Norway rejects Greenpeace appeal over Arctic drilling: Statoil

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Norwegian authorities have rejected an appeal by Greenpeace to stop Statoil from drilling the world's most northerly well on the Apollo prospect in the Barents Sea, the Norwegian oil company said on Friday.

The company's announcement that it has been given approval to start drilling comes a day after Norwegian police removed seven Greenpeace protesters who had boarded the rig in an attempt to prevent it from reaching the Barents Sea and Bear Island, an uninhabited wildlife sanctuary that is home to rare species, including polar bears.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/30/us-statoil-arctic-greenpeace-idUSKBN0EA1IS20140530

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Why? Why must we destroy all other living creatures for oil?

[iandhr]

2. How do you think Norway funds it's generous government pensions?

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Well, they have some pretty high taxes for that.

In 2014, personal income tax rate is 47.2% and there's an individual social security tax of 7.8%. Sales tax is 25%. Corporations are now taxed at 27% and add 13% more to the social security.

[iandhr]

4. And they have a lot of oil.

That is for the day to day things like healthcare education. The oil money goes into a sovereign wealth fund that they will use to support things like pensions to compensate for their aging population.

But what you said is true as well.

[MisterP]

5. IIRC the "Norwegian Model" relies on cheap oil (cheap for the state, that is)

for its high quality of living: it's painted itself into a corner IOW

[seveneyes]

6. Part of it is greed and money, the other is need

Until valid alternatives are invented, it's what we have to keep the lifestyle going.

[blkmusclmachine]

9. Who killed the electric car?!?!

[seveneyes]

10. Lack of infrastructure, poor distance and convenience

I don't think any one person or group killed it as much as it has not yet become cheap and simple to use. The infrastructure to support easy and quick charging does not exist yet. People are generally lazy and it takes more effort to utilize an EV. H2 fuel cells may or may not revolutionize it. It will take decades or some immediate crisis.

[Longie]

7. Stavanger, Norway

I recently visited Stavanger, Norway, the birth place of my grandmother, via Google Earth Street Scene, a remarkable place, take a look.
Longie

[Diclotican]

8. dipsydoodle

dipsydoodle


The drilling after oil in the Barents sea - is contested as it is - but it is in fact The government of Norway who deiced if anyone should drill after oil or not - not Greenpeace - and for some reason i also think Statoil - have some knowledge about drilling in Arctic sea - as we have been drilling in the north sea since the late 1960s, even if the first oil was recorded first in the 1970s - I think Norway stated exporting most of its oil in 1974 or something like that...


The area who is the issue is fragile - very fragile - and it have for years been discussed about the availability to drill in the sector - and I do believe - even with the rejection from the Norwegian authorities when it came to Greenpeace's quest for not doing any drilling in the arctic sector - it will take years to start production of oil and gas from the area - the Apollo project in the Barents Sea are just in its exploratory stage - and it will take at least 5 to 10 years to map where the most possible areas to exploring deeper where the oil and gas possible is.. and then it will take at least 5 more years to even start the production of oil and gas - and to transport it safely back to where it can be processed and then sold to the world - Statoil - and many other parts of the industry have a lot of knowledge about how to produce the necessary equip lent for safeguard against oil leaks - and have also some of the strictest regulations to compel with, when it come to build safeguard into it all..


Oil, and gas is an important part of Norway's economical system - who is used to its generous welfare state - universal health care and the rest - but even if the oil and gas Norway sell to the rest of the world is an important part of our economical system - we do produce a lot of other things - that is not related to the oil and gas sector alone so to say....

I do hope - if and when Statoil is starting up to produce oil from the Barent Sea - that every possible safeguards are in check - against spill from pipe lines - or from the oil drilling itself - and that all possible safeguards will be in place even after the production is over...
As it is - the regulations is strict as it is - but it can always be stricter - and I guess even the conservative government understand that...

Diclotican