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The HHUMTL22 cruise onboard R/V Helmer Hanssen was an initiative by The Arctic University Museum of Norway (UMAK) aimed at sampling marine fauna for the museum collections and various research projects undertaken at the museum. Researchers from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the Department of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Vienna also participated in the cruise. Cruise leader was Andreas Altenburger (UMAK).

This study provides a subregional to regional characterization of organofacies changes within the two members of the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Hekkingen Formation (i.e. Alge and Krill) by integrating geochemical and petrographic analysis with paleogeographic models. The gross kerogen composition of the Hekkingen Formation is dominated by terrestrial macerals. This preponderance of land-derived particles is more pronounced in the Krill Member than in the underlying Alge Member. There is a greater proportion of marine macerals within distal areas of the Hammerfest Basin and well 7218/1-S in the southern Bjornoyrenna Fault Complex. This shift in the relative proportion of marine and terrestrial macerals is ascribed to changes in the location of the depositional sites with respect to the sources of the terrestrial materials. The Alge Member features the highest levels of total organic carbon (TOC ≥7 wt %), but the more discrete and organically poorer beds of the Krill Member still remain sufficiently rich to be considered petroleum source rocks (TOC ≥2 wt %). Hydrogen indices (HI) between 50 and 400 mg HC/g TOC recorded throughout the entire formation indicate that the kerogen within both members has similar oil and gas generation capabilities. These low to moderate HI values are indicative of immature Type III to II-III kerogens and are generally consistent with the high proportions of terrestrial macerals. Prior to thermal maturation, marine type II kerogens (i.e. ≤ 400 mgHC/gTOC) probably existed in the marine liptinite-rich rocks in the distal Hammerfest Basin and Bjornoyrenna Fault Complex. At least three factors controlled the detected variability in geochemical parameters: dilution rates of organic matter, varying inputs of terrestrial versus marine organic matter, and the degree of preservation. The documented variability in organic-rich facies assists in reducing source rock risk in the study area, but also helps explorationists understand source rock distribution across other shelfal areas.

In the Norwegian Barents Sea, Mesozoic and Cenozoic mobilization of Pennsylvanian-lower Permian layered evaporite sequences (LES) resulted in areas with salt tectonics (e.g. Nordkapp, Tromsø and Tiddlybanken basins), which affected the development of Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic petroleum systems. Over the last three decades, seismic imaging in these salt-bearing basins has been a challenge due to the presence of closely spaced salt diapirs and steep minibasin strata. Consequently, there is limited information and integrated studies, and the dynamics of salt mobilization and its effect on the petroleum systems remain poorly understood. This research applies a wide range of methods to subsurface data in the Nordkapp and Tiddlybanken basins to: (1) provide a tectonostratigraphic evolution of the basins; (2) understand the influence of salt movement on Mesozoic prograding overburdens; and (3) address the thermal effect of salt in the petroleum systems of the Barents Sea. The results are presented in five papers. Paper I improves the understanding of salt tectonics in the Nordkapp Basin based on interpretation of subsurface data and structural restorations. Our results indicate that a combination of Early Triassic basement-involved extension and sediment progradation resulted in diachronous salt mobilization and sediment infill along the basin. Important processes such as diapirism, minibasins formation, welding, and salt depletion occurred earlier in the central and eastern sub-basins than in the western sub-basin. The paper also highlights the importance of salt rheology and subsalt relief for the nucleation and distribution of salt structures and minibasins. Paper II aims to understand the controls on suprasalt structural style in confined salt-bearing basins based on analogue experiments. The paper compares the structural styles resulting from basement involved extension and progradational loading. Moreover, it highlights the impact of subsalt relief on suprasalt deformation by comparing different subsalt basin configurations. Finally, the models are upscaled and compared to seismic sections through the Nordkapp Basin to illustrate the influence of these processes on the evolution and structural style of the basin. Paper III combines subsurface data, 3D structural restorations and forward stratigraphic modelling in the Tiddlybanken Basin to understand the influence of salt tectonics on Mesozoic prograding overburdens. The paper illustrates how salt mobilization causes drastic vertical and lateral changes in relative sea level, which in turn induce lateral variations in clinoform geometry and progradation rates. These variations result in complex spatial and temporal stacking patterns in salt minibasins. Moreover, this study emphasises the importance of forward stratigraphic modelling in the study of tectonically active areas such as salt bearing basins, since the isolated use of conventional methodologies might lead to potential pitfalls with negative consequences for exploration models. Paper IV combines subsurface data and minibasin/prospect-scale restorations to describe near-diapir deformation and minibasin subsidence in the Nordkapp Basin. Diapir growth resulted in different scales of drape folding such as megaflaps, minibasin-scale folding, and composite halokinetic sequences, which could work as structural traps. Salt growth also produced sediment erosion and reworking of the Triassic overburden, which explains the deposition of peridiapiric wedges at diapir flanks. This paper also illustrates the role of minibasin subsidence on the temporal and spatial distribution of Triassic depositional environments, where salt withdrawal caused the retrogradation of Triassic fluviodeltaic systems and favoured local embayments with deposition of source rocks. Paper V combines structural restorations from paper I and thermal modelling to show the impact of salt tectonics on the thermal evolution and petroleum system of confined salt-bearing basins such as the Nordkapp Basin, commonly characterized by narrow minibasins and closely-spaced diapirs. The results indicate that thermal anomalies associated to closely-spaced diapirs mutually interfere and induce a combined anomaly that reduces the overall temperature in the basin. The presence of isolated diapirs also reduce the temperature in adjacent minibasins. However, this effect is laterally limited and depends on the shape and width of the diapir. Finally, the paper emphasises the importance of integrating structural restorations and thermal modelling in confined salt-bearing basins since the thermal effect of evolving salt structures can unlock new exploration concepts such as deep hydrocarbon kitchens and reservoirs. This PhD thesis has implications for the understanding of salt tectonics, minibasin infill, and the petroleum system of confined salt-bearing basins in the Norwegian Barents Sea. Furthermore, the results contribute to the understanding of these processes in similar basins worldwide.

Spatio-temporal analysis of basins formed along sheared margins has received much less attention than those formed along orthogonally extended margins. Knowledge about the structural evolution of such basins is important for petroleum exploration but there has been a lack of studies that document these based on 3D seismic reflection data. In this study, we demonstrate how partitioning of strain during deformation of the central and southern part of the Sørvestsnaget Basin along the Senja Shear Margin, Norwegian Barents Sea, facilitated coeval shortening and extension. This is achieved through quantitative analysis of syn-kinematic growth strata using 3D seismic data. Our results show that during Cenozoic extensional faulting, folds and thrusts developed coevally and orthogonal to sub-orthogonal to normal faults. We attribute this strain partitioning to be a result of the right-lateral oblique plate motions along the margin. Rotation of fold hinge-lines and indications of hinge-parallel extension indicate that the dominating deformation mechanism in the central and southern Sørvestsnaget Basin during opening along the Senja Shear Margin was transtensional. We also argue that interpretation of shortening structures attributed to inversion along the margin should consider that partitioning of strain may result in shortening structures that are coeval with extensional faults and not a result of a separate compressional phase. publishedVersion

