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North Sea oil and fisheries developments
MarinePollutionBulletin
North Sea Oil and Fisheries Developments Norwegian fishermen are entitled to compensation or some form of indemnity for losses suffered as a result of offshore oil and gas activities. This is the main conclusion of a 5 year study of interactions between Norwegian fishing and offshore industry activities conducted by a Government appointed Committee. The Committee recommends that the liability for compensation rests with the offshore operators and not with the Government, but that compensation should not be made retroactively. The report recommends that compensation should be available for numerous circumstances where offshore oil and gas developments impinge on fishing activities. The examples given in the report include loss of access in 500 m safety zones, pollution induced losses and damage to fishing gear arising from seabed debris, installations and pipelines. The report suggests that liability would be determined according to the usual legal practice of assessing the damages in a specific case. The report has been submitted to the Petroleum and Energy Ministry which is scrutinizing its findings. If the recommendations are accepted by the Norwegian Government it is likely to take some time before they are incorporated into Norwegian Law. In Denmark the offshore industry is investigating the potential for the tainting of flatfish in the vicinity of the Tyra gas field. In the spring of 1985 the Ministry of the Environment discovered a petroleum taint in 10% of the flatfish.caught within 1 km of the Tyra West development where drilling operations have been allowed to use so-called 'low toxicity' oil-based mud on an experimental basis. The conditions applying to the use of oilbased muds are still under consideration by the Danish Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of the Environment. In the United Kingdom, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and the National Federation of Fishermen's Organizations have commissioned an update of a 1978 study on the loss of access to the UK fishing industry arising from the presence of offshore oil and gas facilities on the UK Continental Shelf. The 1978 study conducted by workers at the University of Aberdeen examined three methods for the calculation of fishing industry losses, but relied heavily on the 'proportional loss method' which equates the proportion of geographical loss of access to the fishing grounds to a proportional loss of catch. The earlier study is being updated by Tony Mackay, an Inverness based consultant, who was involved in the preparation of the original report while at Aberdeen University. The UK Government has steadfastly refused to acknowledge any precedent which would give the fishing industry compensation for either temporary or permanent loss of fishing access in areas used by offshore oil and gas facilities. The UK fishing industry has never accepted this position and argues that there has been a 236
loss of access to both the 500 m safety zones around offshore installations, and in the vicinity of wellheads and pipeline routes. Meeting in London in April, the UK Fisheries and Offshore Oil Consultative Group welcomed Government progress in providing a list identifying the locations of all suspended wellheads on the UK Continental Shelf. Offshore operators are being asked about their future intentions for these wellheads, particularly those originating in the years 1970-79. Representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation are to meet Norwegian Government officials to discuss UK and Norwegian approaches to policy conceming fisheries and offshore oil and gas development. JONATHAN SIDE
Two New ITOPF Technical Information Papers The International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) has issued two new Technical Information Papers which complete the series started in 1981. The Fate of Marine Oil Spills (Technical Information Paper No. 11) provides a detailed summary of the major physical, chemical, and biological processes which determine both the characteristics of the slick immediately following a spill and the ultimate fate of the oil in the marine environment. Action: Oil Spill (Technical Information Paper No. 12) charts the progress of a hypothetical oil spill and the various response measures adopted to mitigate its environmental impact. Despite a comprehensive contingency plan for the hypothetical area numerous problems are encountered and some valuable lessons learnt. All 12 Technical Information Papers are available from ITOPF, Staple Hall, Stonehouse Court, 87-90 Houndsditch, London.
Oil Spill Sightings In four flights during the last year a Dutch Government study has recorded 95 oil slicks from the UK, Norwegian, Danish and Dutch Sectors of the North Sea. The sightings were made using surveillance aircraft fitted with sophisticated sea surface oil detection equipment. Dutch research on the development of new detection techniques, which will allow the identification of specific types of oil from the air is continuing. Encouraging results have emerged from the use of laser light to generate a fluorescence spectrum by which specific oils may be fingerprinted. The findings of the Dutch surveillance study will be presented to the Technical Working Group of the Bonn Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances.
