Representatives from Statoil are serving as advisers to Spanish oil company Repsol YPF on the job of recovering oil from the sunken Prestige oil tanker off north-western Spain.
The technical committee for this operation comprises several experts on deepwater working from various oil companies.
Statoil is represented by Kåre G Breivik, head of technology and maritime projects, and Rolf Saltkjel, field development manager for Glitne.
“We’re contributing our know-how to ensure that the environmental impact is kept as small as possible,” explains Mr Breivik.
“We’ll also be enhancing our own expertise on emergency oil spill response and making oil secure at such depths.”
The advisory group for Repsol and the Spanish authorities met in mid-March to consider possible ways of recovering the remaining cargo from the tanker or containing it in an acceptable manner.
Repsol is due to submit recommendations to the authorities in May on how it plans to do this work. Retrieving almost 40,000 tonnes of heating oil will probably start next year.
Prestige sprang a leak off Spain on 19 November while carrying 77,000 tonnes of heating oil. It was towed out to sea, broke in two and sank in 3,800 metres of water.
Statoil, as participant in a Norwegian resource team, lent special equipment for use in the clean-up action after the Prestige was shipwrecked.