Oil export from Russia via Kirkenes

Sør-Varanger municipality in Norway applies for permission for trans-shipments of oil from a Russian supertanker permanently moored in the Bøkefjord, just off Kirkenes. The emergency preparedness consists of 200 metres of oil booms.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is about to conclude a proposition that will expand the Norwegian territorial limits from 4 to 12 nautical miles - the reason is to keep Russian oil tankers further away from the Norwegian coastline. Simultaneously, it seems that local politicians in Øst-Finnmark wish the Russian oil tankers as close to the coastline as possible.

While awaiting the gigantic oil terminal planned off Murmansk in 2007, Kirkenes port authority presented a proposal to place one supertanker in the Bøkfjord so that smaller Russian oil tankers can reload oil from the Varandej and Timan-Petschora fields.

Rich bird life
The Bøkfjord, being a side-fjord to the Varangerfjord, is particularly vulnerable to oil spills because of its rich bird life. The area is a nesting place to a great number of bird species, including Sea Eagle, Kittiwake, Common Eider, Oystercatcher, Purple Sandpiper, Cormorant and various species of Waders. The oil tanker will be positioned between Ropelv and Reinøya - both highly popular and attractive recreation grounds. Furthermore, the coastline is scattered with popular spots for salmon fishing.

In the beginning of November the executive committee of Sør-Varanger municipality decided unanimously to apply for permanent permission to carry out ship-to-ship reloading of oil in Ropelv in the Bøkfjord. Monday this week, the municipality decided positively, with 23 against 5 votes, on the same proposition. The minority felt that the proposition represents too big an environmental risk.

Kirkenes wants a piece of the Klondyke.

Not everyone is equally happy to have a supertanker anchored up on his doorstep. Both Ropelv Rural Association and Renøysund Cabin Association have objected with harsh words to the planned oil reloading.

Initially a 150,000-ton tanker will be used in Ropelv, but later a 300,000-ton supertanker is likely to replace it.

The Russian oil companies wish to reload oil to a bigger vessel in order to make the transportation to the European oil ports more cost-efficient. The oil terminal in Varandej can only receive ships of 40,000 tons or less because of the shallow fairway.

Whereas Sør-Varanger county applies to the Norwegian National Pollution Control Authorities (SFT) for permission to reload Russian oil, the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries has instructed the Department of Coastal Administration to shed light on what demands must be made on environmental and safety arrangements related to the ship-to-ship reloading of crude oil in the Bøkfjord.

The Department of Coastal Administration is, together with SFT, responsible for the oil spill preparedness along the entire Norwegian coastline.

From Kirkenes the oil will be transported to Europe by oiltankers.

When the Veritas report was being prepared, the risk of oil discharges was considered based on the assumption that there would be only ten trans-shipments a year. The actual plan that Sør-Varanger municipality has in mind, however, aclls for as much as 15 trans-shipments per month, or, in other words, 18 times the number on which Veritas' risk analysis based its estimations.

The Varangerfjord and Finnmark
The DNV report does not investigate the risk associated with the increased traffic of oil tankers in and out of the Bøkfjord, the Varangerfjord and along the coastline of Finnmark in general. The inadequate emergency preparedness along the coastline of northern Norway in the case of accidents involving oil tankers from Russia has been subject to rather harsh criticism over the last months.

Neither the report nor the application from Sør-Varanger municipality make any comments on the issues of sabotage or risk of terrorism. If the project is to be carried out, it will be the only large oil terminal in Norway not protected against sabotage or terrorism.

Mine-infected fjord
The Bøkfjord, just outside Ropelv where the oil tanker is supposed to be situated, is scattered with live mines from the old wartime days.

DNV writes in its recommendation that the emergency preparedness storage facility for oil protection equipment currently situated in Vadsø should be moved to Kirkenes so that the oil booms can be on spot faster in the case of an accident. In addition to the 200 metres of oil booms that will continuously be at guard close to the oil tanker, only 300 metres of oil booms is available at Kirkenes today.

One new oil terminal will be finished off Murmansk in 2007.

The oil terminal in Murmansk, constructed by the four oil companies LUKoil, Yukos, Sibneft and Tyumen oil, will have the capacity to handle all reloading and shipping from the surrounding oil fields in Northwest-Russia. When finished, the terminal in Murmansk will have the capacity to deal with 80 million tons annually.

In the meantime, the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority decides whether the local politicians of Kirkenes are allowed to participate in the rush for oil resources in Northwest-Russia.