Denne rapporten er del av prosjektet Syntese av samfunnsvitenskapelige analyser av norsk havforvaltning. Dette er prosjektets norskspråklige sluttrapport, det er også utarbeidet en engelskspråklig sluttrapport. Hovedmålet med prosjekter har vært å sammenstille den samfunnsvitenskapelige forskningen som har vært gjort på norsk havforvaltning, med særlig vekt på forvaltningsplanprosessen og implementeringen av forvaltningsplanen for Barentshavet og Lofoten. I tillegg har prosjektet søkt å identifisere, i samarbeid med sentrale aktører, hvilke problemstillinger som særlig bør tas hensyn til i videreutviklingen av forvaltningsplansystemet. Klima- og miljødepartementet, Arktis 2030

Flere sjøfuglarter går tilbake globalt blant annet pga. klimaendringer. Det er derfor viktig å av-dekke tilleggseffekter av ytterligere påvirkninger, som for eksempel oljesøl. Oljesøl kan føre til massedød blant sjøfugl. Hvordan ulike sjøfuglbestander påvirkes av akutte bestandsreduksjoner og hvilke muligheter enkeltbestander har til å komme tilbake til samme bestandsstørrelse som før bestandsreduksjon, kan og bør brukes som et grunnlag i miljørisikoanalyser. I dette studiet gir vi en vurdering av hvor sårbare enkeltbestander av pelagiske sjøfugl i havom-rådene utenfor Lofoten, Vesterålen og Barentshavet er for akutte bestandsreduksjoner som følge av ytre påvirkning som for eksempel større uhellsutslipp av olje fra offshore petroleumsvirksom-het eller fra oljetankere. Vi bruker tidsseriedata på bestandstall fra Det nasjonale overvåkings-programmet for sjøfugl og Overvåkingsprogrammet for sjøfugl på Svalbard (en integrert del av SEAPOP) i bestandsmodeller, og vha. sårbarhetsmodeller kvantifiserer vi hva ulike bestander tåler av akutte bestandsreduksjoner på 10 %, 25 % og 50 %. To ulike vurderingsmetoder for sårbarhet (V1 og V2) ble brukt avhengig av bestandenes forut-gående bestandsutvikling: V1: For bestander med bestandsnedgang ble endring i tid til halvert bestand for de ulike prosent-vise akutte bestandsreduksjonene sammenlignet med fremtidig halveringstid hos en bestand uten akutt bestandsreduksjon. Reduksjon i halveringstid gir mulighet til å vurdere den ekstra belastning en akutt bestandsreduksjon medfører. V2: For relativt stabile (svakt nedadgående/økende) og sterkt økende bestander ble tiden det tar før bestanden er tilbake til samme bestandsstørrelse som før akutt bestandsreduksjon (restitu-sjonstiden) kvantifisert. Denne tiden ble fordelt på de fire forskjellige kategoriene av skadegrad som benyttes i miljørisikoanalyser i dag: mindre (< 1 år), moderat (1-3 år), betydelig (3-10 år) og alvorlig (> 10 år). Alle bestandene med nedgang, fra både Lofoten, Vesterålen og Barentshavet, er i utgangspunk-tet sårbare, og prognosene tilsier at de aldri vil komme tilbake til samme bestandsstørrelse som før. Selv uten akutte bestandsreduksjoner vil de nå en halvering av bestanden innen et relativt kort tidsrom dersom miljøvariasjonen fortsetter som den har gjort i de årene som tidsseriene har vært samlet inn. Sårbarhetsanalysene viser imidlertid at en ytterligere akutt bestandsreduksjon gir en betydelig raskere halveringstid. For bestander som øker eller er stabile, viser resultatene at akutte bestandsreduksjoner vil ha en alvorlig effekt på de fleste bestandene, og at oljesøl i begge havområdene vil ha stor negativ betydning og gjøre bestandene enda mer sårbare. Generelt sett skilte polarlomvi, lunde og krykkje seg ut som mest sårbare i begge havområdene uavhengig av hvilken bestandstrend de hadde som utgangspunkt. Lunde fra Røst og krykkjebe-standene på fastlandet er bestander som i tillegg har hatt rekrutteringsproblemer over lang tid. Dette forsterker sårbarheten deres da de vil ha liten grad av floaters og dermed en lavere buff-fringseffekt mot bestandsreduksjoner. Selv om enkeltbestandene av lomvi i dette studiet er noe mindre sårbar sammenlignet med de andre artene, er det viktig å merke seg at 90% av den totale norske lomvibestanden befinner seg i et relativt begrenset område i det sørlige Barents-havet gjennom hele året. Et oljesøl i dette området kan derfor få drastiske konsekvenser for storparten av de norske lomvikoloniene. Det er derfor viktig å ikke kun benytte resultater fra sårbarhetsanalyser isolert sett, men også å sette disse i sammenheng med bestandenes bruk av havområdene gjennom året. Dette er data som nå er tilgjengelig gjennom SEATRACK. Vi anbefaler med bakgrunn i dette studiet at denne typen sårbarhetsanalyser inkorporeres i mil-jørisikoanalyser. I tillegg foreslår vi at det utarbeides tilsvarende modellverktøy hvor man tar med aldersstruktur og demografiske tidsseriedata på voksenoverlevelse og reproduksjon.

Denne rapporten er del av prosjektet Syntese av samfunnsvitenskapelige analyser av norsk havforvaltning. Dette er prosjektets norskspråklige sluttrapport, det er også utarbeidet en engelskspråklig sluttrapport. Hovedmålet med prosjekter har vært å sammenstille den samfunnsvitenskapelige forskningen som har vært gjort på norsk havforvaltning, med særlig vekt på forvaltningsplanprosessen og implementeringen av forvaltningsplanen for Barentshavet og Lofoten. I tillegg har prosjektet søkt å identifisere, i samarbeid med sentrale aktører, hvilke problemstillinger som særlig bør tas hensyn til i videreutviklingen av forvaltningsplansystemet.

Project manager Jonny Beyer This report presents (1) an overview of the ecotoxicological knowledge regarding offshore produced water (PW) discharges on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), (2) an overview of the ecological characteristics and values of the Barents Sea, and (3) an overview of the tools that presently are available for assessing the possible environmental risk associated with offshore PW discharges. The overall objective with this work is to provide a basis for discussing the need for a stricter environmental management of PW discharges in the Barents Sea in comparison to elsewhere at the NCS. Based on information presented herein there appear not to be a clear systematic pattern that organisms/systems in Barents Sea are significantly more sensitive to chemical contamination and ecotoxicity of PW compared to organisms/systems elsewhere at the NCS. However, there are still many unknowns in this field of study, as only a relatively small number of PW effect studies provide data for sensitivity comparisons of Barents Sea and non-Barents Sea organisms/systems. Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA) (Miljødirektoratet)

