From Reuters:
Norway's government invited firms to drill for oil and gas further inside the Arctic Circle on Tuesday, putting it at loggerheads with opposition parties as it seeks to open up new fields at a time of declining output.
Under a redefinition of risks of sea ice between 1984-2013 against a more southerly 1967-89 benchmark, the industry would gain access to acreage 60 to 70 kilometers (40-45 miles) north of already accessible areas.
"When the ice has moved, and satellites show it has moved further north, then we have to take care of nature in this area. What we are doing will ensure that," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told NRK public radio on Tuesday.
The proposal, which the minority government may struggle to get through parliament, is symptomatic of a gradual broader northwards move by oil-producing nations with access to Arctic waters as existing wells start to run dry.
Norway's has been more active in the Arctic than other nations, with its energy firms, led by Statoil, having started drilling there decades ago as its waters, warmed by the Gulf Stream, are relatively ice free.
Arctic ice has shrunk significantly over the same period, in a trend scientists link to climate change....MOREProbably related:
"Denmark claims North Pole" (bunch of .dk heads)*
*Here's the Danish Meteorological Institute comparison of the last ten years:
The drop and recovery in the black (2015) line was a sensor problem the DMI says has been fixed.
Here's the closeup:
