a market of 150 million, even in the face of continuing economic difficulties and political uncertainty (Saunders, 105). According to Sunders, the strategy developed to "globalize" Russia was known as "shock therapy." And its implementation began with the January 1, 1992 elimination of price controls on most goods. The objective of "shock therapy" was, in essence, to create a market economy in Russia

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now