Sustainable Arctic Field and Maritime Operation

Abstract

Abstract As more attention is paid to the exploration of oil and gas resources in thehigh north, the settlement of the disputed area between Norway and Russia, andthe world's ever-rising demand for energy resources, more and more oilcompanies and suppliers are moving north. For most oil companies, rig and shipoperators and logistics providers, the Arctic represents a new frontier, whereexisting operational systems and technologies are tested to their limits. Thispaper outlines key challenges facing the development of sustainable and safemaritime offshore operation in Arctic waters. The Arctic offers challengesrelated to harsh weather conditions, long distances from bases, limited orabsent infrastructure, a sensitive ecosystem, ensuring safety at sea, potentialoil spills and operations in ice-infested waters. Arctic operations are thussignificantly different from operations in the North Sea. This state of affairsunderlines the need for new or improved organisational and business models forintegrated logistics operations, value chain management and technologicalsolutions that will ensure sustainable and safe maritime operations. It alsodemands optimised design of ships and structures for operation in the Arcticenvironment as well as improved communication infrastructure based onsatellite, terrestrial, ship-to-ship or ad-hoc systems, radar and opticalsatellites. Key features discussed will include ideas and concepts forarea-specific vessel design and multipurpose vessels, with integrated supportand logistics models and systems, base-to-base operation and tailored businessmodels for robust Arctic field operation. The aim is to ensure a holistic andintegrated transport and logistics infrastructure in sparsely populated areaswith extreme weather conditions (polar lows, darkness, fog, ice and icing), including the interplay between vessel technology and the operationalmanagement.