To meet the objectives of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries, “Balanced Harvesting” (BH) has been suggested as a possible strategy to ensure a high sustainable yield while maintaining ecosystem structure and function. BH proposes a moderate fishing mortality in proportion to productivity spread across the widest possible range of species, stocks, and sizes in an ecosystem. The intent is a sustainable and overall unselective harvest that reduces alterations to the ecosystem structure by maintaining the relative size and species composition, while increasing total yield. The Norwegian and Barents Seas have been subjected to moderate fishing pressure and elements of an ecosystem-based approach to management for many years. By using a pre-parameterized Atlantis ecosystem model of the Nordic and Barents Seas, we investigated the ecosystem effects of a BH regime. This was done by running simulations with combinations of historic fishing pressure and fishing mortality rates proportional to 25% of the productivity of selected species. The simulations were then compared to a control run where the historical fisheries were applied. The model results imply that implementing a BH regime in the Norwegian and Barents Seas would only produce marginal increases in total yields of commercially exploited stocks, possibly because the Norwegian fisheries already is fairly balanced. The inclusion of non-commercial species in the harvest, on both lower and higher trophic levels, caused unexpectedly drastic changes to the ecosystem in the form of stock collapses or severely changed biomass levels. This study represents the first attempted examination of implementing balanced harvesting based on productivity, using an Atlantis ecosystem model. Masteroppgave i biologi MAMN-BIO BIO399

Capelin (Mallotus Villosus) are an important component of the Barents Sea ecosystem. As zooplankton consumers they play a role in channelling energy up the food web, and they have the potential to represent a biomass of several million tonnes. Their population has undergone booms and crashes, as one may expect of a high production, high mortality species, and our management of the fishery is based around preventing a >5% chance that the spawning stock biomass will fall below 200,000 tonnes. They are surveyed in the autumn, before a maturity model is applied and natural mortality is factored in during their migration to the spawning sites, leaving a total allowable catch (TAC). Our present model is a simple cut off of 14cm, and anything longer is assumed to spawn that year. This may be too simplistic however, as it possibly does not reflect the biological situation on the ground, which could lead to miscalculations of the spawning stock and the accompanying TAC. In this investigation I used the survey data and catch data in a comparison to assess the 14cm cut off, and following this made models which would better reflect the length and age distributions seen in the catch. Its seems likely that the biomass of capelin migrating has been overestimated every year, and that we need to do further work to assess the spawning stock in order to get a better handle on capelin maturity. Master's Thesis in Biology MAMN-BIO BIO399

Master's Thesis in Offshore Technology: Marine and Subsea Technology This master`s thesis is dedicated to the Dolginskoye oil field development concept comprising of a gravity base structure with subsea production systems. This field is located in the central part of the Pechora Sea. The ice cover in the Dolginskoye field area is formed in September and remains until July, which seriously complicates the development process. Application of subsea production systems in such an environment enables all-year production from the field substantially reducing the risk of operations in adverse climatic conditions. One of the challenging problem is the installation process. What kind of vessels is required for the Dolginskoe area environment? Different types of vessels have been reviewed when trying to answer this question. It is known that heave is most important for vertical operations. Therefore, the heave periods are calculated and compared with the wave periods to avoid the resonance. Moreover, the load on the gravity base structure is one of the key factors in the conceptual analysis. What type of load will prevail in this environmental condition? Two types of gravity base structures were considered in this study: (1) a monopod platform with vertical walls and (2) a platform with sloped walls. For calculations, the Monte Carlo method was implemented in the MATLAB software. Different concepts of development and evaluation of reliability and quality (issues of HSE) of each of the concepts and cost-effectiveness were considered.

Snø- og kongekrabben er begge arter som har blitt introdusert til Barentshavet. Snøkrabben ble for første gang oppdaget på Gåsbanken i nærheten av Nova Semlja. Den har siden spredd seg vestover mot Svalbard. Kongekrabben ble av russiske forskere introdusert i Øst- Barentshavet på 1960-tallet. Siden har den spredd seg inn i norske farvann og etablert seg i flere fjorder i Øst-Finnmark. Snøkrabben har en nordligere utbredelse enn kongekrabben. Kongekrabben er hovedsakelig utbredt langs kysten av Finnmark, men det har også vært enkeltobservasjoner av kongekrabber så langst sør som Bergen. Det vites ikke om disse er satt ut eller om den ved observasjon har blitt forvekslet med trollkrabbe, som kan være lik kongekrabben utseendemessig. Begge krabbene er topp-predatorer og kan derfor ha stor påvirkning på andre bunnlevende organismer i utbredelsesområdene. Så langt tyder det på at de ikke har hatt særlig innflytelse på kommersielle fiskeslag i de aktuelle områdene. Det kommersielle fisket av kongekrabbe startet i 2002 og har hatt en stor økning frem til i dag, med dagens kongekrabbekvote satt til 1850 tonn. Ved fangst av kongekrabbe benyttes firkantteiner. Fisket etter snøkrabbe startet ikke før 2012 og har i dag en kvote på 4000 tonn. Koniske teiner brukes ved fangst av snøkrabbe. For å opprettholde kvaliteten på krabbene må de håndteres skånsomt ved fangst og transport. Foredling av snøkrabbe og kongekrabbe fra slakting til ferdig produkt består av flere trinn hvor sluttproduktet er et cluster. Ved foredling av både snø- og kongekrabbe er det utfordringer rundt ulike forringelsesprosesser som skjer i krabbene. Den største utfordringen ved foredling av krabber i dag er at de kan få en blå/sort misfarging. Dette kalles for ”blueing”, melanosis eller ”browning”. ”Blueing” utgjør ikke noen helsemessig trussel, men det har negativ påvirkning på produktets aksept. Mikrobiell forringelse av ferske eller tinte krabbeprodukter (clusters) skjer raskere enn hos fisk på grunn av et høyere innhold av frie aminosyrer og andre lavmolekylære nitrogenforbindelser. Mesteparten av krabbene blir foredlet og solgt som frossen vare, dette gjelder spesielt for snøkrabbe. Det er mest ønskelig å selge krabbene levende da betaling gis pr kg for hele krabben og ikke bare clusterne. Det ble eksportert kongekrabbe og snøkrabbe for henholdsvis 509 og 225 millioner kroner i 2017. Kongekrabbe og snøkrabbe er begge verdifulle produkter som er svært attraktive å drive kommersielt fiske på.

Master's thesis in Petroleum Geosciences engineering Porosity and permeability are controlled by the interaction of sediment provenance, depositional processes, and diagenesis. This study attempts to determine and predict which role the depositional environment has in enhancing or decreasing the ultimate reservoir quality in four Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs deposited during a period of rifting in a variety of settings in the southwestern Barents Sea. The goal is achieved by linking the distribution of primary textures, compositions, and diagenetic alterations to depositional sandstone facies. Analytical data include sedimentary core logs, petrographic data, XRD, geochemistry, well logs, and seismic data. The core analysis reveals three main depositional settings for the reservoirs; mass-flow, shallow-marine, and deltaic settings, which further are subdivided into 17 rock facies and 6 facies associations based on grain size, degree of bioturbation, and sedimentary structures among others. Petrographic analysis indicates that the mass-flow sandstone, which is characterized by high energy and high rates of sediment supply, has the highest overall reservoir quality with porosity values ranging between 3 and 19 % (avg. 13 %). The high porosity is attributed to a generally good hydraulic sorting, non-pervasive carbonate cementation that inhibited compaction and created porosity through later dissolution, and a moderate mechanical clay infiltration that resulted in clay cutanes on grain rims and further in the precipitation of chlorite, which inhibited quartz growth. Higher porosity in the distal (basin-floor fan) than in the proximal (slope channel) mass-flow facies is considered a result of longer transportation paths and sediment reworking that led to higher compositional maturity of the distal sandstone, whereas abundant sedimentary rock fragments in the proximal facies enhanced mechanical compaction. Deltaic sandstone is characterized by moderate to fluctuating energy and sediment supply and proved ideal conditions for mechanical clay infiltration. The reservoir quality varies (porosities of 2-18 %, avg. 8 %) due to varying amounts of infiltrated clay. Sandstone with moderate clay infiltration proved higher reservoir quality, whereas extensive clay infiltration occluded pore-spaces and increased the mechanical compactability of the sandstone. Lowest reservoir quality (porosities of 1-12 %, avg. 7 %) has the shallow-marine sandstone, which represent an environment of low energy and low rates of sediment supply. Fine-grained laminae and interstitial matrix caused porosity reduction, which further was deteriorated by bioturbation. Abundant mica and feldspar grains in the shallow-marine sandstone, partly a result of the provenance, and deep burial resulted in extensive illitization that further decreased the porosity and permeability. LoCrA Consortium

