Oil spill preparedness
Oil pollution protection consists of the preparedness, the technology and the knowledge we must be prepared to use, every day, year-round.
Our mission
The Centre for Oil Spill Preparedness and Marine Environment is a driving force to develop technology and methods to make society better equipped to handle acute pollution incidents at sea. The goal is to prevent acute spills from having serious consequences for the marine environment.
Norway has robust preparedness against acute pollution, strong knowledge communities and producers of oil spill protection equipment with international success. To ensure strong and effective oil spill protection, we must, as a centre of expertise, ensure that we have updated knowledge, technology development and good interaction, nationally and internationally. We will help ensure high awareness about oil spill protection through information and dialogue.
The government's work and priorities regarding oil spill protection have for example been described in White Paper no. 35 (2015-2016) På rett kurs – Forebyggende sjøsikkerhet og beredskap mot akutt forurensning (On track - preventive sea safety and preparedness against acute pollution).
30 years since one of the worst oil spills in history
On 24 March 1989, the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in the Prince William Sound in Alaska. 11 million barrels of crude oil spread along the coast. The ecological consequences were enormous, and the situation is still critical for some species.