May 12, 2015 an adult bowhead whale and calf swim through sea ice in the arctic ocean. Amerasian basin, arctic alaska basin, east barents basin, east greenland rift basin, west greenlandeast canada basin, west siberian basin, and the yenisey. In april, the us national research council highlighted the lack of technological capacity to respond to oil spills in arctic waters. This white paper is a compilation of research on oil spills in icecovered arctic waters and recommendations for future work. Oil spill response in the arctic norwegian experiences and. Spill response in the arctic offshore 1 introduction recent years have seen increasing interest in offshore oil exploration in the arctic and other frontier regions. Hundreds of spills involving tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil and other petroleum products occur annually. Sep 08, 2017 the type of oil spilled also makes a big difference. Bp struggles to control damaged well in alaskan arctic the. Cameron on august 28, 2015 leave a comment in july 2015 the obama administration has given royal dutch shell plc approval to begin with limited exploratory oil drilling off alaskas northwest coast, in the chukchi sea.
May 08, 2015 as global temperatures climb and the arctic sea ice melts, shipping in the arctic is on the rise and oil and gas companies are eyeing further development of the vast resources of the north. The feedbacks and transitions occurring in this region will have significant implications for biodiversity, human benefits from the ecosystem, and other important processes within the arctic and global system nilsson et al. Most of the oil comes from the north slope, referring to the land adjacent to the chukchi and beaufort seas down to the brooks mountain range the area of land depicted on the map above. Arctic oil is usually defined as oil reserves found in arcticlike conditions, characterized by ice, permafrost, and extreme temperatures. Read the first post, noaa again joins coast guard for oil spill exercise in the arctic and the second post, overcoming the biggest hurdle during an oil spill in the arctic. Suprenand worked as mote marine laboratory postdoctoral research fellow, where he developed a complex model of the beaufort sea ecosystem and.
Certain types of oillike crude and heavy fuel oilwill last in the environment for a long time. Arctic won consensus from a diverse committee that spent 18 months drafting the report. List of books and articles about oil pollution online. Environmental effects of arctic oil spills and spill response. Studying oil spills in antarctica science learning hub. In 2010, usarc recommended to the federal government an invigorated oil spill research effort in the arctic and a funding strategy that did not require new fiscal appropriation. In the field of offshore oil pollution prevention, preparedness and response, the u. Arctic, drawing on the wisdom and expertise of many in and of the arctic, and that considers significant challenges in an important ecosystem.
Fate, behaviour and response to oil spills in the arctic. Arctic oil can be found both on and offshore but the vast majority an estimated 84% is offshore, in the arctic s shallow shelf seas 1 u. Climate change, the retreat of arctic ice, and global economic. Only the native peoples who lived there for centuries and the small workforce that keeps alaska s mammoth oil fields producing had previously known the area. The dynamics of the ice pack combined with the long life of the oil could allow an oil spill to have a major effect on the albedo in certain regions of the. And oil has both acute and more lasting impacts on species. The risk of a serious oil spill in the arctic is escalating due to potential increases in shipping traffic and oil and gas activities. No oil company is remotely prepared for a major spill in the arctic, says wwf.
There is a short window to stop risky drilling with two steps. While these activities may seem like new developments, arctic oil exploration and in some cases production has been taking place for many years in these regions. Why an arctic oil spill would be really, really bad. Decadesold diesel spill sites still show little vegetation regrowth. The major problem researchers face in discussing the environmental impact of a large oil spill in the arctic ocean, if and how it can be remediated, and how it would affect the unique polar environment is that, quite simply, such an event has never happened or has. As arctic sea ice declines, industrial development from shipping to offshore oil and gas is increasing. Recent years have seen increasing interest in offshore oil exploration in the arctic and other frontier regions. The guidelines were the product of more than two years of work led by the councils working group. An arctic oil spill planning for the unknown does ice help or hinder response. The natural history of an arctic oil field synthesizes decades of research on these myriad impacts.
Jan 16, 2018 scientists have created the ideal nontoxic supersponge for cleaning oil spills in the icy, turbulent waters of the arctic, by chemically modifying sawdust to make it exceptionally oil. What would an arctic oil spill in the beaufort sea look like. Oil and natural gas resources map of the arctic ocean. The 2010 bp deepwater horizon offshore oil spill in the gulf of mexico, for example, occurred during prime mating and nesting season for many bird and marine species, and longterm environmental consequences of that spill wont be known for. Since the mid1990s, jackie, a microbiologist at landcare, and megan, a soil scientist, have been studying old oil spills, to assess the impact of human activity in antarctica. Topics covered in this book include a brief historical background of arctic oil and gas development. Corey accardonoaa the arctic is the final frontier of the oil era. A history of oil in the arctic today in alaska, the vast majority of oil from the states arctic region comes from onshore drilling wells. Birkland georgetown university press, 1997 librarians tip. An adult bowhead whale and calf swim through sea ice in the arctic ocean. Arctic oil spill response arctic fact sheets iogp bookstore. Petroleum activity in these areas is particularly challenging due to harsh weather conditions, darkness, ice, icing, and.