Some marine activities in the Barents Sea are normally ongoing year-round; others are dependent on limited weather windows. The limitations for the marine operations are the special weather conditions characterized by unpredictable Polar Low situations during the fall, winter and spring seasons, as well as cold temperatures that also are causing sea spray icing and the potential for drifting ice in certain parts of the Sea. It must also be realized that large distances combined with challenging meteorological and oceanographic criteria as well as darkness during the winter period represents a concern for evacuation and rescue, should it be necessary to abandon ships and platforms. The long distances to the locations farthest away from shore are, furthermore, out of reach of helicopter assistance. These aspects make it necessary to conduct hazard identification studies and to include all relevant historical knowledge in the hazard identification session, prior to the execution of marine operations in the Barents Sea.

The Barents Sea is one of nine shelf ecosystem survey bordering the Arctic Basin. The Arctic region is warming faster than the rest of the world. In the Barents Sea the years since 2000 were the warmest since the onset of regular measurements (1900, Bochkov 1982, ICES 2016) and paleo-records based on foraminifera even suggest that the Atlantic Water flowing into to the Barents Sea area was at its warmest for the last 2000 years (Spielhagen et al. 2011). As a result the extent of Arctic Water with sub-zero temperatures and sea ice is shrinking in the Barents Sea (e.g. ICES 2016). The changes in hydrographic conditions change the conditions for the poorly known Arctic fish fauna in the region. Here we present for the first time results on trends in abundance and distribution of demersal Arctic fishes in the northern Barents Sea.

Master's thesis in Petroleum Geoscience Engineering Technological advances have led to the development of various methods that allows us to more accurately pinpoint the timing of geological events using geochronology. One of the most established and acknowledged techniques is the dating of detrital zircons by the use of U-Pb laser ablation - inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry - (LA-ICP-MS). In combination with U-Pb in situ analyses of the same zircon grain, the Lutetium-Hafnium isotope system represent one of the most innovative and powerful tools for geochronology and isotope. This thesis focuses on investigating the provenance of Mesozoic succession from seven deep drill cores provided by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). The analysis of the samples resulted in U-Pb isotope dating of 2457 detrital zircons (Matthews et al., subm.). The isotopic composition of Hf has been measured in 1151 of those zircon grains, using a laser ablation multi collector (MC)-ICP-MS to further investigate basin evolution trends and to propose potential source areas. With 21 Cretaceous samples, 8 Jurassic samples and 1 Triassic sample, the zircons varies in age from 206 Ma to 3465 Ma, allowing indirect analysis of mantle-derived Hf over a significant time span. With a systematic Lu-Hf isotope analysis of the detrital zircons in these samples, it was possible to deduct some information about the likely provenances and sources for Mesozoic (

The Fingerdjupet Subbasin in the southwestern Barents Sea sits in a key tectonic location between deep rifts in the west and more stable platform areas in the east. Its evolution is characterized by extensional reactivation of N-S and NNE-SSW faults with an older history of Late Permian and likely Carboniferous activity superimposed on Caledonian fabrics. Reactivations in the listric NNE-SSW Terningen Fault Complex accommodated a semi-regional rollover structure where the Fingerdjupet Subbasin developed in the hangingwall. In parallel, the Randi Fault Set developed from outer-arc extension and collapse of the rollover anticline. N-S to NNE-SSW faults and the presence of other fault trends indicate changes in the stress regime relating to tectonic activity in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. A latest Triassic to Middle Jurassic extensional faulting event with E-W striking faults is linked to activity in the Hammerfest Basin. Cessation of extensional tectonics before the Late Jurassic in the Fingerdjupet Subbasin, however, suggests rifting became localized to the Hammerfest Basin. The Late Jurassic was a period of tectonic quiescence in the Fingerdjupet Subbasin before latest Jurassic to Hauterivian extensional faulting, which reactivated N-S and NNE-SSW faults. Barremian SE-prograding clinoforms filled the relief generated during this event before reaching the Bjarmeland Platform. High-angle NW-prograding clinoforms on the western Bjarmeland Platform are linked to Early Barremian uplift of the Loppa High. The Terningen Fault Complex and Randi Fault Set were again reactivated in the Aptian along with other major fault complexes in the SW Barents Sea, leading to subaerial exposure of local highs. This activity ceased by early Albian. Post-upper Albian strata were removed by late Cenozoic uplift and erosion, but later tectonic activity has both reactivated E-W and N-S/NNE-SSW faults and also established a NW-SE trend.

Throughout this thesis I will further identify sponges ecological significance and vulnerability to human activities in the North Atlantic, with interest in Norwegian waters and background research of the integrated Barents Sea management plan. In collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research analyses of dense communities occurring in the western Barents Sea has been conducted to further identify dominating sponge species such as Geodia barretti and G. macandrewii. Further, with the international and national implementation of ecosystem approach (EA) to management, I participated in the workshop: "Making the Ecosystem-based management operational" in Copenhagen, Denmark. Several challenges were addressed and discussions on how to successfully implementing EA to management were identified. As seen in Norway, three fully integrated management plans have been developed, covering the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea and Lofoten areas. Management actions towards sponge grounds have been identified, with special interest in the Barents Sea management plans as it was the first of such approach and contains more background reports for assessing objectives, human activities and mapping of benthic fauna. Further, managing the dense sponge communities identified in the western Barents Sea case study. Overall, Norway has successfully implemented ecosystem- based management, aiming for protection of vulnerable marine areas as well as balancing human activities. The plans are thus ambiguous, and no direct monitoring approach towards sponge grounds occur in neither of the plans and are required for protection and sustainability of deep-sea sponge grounds. Finally, recommendations towards fully integration of sponge grounds to management and conservation policies in Norway have been further discussed. Master i Biologi MAMN-BIO BIO399

Master's thesis in Offshore technology: Marine and subsea technology Starting with a comparison of sea-state parameters and metocean conditions of the Barents and Kara Seas, this thesis will discuss the challenges for development of potential hydrocarbon fields in the Barents-Kara Area. The main accent of this master’s thesis will be placed on possibilities of the technological challenges for choice of platform and construction of common infrastructure on the base of archipelago. Part I (Introduction) provides the general information about the exist projects in the Barents-Kara region. Mainly these projects are owned by Russian majors – Gazprom and Rosneft. Except of that, the first part considers an ore project on the archipelago. Part II (Metocean Parameters and Conditions) provides the environmental data with metocean and ice conditions. Such conditions that require a consideration are topography, winds, waves, temperatures, ice duration, iceberg’s occurrence, environmental concern. Part III (Offshore Field Development) considers a short description of development of different areas in the region. Part IV (Pipeline Route Selection) provides a calculation in the specialized program. It is guaranteed a successful offshore pipeline laying from the fields to the center located on the archipelago. All data are gathered in the one map – cost distance map/surface. Part V (Economical Aspects of the Project) considers a short economic conclusions of the project. It discusses the main advantages. Part VI (Conclusions) provides final remarks that sum up all material assembled in this project.

