Forum for fremtidas oljevern

On 14 and 15 September this year, the forum on future oil spill preparedness was held at the Norwegian Centre for Oil Spill Preparedness and Marine Environment in Svolvær. This is an annual conference aimed at strengthening Norwegian oil spill preparedness and response by creating an arena for collaboration and common understanding of the needs and challenges in the efforts to combat acute pollution. Its objective is to help ensure relevant research and development for operational preparedness. It is intended as an arena to identify and create common understanding of the challenges and knowledge requirements relating to oil spill preparedness and response, and to facilitate an increase in expertise and technology development. The forum on future oil spill preparedness brings together stakeholders from operational entities, industry, authorities, academia, research institutions, and other bodies in a joint effort to improve oil spill preparedness and response.

This year’s topic was oil spill preparedness and response along the coast and shoreline. NOSCA Clean Oceans was invited to sit on the programme committee, and held two of the featured sessions:

  • Presentation (day 1) on NOSCA Clean Ocean’s work in the areas of innovation and standardisation.
  • Workshop (day 2) on the topic “Standardisation in oil spill preparedness and response, with focus on the way forward”.

The aim was to gather professional and financial support for an initiative with a primary objective of highlighting the status of standardisation in this field, the need for standardisation (areas and scope), stakeholders, and organisation of the actual standardisation work. Participant numbers were high, with physical and digital representation from Equinor, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association, DNV, the Norwegian Coastal Administration, Oceanrim, NorLense, NOFO, and SINTEF Ocean. The session provided excellent input on how to organise efforts going forward. A summary is currently out for comment, and the next step will be to establish a focus group working to ensure stakeholder involvement and funding.

Presentations and recordings from the conference will be made available at: Forum on future oil spill preparedness 2021 | Norwegian Centre for Oil Spill Preparedness and Marine Environment (marintmiljo.no)