New Oil Spill Dispersant from Nalfleet Nalfleet has extended its Maxi-Clean range of marine cleaners, and introduced a new low-toxicity dispersant. Maxi-Clean 2 has been approved for use as an oil spill
North Sea Oil and Fisheries Developments Norwegian fishermen are entitled to compensation or some form of indemnity for losses suffered as a result of offshore oil and gas activities. This is the main conclusion of a 5 year study of interactions between Norwegian fishing and offshore industry activities conducted by a Government appointed Committee. The Committee recommends that the liability for compensation rests with the offshore operators and not with the Government, but that compensation should not be made retroactively. The report recommends that compensation should be available for numerous circumstances where offshore oil and gas developments impinge on fishing activities. The examples given in the report include loss of access in 500 m safety zones, pollution induced losses and damage to fishing gear arising from seabed debris, installations and pipelines. The report suggests that liability would be determined according to the usual legal practice of assessing the damages in a specific case. The report has been submitted to the Petroleum and Energy Ministry which is scrutinizing its findings. If the recommendations are accepted by the Norwegian Government it is likely to take some time before they are incorporated into Norwegian Law. In Denmark the offshore industry is investigating the potential for the tainting of flatfish in the vicinity of the Tyra gas field. In the spring of 1985 the Ministry of the Environment discovered a petroleum taint in 10% of the flatfish.caught within 1 km of the Tyra West development where drilling operations have been allowed to use so-called 'low toxicity' oil-based mud on an experimental basis. The conditions applying to the use of oilbased muds are still under consideration by the Danish Ministry of Fisheries, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of the Environment. In the United Kingdom, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and the National Federation of Fishermen's Organizations have commissioned an update of a 1978 study on the loss of access to the UK fishing industry arising from the presence of offshore oil and gas facilities on the UK Continental Shelf. The 1978 study conducted by workers at the University of Aberdeen examined three methods for the calculation of fishing industry losses, but relied heavily on the 'proportional loss method' which equates the proportion of geographical loss of access to the fishing grounds to a proportional loss of catch. The earlier study is being updated by Tony Mackay, an Inverness based consultant, who was involved in the preparation of the original report while at Aberdeen University. The UK Government has steadfastly refused to acknowledge any precedent which would give the fishing industry compensation for either temporary or permanent loss of fishing access in areas used by offshore oil and gas facilities. The UK fishing industry has never accepted this position and argues that there has been a 236
loss of access to both the 500 m safety zones around offshore installations, and in the vicinity of wellheads and pipeline routes. Meeting in London in April, the UK Fisheries and Offshore Oil Consultative Group welcomed Government progress in providing a list identifying the locations of all suspended wellheads on the UK Continental Shelf. Offshore operators are being asked about their future intentions for these wellheads, particularly those originating in the years 1970-79. Representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation are to meet Norwegian Government officials to discuss UK and Norwegian approaches to policy conceming fisheries and offshore oil and gas development. JONATHAN SIDE
Two New ITOPF Technical Information Papers The International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) has issued two new Technical Information Papers which complete the series started in 1981. The Fate of Marine Oil Spills (Technical Information Paper No. 11) provides a detailed summary of the major physical, chemical, and biological processes which determine both the characteristics of the slick immediately following a spill and the ultimate fate of the oil in the marine environment. Action: Oil Spill (Technical Information Paper No. 12) charts the progress of a hypothetical oil spill and the various response measures adopted to mitigate its environmental impact. Despite a comprehensive contingency plan for the hypothetical area numerous problems are encountered and some valuable lessons learnt. All 12 Technical Information Papers are available from ITOPF, Staple Hall, Stonehouse Court, 87-90 Houndsditch, London.
Oil Spill Sightings In four flights during the last year a Dutch Government study has recorded 95 oil slicks from the UK, Norwegian, Danish and Dutch Sectors of the North Sea. The sightings were made using surveillance aircraft fitted with sophisticated sea surface oil detection equipment. Dutch research on the development of new detection techniques, which will allow the identification of specific types of oil from the air is continuing. Encouraging results have emerged from the use of laser light to generate a fluorescence spectrum by which specific oils may be fingerprinted. The findings of the Dutch surveillance study will be presented to the Technical Working Group of the Bonn Agreement for cooperation in dealing with pollution of the North Sea by oil and other harmful substances.
New Oil Spill Dispersant from Nalfleet Nalfleet has extended its Maxi-Clean range of marine cleaners, and introduced a new low-toxicity dispersant. Maxi-Clean 2 has been approved for use as an oil spill