Master's thesis in Risk Management and Societal Safety. The author may be reached at vaardal@online.no or phone +4792026123. Et høyteknologisk samfunn som vi lever i, karakteriseres ved en høy grad av gjensidig avhengighet i ulike tekniske systemer, en avhengighet som øker stadig. Kritiske infra-strukturer som elektrisitetsforsyning og satellitter er særlig utsatt ved ekstreme solstormer som skjer svært sjelden, kanskje hvert 100. eller 500. år. Sist var i 1859. Ingen vet når neste kommer og hvor kraftig den vil bli selv om det gjøres svært mye forskning for og predikere og varsle når noe er på gang på sola. De siste 100 år har vi har hatt flere kraftige solstormer som viser klart at dette naturfenomenet må tas alvorlig av både samfunnsplanleggere og industrien. Aldri har vi vært så sårbare for ekstreme solstormer som nå. Knapt noen tør hevde å ha full oversikt over det trusselbildet en slik lavfrekvent/høykonsekvens hendelse representerer. Det er vanskelig å forberede seg på det man ikke tenker seg kan skje. Med andre ord: Det er en ”sort svane” som flyr der ute. Petroleumsvirksomheten i Norge er en storbruker av satellittbaserte tjenester både til posisjonering, navigering og kommunikasjon. Flere produksjonsplattformer og felt får i dag elektrisk kraft fra land, og utviklingen går i retning av elektrifisering av flere eksisterende og fremtidige produksjonsplattformer på hele sokkelen. Vår gasseksport i rør til kontinentet og Storbritannia er av meget stor viktighet både energimessig og økonomisk. Hva vil en ekstremt sterk solstorm kunne bety for denne næringen? Denne masteroppgaven tok sikte på å belyse dette ved å svare på problemstillingen: ”100-årsbølger fra verdensrommet. Hvordan kan neste ekstreme solstorm true petroleumsvirksomheten i Norge?” Gjennom litteraturstudier, intervjuer av sentrale personer innen akademia og industrien, samt bedriftsbesøk og ved å lese ulike artikler om emnet på internett og i bøker har jeg kommet fram til et svar som kort kan oppsummeres slik: Brudd i strømforsyningen på land vil kunne få alvorlige følger for driften av plattformer og felt med landstrøm. Varigheten av strømbruddet kan bli dager, uker og kanskje måneder. Logistikkfunksjoner som f. eks. basetjenester og helikoptertransport vil bli berørt umiddelbart ved at utstyr som er avhengig av elektrisk kraft, vil kunne gå ned. Gasseksport til kontinentet og Storbritannia vil kunne pågå så lenge det er tilgjengelig gass i rørledningsnettet. Gasskompressorene på terminalene har nødstrøm og kan operere på ubestemt tid.Viktige informasjonskanaler (internett, radio etc.) og rikskringkastere som radio og TV vil kunne få store forstyrrelser og problemer med å sende kriseinformasjon og instrukser om krisehåndtering. Kommunikasjon som går via satellitt og HF- og VHF-nettet, har begrenset rekkevidde og vil få betydelig reduksjon i kvalitet, særlig i nordområdene. Posisjonerings- og navigasjonssatellittene vil kunne skades eller slutte å fungere temporært eller permanent. GPS-signalene kan bli borte, bli ustabile og/eller gi stor misvisning i minutter, timer eller dager som kan føre til kritiske situasjoner for DP-avhengige operasjoner med skip og borerigger. Hovedredningssentralene og andre aktører kan bli vesentlig hemmet i sin virksomhet pga. telefoni faller ut og nødnummere slutter å fungere. Retningsboring kan ikke utføres pga. store forstyrrelser i jordens magnetfelt over flere dager hvis man ikke har referansedata fra magnetometre på land. Virkningene er spesielt alvorlige i nordområdene. Kommunikasjonssatellittene vil kunne skades eller slutte å fungere permanent eller temporært. Værvarslingstjenesten vil kunne falle ut dersom de riksdekkende kanalene går ned og satellittene skades eller ødelegges. Skipstrafikken i Barentshavet kan innebære økt risiko for petroleumsinnretninger der ved bortfall av satellittsignaler. Oppsummert: Sannsynligheten for at vi skal bli rammet av en ekstrem solstorm i kategori 5 vurderes til svært stor, med liten usikkerhet. Konsekvensvurderingen av bortfall av strøm fra land til sokkelen vurderes til svært stor. Usikkerheten vurderes til moderat. Konsekvensvurderingen av bortfall og forstyrrelser av GPS-signaler vurderes til stor, med moderat usikkerhet. Rapporten anbefaler videre analyser for å kartlegge hvilke andrelinjekonsekvensene /følge-skader som kan forventes i oljeindustrien i slike hendelser og hvordan risikoen kan reduseres.

Cannibalism is probably the most important and also the most variable cause of natural mortality for age 1-4 Northeast Arctic cod. Also, the proportion of cod in the diet of Northeast Arctic cod increases with increasing size of the predatory cod. For this stock, long time series describing diet composition are available (qualitative stomach content data for 1947-2005 and quantitative data for 1984-2006). These data were analysed together with survey indices for young cod and abundance of capelin, the most important prey item for cod. The abundance of age 1-3 cod indicated by the survey indices and the abundance of young cod in cod stomachs are well correlated. An inverse relationship between mortality induced by cannibalism and capelin abundance was found. Cannibalism was at a high level from 1947 to 1965 and then again in the mid-1990s. The high level of cannibalism in the mid-1990s was comparable to that observed in the 1950s. It is outlined how the qualitative and quantitative stomach content data could be combined to include cannibalism in the estimates of cod abundance back to 1947.

