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Oil spill ”first aid kit” on Coast Guard vessel

KV Svalbard (Photo Forsvarets Forum)

Acknowledging the increased risk for oil spills in Arctic waters, Norwegian authorities have decided to equip the Coast Guard vessel “Svalbard” with oil protection equipment.

Location

The equipment includes a 300 meter oil boom, oil skimmer, aggregate and pump, Forsvarets Forum reports.

-This is a minimum kit for handling oils spills from our own or other vessels, says captain on “Svalbard” Commander Morten Jørgensen. –We will not be able to handle a wrecked oil tanker, but we will be able to provide “first aid” in case of oil spills.

Head of the Norwegian Coast Guard Arild Inge Skram says that keeping oil protection equipment onboard one of his vessels is quite natural:

-Piol protection is the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s responsibility, but we have an important role to play. Our vessels are out on the sea at all times, and if anything happens, we are ready to act. It is also the Coast Guard who has operational management on damage scenes, Skram says.

Svalbard” patrols the Barents Sea 300 days per year.

KV Svalbard” recently tested the new oil protection equipment outside the iceland of Hopen in the Barents Sea. 25 scientists took part in the exercise, which also included surveillance planes, helicopters and two other vessels.