Oil and the Environment
After more than 35 years of oil production on the Norwegian Shelf, no impact on the marine environment has been established - with the exception of limited areas adjacent to the oldest platforms. Around these platforms, the discharge of oil-polluted cuttings has caused pollution of the seabed and resulted in a reduction of biological diversity. The discharge of oil-polluted cuttings has been prohibited since 1991 and at present, extensive monitoring indicates small and merely local effects on the life on the seabed. The Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea constitute habitats of corals and sponges vulnerable to sedimentation caused by e.g., cuttings. Consequently, Det norske places great emphasis on the mapping of such resources prior to exploration drilling, thus ensuring that the drill site, the placing of the drilling rig's anchor lines, and handling of cuttings result in the minimum amount of damage.
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The world's most comprehensive and advanced environmental monitoring has not proven any impact on fish caused by discharge of produced water, but laboratory tests have established harmful effects.  Thus, a precautionary approach and the Norwegian zero-discharge requirements stipulate that the discharge of produced water ought to be reduced as much as possible. Consequently, with regard to the Frøy Field Det norske will pump the produced water back into the reservoir.

The acquisition of seismic data occupies large areas during acquisition periods, which may frighten fish and mammals away from the area. Fishers report that this has resulted in reduced catch. Det norske emphasizes notification and cooperation with the fishing industry, and seeks to avoid acquisition of seismic data during periods with high levels of fishing activities.

Det norske is of the opinion that energy efficiency improvement and the use of low NOx turbines will result in the greatest feasible reduction in emissions of CO2 and NOx. In addition, all equipment on the Frøy platform will be powered by electrical engines, enabling the platform to receive electrical power from shore or other platforms if such solutions should prove to be economically feasible.