Atlantic minke whales are important predators in the Barents Sea ecosystem; capelin Mallotus villosus, krill Thysanoessa sp. and Meganyctephanes norvegica and herring Clupea harengus are their major prey. Their consumption of commercial species may present an economic problem for the local fishery. In order to estimate this consumption and understand the potential consequences for prey dynamics, it is essential to determine the multispecies functional response of the whales. The parameterisation of a functional response requires measurements of consumption rates and prey availability. In this localised study, undigested stomach contents were used to assess the amount of each prey that had been consumed immediately prior to capture. To determine the availability of prey to the whales, standard acoustic surveys were run in the same area within 2 d of the capture of the whales. The spatial distribution of prey was modelled using generalised additive models (GAMs). In order to generate a measure of prey availability and the uncertainty in this value, a simple model was assumed for whale movement, and prey abundance was sampled over space according to a Gaussian kernel. A multispecies functional response (MSFR) model was then fitted to the consumption and prey availability data using Bayesian methods. Simple simulations, based on the fitted MSFR, indicate that minke whales may deplete local capelin aggregations at small spatial scales. This is the first time that a multispecies functional response has been fitted for a cetacean predator, and the methods outlined here may prove useful for modelling marine mammal-fish interactions in other systems. Publisher PDF

Master's thesis in Offshore technology : subsea technology The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) concept is a ship shaped production platform frequently used on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). One of the main advantages of a FPSO is that the produced oil can be stored in the cargo tanks and offloaded to shuttle tankers by tandem offloading. Tandem offloading means that a loading hose from the stern of the FPSO is connected to the bow of the shuttle tanker. The shuttle tankers will then transport the oil to an oil terminal at shore or directly to the market. Tandem offloading is a safety critical and weather sensitive operation. Adverse weather conditions such as wave heights, polar lows, sea ice, etc., influences the offloading operation considerably. The shuttle tankers will normally be allowed to start the operation, if the significant wave height is below 4,5m and stop if the wave height increases to above 5,5m. A small storage capacity on the FPSO could lead to multiple offloading operations resulting in low regularity for the shuttle tanker operation and transportation. The storage capacity on the FPSO should allow for a full load for the shuttle tanker and also have some margin in order to include uncertainties in the offloading and transportation chain. Typical shuttle tankers have capacities in the range of 550.000 – 850.000 barrels. The oil companies have long experience with tandem loading on the NCS. However, offshore field developments are now moving further north into the Barents Sea and we are in subarctic area. The Goliat and Johan Castberg projects are example on such developments. These new areas have challenges related to sub-arctic climate and weather conditions. There is also a long transportation route, if the oil should be transported directly to the market in Europe. A fleet of dedicated purpose built shuttle tankers may be needed for a field development in this area. The cost related to offloading and transportation of oil is significant and the following three main questions need to be addressed; 1. How large should be the FPSO storage capacity in order to secure sufficient offloading regularity? 2. How many shuttle tankers are needed and what should be the capacity in order to ensure sufficient regularity of the transportation? 3. How significant wave height, sea ice & polar lows influence the FPSO storage capacity? For commercial, safety and efficiency reasons, these three questions need to be considered in early phase of the design. The optimal answer depends on many parameters;  Oil production profile for the FPSO  Actual weather condition and weather limitations criteria  Connecting and disconnecting time  Pump capacity for the oil transfer  Sailing route and distance to the market  Regularity requirements  Shuttle tankers capacity  Cost for FPSO storage Using Johan Castberg oil production rate, typical shuttle tanker capacities, wave limitation criteria, time taken by shuttle tankers to travel on 1.5m thick sea ice and 48 hours duration polar lows in the vicinity of FPSO, this dissertation intend to optimize the storage capacity for the FPSO. It is assumed that produced oil from Johan Castberg field is transported using shuttle tankers to Murmansk oil terminal located in Russia. The reason for assuming a specific field and oil terminal is to gather input parameters, such as production rate, hindcast data, maritime distance in ice infested waters etc. The case study is performed with shuttle tanker capacity of 850,000 bbls. Otherwise, the adopted concept in this dissertation will be general i.e., to serve the wide variety of situations and geographical locations. In conclusion, the entire exercise undergone in this dissertation is presented as a model, in a “User friendly” Excel spread sheet format for future use.

Master's thesis in Petroleum geosciences engineering Following the recent Gohta and Alta discoveries in the Loppa High by Lundin Norway AS in 2013 and 2014 respectively, there has been an enhanced interest for the Upper Paleozoic succession in the Norwegian Arctic Shelf region. Several previous studies have confirmed that the eastern Finnmark Platform provides an excellent location for studying evolution of a carbonate platform with changing platform morphology and buildup distribution in space and time. Stratigraphical differences have been noted across the platform; however limited information exists about the Upper Paleozoic succession and its development on the central and western platform, in comparison to on the eastern Finnmark Platform. In this study, 2D and 3D seismic data have been combined with well data in order to develop a regional understanding of the Late Paleozoic development of the entire Finnmark Platform. The aim is to improve the paleogeographic understanding of the region by obtaining knowledge about the architecture of the Upper Paleozoic carbonate succession across the platform, define structural and stratigraphical boundaries, and determine controlling mechanisms responsible for observed varying sedimentation patterns. Enhanced knowledge about the historical development of the Finnmark Platform in space and time is beneficial for an improved understanding of the extension of the Late Paleozoic carbonate platforms, as well as the geological evolution of the area. Significant differences, both structurally and stratigraphically, have been observed across the platform. Consequently, three provinces could be defined. The eastern province represents a stable platform dominated by Upper Paleozoic warm- and cold-water carbonate buildups and deposits. These carbonate units are observed to pinch-out towards a fault-controlled structural high in the central province. The structurally complex western province is dominated by clastic sediments. Late Paleozoic marine incursion from the east, responsible for development of favorable conditions for carbonate buildup growth and deposition in the east, did neither reach the western, nor most of the central province. During the Late Carboniferous-Early Permian times, these areas represented a positive subaerially exposed feature and were not site for deposition. Indications of Early Permian marginal uplift, similar to what has been reported from Bjørnøya, have been observed and seem to have influenced the overall depositional regime on the Finnmark Platform at the time. Eventually, in the late Early Permian, the central and western provinces became submerged. Spiculites were deposited across the entire Finnmark Platform, although presumably under contrasting depositional settings.

Master's thesis in Petroleum geosciences engineering This study focusses on aspects related to carbonate build-ups in an upper Paleozoic succession in the south central Norwegian Barents Sea. Seismic and well data are used to map and characterize the protozoan and heterozoan carbonate build-ups in order to assess the factors that control their distribution within the Gipsdalen- and Bjarmeland Groups. The main objectives are (1) to describe, compare, and contrast geomorphological characteristics of the carbonate succession on the Bjarmeland and Finnmark Platforms, (2) to determine the controlling factors on the distribution of the carbonate build-up development, and lastly (3) examine the impact of evaporites on the distribution and development of the carbonate build-ups. The upper section of the Gipsdalen Group consists of protozoan carbonates and evaporites with occasional carbonate build-ups that were deposited in an arid-warm marine environment in a global icehouse period. The Bjarmeland Group consists of heterozoan carbonates with build-ups deposited in post-glacial environment. Previous studies have suggested that faults play a role in the distribution of carbonate build-ups in the Norwegian Barents Sea. The two areas on the Finnmark Platform (north and south) have been used in order to compare against two areas on Bjarmeland Platform (east and west). The carbonate build-up sequence observed on the eastern Bjarmeland Platform is comparable with the build-up sequence on the northern Finnmark Platform. The two areas share similarities as both are located on footwall uplifts. The geomorphology of these carbonate units are characterized as large build-up complexes. In contrast, the geomorphology of the western Bjarmeland Platform and the southern Finnmark Platform differs significantly. These units consist of polygonal build-up morphologies of reticulated arrangement with cellular structures of various scales; this depositional pattern is similar in architecture to modern patch and pinnacle reef systems observed in Holocene carbonate systems (e.g. Abrolhos Islands in Western Australia). The similarities defining these elements are that carbonate build-ups stack vertically above the layered evaporite sequence of the Gipsdalen Group. The layered evaporite sequences are observed on both platforms where salt pillows are a main characteristic. The carbonate build-ups deposit vertically above thin units of evaporites, opposed to laterally absent where the salt pillows are present, suggesting that salt has been displaced by the weight of the growing build-up. The result supports antecedent topography as a dominant component affecting the carbonate build-up succession in the eastern Bjarmeland Platform and the northern Finnmark Platform. Furthermore, the build-up development in the two areas on western Bjarmeland Platform, and southern Finnmark Platform, has been controlled by physical conditions influenced by a combination of biotic self-organization, fossil reef growth and karst-induced structures caused by dissolution of the underlying carbonate strata. The current geomorphology of the carbonate build-up succession has been enhanced due to remobilization of the mobile evaporite unit as a result of differential loading by the carbonate build-ups. Suncor Energy Norge A/S

