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The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO), acting on behalf of the Goliat licence, is inviting the owners of fishing and other vessels to participate in a newly-established coastal response plan.

Eni Norge, Statoil and NOFO are co-operating with the Fishermen's Association (Northern Norway) to establish a permanent pool of vessels as part of the coastal oil spill contingency plans for the Goliat field. The vessels will also form part of contingency response plans linked to other petroleum-related coastal activities outside Finnmark. The fleet will consist of approx. 30-40 vessels, and the owner of each boat will sign a contract with NOFO.

The Norwegian Maritime Directorate recently finalized new regulations which will allow fishing and other vessels to be employed as part of coastal oil spill contingency plans. This type of agreement is a first for the Norwegian shelf, and is one of the new elements contributing towards strengthening oil spill contingency plans along the Finnmark coast.

The new regulations will also apply to the public acute oil spill response. The Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) will, during 2011, sign contracts with suitable vessels to increase the national oil spill contingency capacity and flexibility.

Fishing vessel owners who wish to take part in the NOFO initiative must make their interest known by 1st March 2011. The aim is to have a fleet of vessels ready for operation by the autumn of this year.

Goliat is scheduled to start production during 4Q 2013. Eni Norge AS (65%), part of Italian energy firm Eni, is the operator of the Goliat field and shares the licence with its partner Statoil (35%). The Goliat project will be the first oil field development in the Barents Sea.

For further information, please visit http://www.nofo.no