Ongoing effort to manage oil lumps

Personnel from NOFO during the mapping and cleanup work following the discovery of oil lumps.
Photo: NOFO

On 18 February, Equinor was notified by the Norwegian Coastal Administration about the discovery of oil lumps in Frøya. Analyses from SINTEF indicate that these findings are linked to an accidental discharge from the Njord A platform on 31 December, 2024.

The Norwegian Oil Spill Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) has initiated mapping and cleanup operations on behalf of Equinor, in collaboration with local resources, volunteers, and Inter-Municipal Committees for Emergency Preparedness (IUA). Significant resources have been mobilized, and in week 10, nearly 180 people are involved in the efforts, along with 5 vessels and 20 drones. The work is being done manually and will take time.

The oil is in lumps, and no free-floating oil has been observed in the water. The oil lumps form because they contain wax compounds that crystallize at low temperatures.

Preliminary analyses from Equinor's laboratory in Rotvoll show that the lumps will be hard and solid at 10 °C. They will soften at 20 °C but will not become liquid until they reach a temperature of 40 °C. More extensive analyses are being conducted at SINTEF.

Equinor is maintaining close communication with the affected municipalities. The priority is to map and clean beaches before the nesting season begins to minimize the risk of birds coming into contact with oil lumps.

Specialized expertise from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and Akvaplan-Niva is providing environmental support for the efforts.

Equinor is taking this incident very seriously and is systematically working to manage the situation and minimize the environmental impact from the unintended discharge.

The oil spill response is expected to continue for some time.

Where to report observations of oil lumps

If you observe any oil lumps, please report the location to NOFO. Individuals should not attempt to pick up the oil lumps themselves.

Observation portal (In Norwegian only)

The oil spill from Njord A

On December 31, 2024, an unintended discharge of produced water with elevated oil content occurred at Njord A.
The total volume of the spill was estimated to be approximately 150 m³, consisting of 75 m³ of oil and the remainder water.
Both helicopters and vessels were utilized to monitor the oil slick.
After some time, reports indicated that the slick was no longer visible, leading to the conclusion of the search. Attention then shifted to ensuring technical and operational safeguards.
The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) and the Norwegian Coastal Administration were routinely notified of the incident.

Discovery of oil lumps

On February 18, Equinor was informed by the Norwegian Coastal Administration about the discovery of oil lumps on Frøya in Trøndelag, Norway.
Analyses have indicated that these oil lumps originated from an unintended discharge of produced water at Njord A on December 31, 2024.
Subsequent findings have been reported at various locations along the coast of Trøndelag.
The Norwegian Oil Spill Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) is conducting mapping and cleanup efforts on behalf of Equinor.
NOFO was mobilized on February 19 and was joined by a drone team and the Inter-Municipal Committee for Emergency Pollution Response (IUA) on February 20.
The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and Akvaplan-Niva are providing environmental expertise to support these efforts.
The oil lumps form because they contain wax compounds that crystallize at low temperatures.
Preliminary analyses from Equinor's laboratory in Rotvoll indicate that the lumps will be hard and solid at 10 °C and will soften at 20 °C. They will not become liquid until they reach a temperature of 40 °C.