Master's thesis in Risk management and societal safety Etter 40 års forhandlinger ble delelinjen mellom Norge og Russland fastsatt i 2010, og norsk sokkel økte med et betydelig areal. Dette gav nye muligheter for petroleumsvirksomhet i Nord - Norge. Siden våren 2011 har det pågått en åpningsprosess for Barentshavet sørøst (BaSø), og i 2013 ble områdene besluttet åpnet. Interessen for tidligere omstridte områder er nå stor, men det er enda ikke etablert en felles tilnærming til de sammensatte utfordringene en står overfor i BaSø. Området er preget av is, mørke, kulde og polare lavtrykk. Det er langt fra land og infrastrukturen er manglende. Det vil være vanskelig, om ikke umulig å nå ut til de nordligste blokkene med dagens benyttede helikoptre. En medisinsk evakuering vil følgelig ta langt lengre tid en ellers på sokkelen, og helsepersonell må håndtere flere komplekse medisinske situasjoner om bord på innretningen. Den medisinske beredskapen offshore reguleres i stor grad gjennom funksjonskrav. Funksjonskrav er krav som uttrykker et nivå for sikkerheten som ønskes nådd, men som gir få beskrivelser for hva som skal til for å nå disse målene. Med dette som utgangspunkt for min studie, var formålet med denne oppgaven å se nærmere på hvorvidt dagens kompetansekrav for helsepersonell, og krav til medisinsk utstyr vil gi utfordringer for dimensjoneringen av den medisinske beredskapen i BaSø, på en innretning nord for 72 grader nord. For å besvare problemstillingen utformet jeg fire forskningsspørsmål. Først undersøkte jeg hvilke nye rammebetingelser som vil gjøre seg gjeldende, og være kritiske for den medisinske beredskapen i BaSø (1), deretter undersøkte jeg hvilke utfordringer som kan oppstå ved bruk av et funksjonsbasert regelverk i BaSø (2). Dernest satte jeg meg inn i de juridiske bestemmelsene for helsepersonell -og medisinsk utstyr, og hvilke utfordringer som foreligger i dagens reguleringsbestemmelser (3). For tilslutt å se på hvilke tiltak som bør iverksettes for å sikre en forsvarlig medisinsk beredskap på en innretning i BaSø (4). Hovedfunnene i denne studien indikerer at dagens kompetansekrav til helsepersonell og krav til medisinsk utstyr representerer en sikkerhetsutfordring for den medisinske beredskapen i BaSø. Dette fordi kravene er utformet på et overordnet nivå og bruker uttrykk som ”tilstrekkelig” og ”faglig forsvarlig”. Det gis følgelig heller ikke anvisninger til relevante målestokker eller standarder som konkretiserer kravene. Antakelsen om at ett funksjonsbaserte regelverket skal gi grobunn for gode løsninger og fleksibilitet, ser ut til å ha noe motsatt effekt i denne sammenheng. Næringen er usikre på hvordan best dimensjonere for en god medisinsk beredskap i BaSø, og er nå inne i en økonomisk trang tid hvor sparetiltak er fremtredende. Uten klare målestokker å se til står en i fare for å velge ulike suboptimale løsninger. For eksempel kuttes det på kompetanse og trening av helsepersonell, det brukes i større grad innleid helsepersonell fra eksterne aktører, og det oppleves av næringen som vanskelig å gjennomslag for økonomiske investeringer, når det ikke foreligger klare anvisninger for hva som er et forsvarlig nivå for en medisinske beredskapen. Manglende standarder er ikke bare et problem for næringen, men også for tilsynsmyndighetene. Det foreligger ikke en ensartet tilnærming til BaSø, og studien indikerer at det vil være vanskelig for tilsynsmyndighetene å vurdere regeletterlevelse, dersom det ikke foreligger en standard å måle selskapene etter. Det stilles også i denne sammenheng spørsmålstegn til hvorvidt ansvarlig tilsynsmyndighet innehar en tilsynsstrategi som er hensiktsmessig for å påvise sikkerhetshull i BaSø. Statssekretær Kristian Dahlberg Hauge i Arbeids- og sosialdepartementet sier at Norge skal være verdensledende på HMS også i nedgangstider. Han uttrykker at næringen ikke må falle for fristelsen av å velge kostnadsbesparende tiltak som går på bekostning av sikkerheten (Petroleumstilsynet, 2015c). Uten anvisninger til standarder som spesifiserer hva som menes med uttrykk som ”tilstrekkelig kompetanse”, ”faglig forsvarlighet” og ”nok utstyr” viser denne studien at regelverket i stor grad åpner for valg av ulike suboptimale løsninger, og kostnadsbesparende tiltak som kan gå på bekostning av sikkerhetsnivået i norsk petroleumsvirksomhet. For å sikre en faglig forsvarlig medisinsk beredskap i BaSø, må det følgelig utvikles en felles norm for ”beste praksis” som konkretiserer innholdet i de overordnede kravene i reguleringsbestemmelsene. En slik standard vil være til fordel for både næring og tilsynsmyndigheter og bør utarbeides i kraft av trepartssamarbeidet.