The future of petroleum development in the arctic is a widely discussed theme e. As arctic waters continue to lose sea ice each summer, oilpowered activity in the region will be on the risealong with an increased risk of oil spills. Oil spills also damage nesting grounds, potentially causing serious longterm effects on entire species. To see the impacts of oil development they need only look at prudhoe bay, one of the worlds largest industrial complexes.
Oil spills have negative impacts on indigenous peoples food sources and on the wildlife species that all of us care about. This is the largest research program of its kind and is scheduled to. Environmental effects of arctic oil spills and spill response technologies, introduction to a 5 year joint industry effort lionel camus, mathijs g. The impact of offshore oil drilling in the arctic peace. Increased need for arctic oil spill prevention and response. Us arctic research commission recommends steps to expanded us funding for arcticsubarctic oil spill research. Jul 19, 2017 the united states is not ready to clean up an oil spill in the arctic, the head of the coast guard said yesterday. Recommendations on how to respond to possible oil spills in the u. A history of oil in the arctic climate interpreter. Amerasian basin, arctic alaska basin, east barents basin, east greenland rift basin, west greenlandeast canada basin, west siberian basin, and the.
Arctic oil spill could take year or more to clean up. The slow rate of biological degradation of oil at nearzero temperatures has led biologists to suggest that oil spills in the arctic ocean might remain there for periods of 50 years or more. This book provides an overview of the many issues relevant to offshore oil and gas development in the arctic. Hundreds of wells have been drilled in arctic waters without any sustained, uncontrolled release of oil or.
This book focuses on one of the worst spills in history, the exxon valdez oil tanker spill, to explain in simple terms and with bold, fullcolor illustrations why oil spills happen, how they are cleaned up and what effects spilled oil has on our ocean plants and wildlife. Oil spills can be devastating to arctic marine environments given the current lack of oil spill response capabilities. The oil and gas industry has advanced and continuously improved prevention and emergency response preparedness through extensive experience working in the arctic and sub arctic offshore over the past four decades and developed the capability to prevent, detect, contain and clean up spills and mitigate the residual consequences in many arctic. Specialists with years of field experience have contributed to this volume to create the first widely available synopsis of the ecology and wildlife biology of animals and plants living in close association with an actively producing oil field. Adventures in developing tools for oil spill response in the. Apr 22, 2011 no oil company is remotely prepared for a major spill in the arctic, says wwf. Arctic oil is usually defined as oil reserves found in arctic like conditions, characterized by ice, permafrost, and extreme temperatures. Risking oil spills, human life, and wildlife i n the summer of 2012, exploratory drilling is planned to begin in the arctic oceana place that should be off limits to oil drilling because an oil spill would be impossible to clean up. Oil and gas development poses a wide range of threats to polar bears, from exposure to oil from accidental spills to displacement from maternity dens. Dec 23, 2016 an oil terminal to be built in northern russia where the river yenisei meets the arctic ocean lacks the technology to deal with oil spills, say environmentalists. As global temperatures climb and the arctic sea ice melts, shipping in the arctic is on the rise and oil and gas companies are eyeing further development of. Effects of oil spills in arctic waters by karl magnus eger oil in the arctic marine ecosystem originates mainly from two sources.
The impact of offshore oil drilling in the arctic by e. Adventures in developing tools for oil spill response in. Selected fulltext books and articles after disaster. The united states is not ready to clean up an oil spill in the arctic, the head of the coast guard said yesterday. Brian abeling cc by nc no new development without effective spill response we lack the demonstrated ability to respond to and effectively contain or clean up major oil spills in the arctic. This summer, ocean conservancy was fortunate to partner with paul suprenand, ph. On a basic level, oil spill effects will damage waterways, marine life and plants and animals on the land. This is the third in a series of posts about the arctic technology evaluation supporting arctic shield 2014.
The impact of oil spills can also ruin the ecology and economy of a particular area with longterm effects for decades. Another major consequence of oil drilling is the potential of a major spill. Why an oil spill in arctic waters would be devastating. The united states geological survey estimates that over 87% of the arctics oil and natural gas resource about 360 billion barrels oil equivalent is located in seven arctic basin provinces.
Its fragile ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to an oil spill and the consequences of an accident would have a profound effect on the environment and. This scientific expedition provided multiple agencies and institutions with the invaluable opportunity to untangle some of the regions knotty logistical challenges on a stateoftheart. May 16, 2014 the risk of a serious oil spill in the arctic is escalating due to potential increases in shipping traffic and oil and gas activities. Oil spills can be devastating to arctic marine environments given the current lack of. An oil spill occurs somewhere in the world almost every day of the year. The dangers of arctic oil greenpeace international. This is the largest research program of its kind and is scheduled to continue through 2015 mullin, 2012. The conditions in this unique environment mean the decomposition of oil, whether by biodegradation or evaporation, is much slower than in other parts of the world. The effects of oil spills on phytoplankton in an arctic lake and ponds michael c, et al miller on. However, major spills have been fairly uncommon in alaska. Environmental effects of arctic oil spills and spill.
While these activities may seem like new developments, in fact arctic oil exploration, and in some cases production, has been going on for about half a century. Scientists have created the ideal nontoxic supersponge for cleaning oil spills in the icy, turbulent waters of the arctic, by chemically. Hundreds of wells have been drilled in arctic waters without any sustained, uncontrolled release of oil or gas. But the infrastructure to respond to oil spills and other accidents is inadequate. Consequences of a large oil spill in the arctic published on february 21, 2007 by maria fossheim in march 1989, the oil tanker exxon valdez ran aground on blight reef in northern prince william sound in alaska and caused one of the largest marine oil spills ever recorded. In recent studies, kotchen and burger 2007 investigated that there has been a total of three major spills in the history of the transalaska pipeline system. Ability to respond to oil spill in the arctic called sorely. The effects of offshore oil drilling in the arctic on.
Russia and the us are leading the scramble for oil and gas in the arctic, but gulf of mexico pollution highlights danger of oil spills say campaigners the rush to exploit oil and gas resources in the arctic needs to take account of the higher environmental risk of an oil spill, campaigners have warned. The oil and gas industry has advanced and continuously improved prevention and emergency response preparedness through extensive experience working in the arctic and subarctic offshore over the past four decades and developed the capability to prevent, detect, contain and clean up spills and mitigate the residual consequences in many arctic. In 2017, the first 300m long commercial lng oil tanker crossed the northern sea route between europe and asia without the protection of an icebreaker. Governments need to finance renewable energy in the arctic and beyond instead of subsidizing oil and gas. Arctic oil can be found both on and offshore but the vast majority an estimated 84% is offshore, in the arctics shallow shelf seas 1 u. The arctic council and offshore oil pollution prevention. First, because interest in oil and gas development in the arctic is on the rise, as is marine shipping, the likelihood of oil spills is increasing. Why an arctic oil spill would be really, really bad a report from an environment group warns that ice, freezing temperatures and high seas would overwhelm any cleanup attempts. An introduction and inventory of research activities and usarc recommendations. The british oil giant bp worked through the weekend to control a damaged oil well on alaskas remote north slope that had started spewing natural gas vapors on friday morning, the company and. The arctic s extreme weather and freezing temperatures, its remote location and the presence of moving sea ice severely increase the risks of oil drilling, complicate logistics and present unparalleled difficulties for any cleanup operation.
Offshore oil drilling in the arctic comes with more risk due to inclement weather, ice conditions, and isolation, leading to an increased chance of detrimental oil spills occurring in the area, at the cost of oil companies and members of the marine ecosystem hoag, 2016. As sea ice melts and the oil industry prepares to exploit the arctic s vast resources, the united states faces big gaps in its preparedness for an oil spill in the region, according to a report. Super sponge to clean up oil spills in arctic the hindu. Generally, responding to major oil spills remains a challenge in remote, icy environments. Itac meeting, plymouth 26 th 28th september, 2017 fate, behaviour and response to oil spills in the arctic. Impacts of oil drilling in the arctic national wildlife refuge. A major oil spill that occurs in severe arctic conditions will never be cleaned up to the point that serious environmental damage will be avoided. The warning comes as congress prepares to open up more drilling in a region. An oil spill in sea ice habitat will likely result in the accumulation of oil in leads and between ice floes, features favored by polar bears and their main prey ringed and bearded seals. An oil terminal to be built in northern russia where the river yenisei meets the arctic ocean lacks the technology to deal with oil spills, say environmentalists.
Ability to respond to oil spill in the arctic called. In 2012, an arctic oil spill response technology jip, 2 with nine participating companies, launched a range of research projects on all aspects of responding to oil spills in the arctic. Bp struggles to control damaged well in alaskan arctic. Photographs of alaska s north slope introduces readers to a remote region north of the arctic circle. States such as alaska, however, depend on oil to keep their state running, and about 85 percent of its budget is supplied by oil revenues. To provide an effective response effort in challenging arctic. We identify research entities in governmental, nongovernmental, industrial, and private. Oil spills have a number of effects on the environment and economy.
Apr 16, 2017 the british oil giant bp worked through the weekend to control a damaged oil well on alaskas remote north slope that had started spewing natural gas vapors on friday morning, the company and. Agenda setting, public policy, and focusing events by thomas a. Us arctic research commission recommends steps to expanded us funding for arctic subarctic oil spill research. Presentation outline new threats for oil spills in the arctic noaas preparation for understanding and resppgponding to spills in the arctic international research collaboration on oil sppp pill response best practices and new research noaas research on the behavior, biodegradation and exposure potential of.