Joint Mapping of the Barents Sea
Norway and Russia will this month begin a joint mapping of undiscovered natural resources in the Barents Sea and around the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), the University of Oslo (UiO) and the Russian Geological Institute (GIN RAS) will participate in the charting mission.
The main task is charting the area, and not to explore for oil and gas. NPD has earlier estimated that two thirds of Norway's undiscovered resources are to be found in the northern regions. The UiO has awarded a contract to the Russian research vessel Akademik Nikolay Strakhov which will carry out most of the geological survey for oil and gas as well as general research and mapping.
(image courtesy of Barentssea.no)
