In September 2008, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate distributed for consultation a proposal for new Norwegian regulations regarding ballast water. It is believed that such new regulations will be issued during 2009, based on the proposal distributed in September 2008.

At the LNG plant at Melkøya, procedures which comply with the new proposal were implemented at start-up of the LNG production in 2007. These procedures also apply to the replacement of ballast water on the vessels Arctic Voyager, Arctic Princess and Arctic Discoverer which are on long-term charter to StatoilHydro for the transportation of LNG.

This means that in specified areas of the Atlantic ocean, the vessels must replace ballast water by flushing through three times the volume of each ballast water tank or, alternatively, by the volume being replaced completely, at least 200 nautical miles from land. The vessels keep a record of this activity that can be presented in the receiving port.

We also carry out environmental monitoring around the island of Melkøya, using fouling plates and traps in and beneath the shore zone to detect any invasion by a new species.