Westergaard, K.B., Hanssen, O., Endrestøl, A., Often, A., Stabbetorp, O., Staverløkk, A. & Ødegaard, F. 2015. Spredning av fremmede arter med planteimport til Norge – NINA Rapport 1136. 105 s. Sommeren 2014 fikk Statoil, som operatør for flere prøveboringer etter olje i Barentshavet, på-legg fra Miljødirektoratet om særskilte miljøundersøkelser. I utslippstillatelsen for letebrønn «Mercury» ble følgende krav gitt: «Operatøren skal overvåke sjøfugl rundt brønnlokasjon før aktiviteter med økt risiko for akutte utslipp til sjø, spesielt under boring i oljeførende lag. Ved høye tettheter av sjøfugl i området skal operatøren vurdere behov for ekstra sikringstiltak og om nødvendig avvente videre boring til sjøfugl har trukket forbi. Dette gjelder spesielt svømmetrekk til lomvi som ikke er flyvedyktige, og som vil være spesielt sårbare for oljeforurensning på havoverflaten.» Tilsvarende krav ble senere også gitt for letebrønnene «Pingvin» og «Isfjell». NINA ble forespurt om å gjennomføre disse takseringene. Forut for kartleggingen ble det, på basis av tidligere kartlegginger i det samme området, beregnet at «høye tettheter» for lomvi og polarlomvi innebar tettheter på om lag 10 lomvier (sum av begge arter) pr km2, og denne tetthe-ten ble brukt som referansepunkt/akseptkriterium for undersøkelsene Kartlegging av sjøfugl ble foretatt etter standard metoder to dager forut for planlagt boring inn i oljeførende lag, og for alle tre feltene ble det funnet lavere tettheter enn beregnet akseptkrite-rium. For både «Mercury» og «Pingvin» omfattet den innledende kartleggingen et transekt opp mot Bjørnøya, ettersom det var forventet at det var lomvier (begge arter) på svømmetrekk derfra som potensielt kunne bevege seg inn i nærområdet til riggen. Etter borestart ble mulige endringer av sjøfuglbestandene nær riggen kartlagt med jevne mellomrom. Det ble ikke påvist særlige endringer i tetthet for lomviene, og generelt var det lave tettheter av flere sjøfugler i det området riggen opererte i for «Pingvin» og «Isfjell». Etter avsluttet boring på «Mercury» ble det også taksert på returen inn mot land så lenge vær-forholdene tillot det. Da ble det registrert flere lomvier (begge arter) med unger i området sør for riggen. Tetthetene her lå nær opp mot akseptkriteriet på 10 individer pr km2. Det er mulig at dette kan tolkes som at svømmetrekket for de to lomviartene dette året gikk sør for «Mercury». Det kan ha betydd at med en noe sørligere lokasjon for «Mercury» kunne tetthetene ha vært nær kravet for at tiltak skulle vurderes. Resultatene er diskutert opp mot tidligere kartlegginger av sjøfugl i Barentshavet, og det som er kjent vedrørende svømmetrekket for de to lomviartene som hekker både på Bjørnøya og på fastlandet. Rapporten tar ikke stilling til om slik kartlegging/overvåking skal videreføres ved nye leteboringer, men reiser flere spørsmål som bør avklares for å få klare retningslinjer for når, hvor og hva som eventuelt skal kartlegges. Det foreslås at det innhentes mer kunnskap om svømmetrekket for de to lomviartene. Kartleg-ging av sjøfuglenes arealbruk ved hjelp av GLS- og GPS-loggere, samt satellittsendere i de til-fellene det kan brukes, bør prioriteres både på fastlandet og på Svalbard. Dette vil kunne øke presisjonen i tilrådningene, og kan gi et bedre grunnlag for operatørselskapene til å planlegge fremtidige leteboringer slik at en unngår konflikter med svømmetrekket og de områdene lomviene synes å samles seg i etterpå. © Norsk institutt for naturforskning. Publikasjonen kan siteres fritt med kildeangivelse.

The 16th Russian-Norwegian Symposium, Sochi, Russia, 10-12 September 2013

Master's thesis in Petroleum geosciences engineering The results of the petrophysical evaluation of four turbidite systems located along the flanks of the Hammerfest Basin, in the southwestern Barents Sea, are presented in this master thesis. These systems are the reservoir of the Lower Cretaceous Clastic Wedges play in this area, which was proven successful in 2012, after drilling the Salina prospect. An environmental analysis, based on the study of cores and logs, shows that sand rich turbidite systems might be expected on the northeastern flanks of the Hammerfest Basin, sourced from the eastern Loppa High. Towards the northwestern and southwestern flanks, sand-mud rich system, sourced from the Loppa High and Finnmark Platform, are expected. This analysis, together with the results from the petrophysical evaluation, suggests a direct dependency of reservoir quality on depositional environment as well as on the type of turbidite system. A main challenge regarding petrophysical evaluations of these reservoirs is the scarce core data available within the Lower Cretaceous stratigraphic unit. Core data are very important for calibration of the parameters needed for the computation of the reservoir properties. The wells used in this study are among the few with core data available so the results could be calibrated. Therefore, these turbidite systems are proposed as analogues for future petrophysical evaluations of the Lower Cretaceous vii sandstone wedges when core data are not available. However, care should be taken in the use of these analogues since differences in the turbidites source area affect some of the petrophysical calculations. The results show that the computing parameters for the calculation of Vcl and PHIE/PHIT might be used independently from the reservoir’s source area. Yet, for permeability calculations, source area should be taken into consideration.

Barents Sea capelin (Mallotus villosus) is a semalparous fish species, and the timing of spawning both in terms of age and season is variable. The present thesis explores potential factors leading to variation in timing of spawning in this key species of the Barents Sea; hereunder whether seasonal timing of spawning to spring or summer is due to an established strategy and genetically (parentally) determined, or simply a variable phenomenon related to changes in environmental conditions. Comparisons of biological characteristics made between spring spawners and summer spawners in five selected years (1977, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1996) demonstrated that summer spawners were significantly younger, smaller (lower length and weight), with a slower somatic growth and lower condition than spring spawning capelin. Both the first year otolith growth and the ratio between first and second year otolith growth was lower in summer- than in spring spawners. First year otolith growth increased with body length at age, whereas such a relationship was not found with the ratio between first and second year otolith growth. Hypothetically capelin hatched in summer would on average have both a lower first year otolith growth and a lower ratio between first and second year otolith growth than capelin hatching in spring due to a much shorter feeding season in their first year of life. Hence, the observed differences in biological characteristics could be interpreted as capelin returning to spawn in the same season they hatched themselves as parentally determined, i.e. summer spawning is an established strategy. This was further explored using data from the late feeding distribution in the Barents Sea during August-October 1976-2012, which demonstrated that capelin with otolith growth characteristics similar to that observed among summer spawners tended to distribute more to the southeast. Feeding and growth conditions normally tend to be worse when moving towards south east, which may explain the slower growth and condition observed among summer spawners. However, the lower condition in summer could also be linked to the longer period spent from the last main feeding season in autumn until the spawning. Over the period 1976-2012 the first year otolith growth and the ratio between first and second year otolith growth were highly variable, and the fluctuations in these parameters were significantly related to population density (capelin biomass), zooplankton availability and temperature. This signifies that age at spawning, and timing of spawning within an established spawning season may vary with climatic changes and stock fluctuations. It is the conclusion of this thesis that it is not very likely that the climate may cause capelin hatched in spring to spawn in summer. However, one cannot exclude that proportions of capelin spawning in summer may vary with changes in environmental conditions, as the climate effect on recruitment may differ between spawning seasons. Master i Havbruksbiologi - Generell havbruksbiologi MAMN-HAV HAV399

Three observational data sets are used to construct a continuous record (1850–2001) of April ice edge position in the Barents Sea: two sets of Norwegian ice charts (one from 1850 to 1949 and the other from 1966 to 2001) and Soviet aircraft reconnaissance ice extent charts from 1950 to 1966. The 152-year April ice extent series is subdivided into three sub-periods: 1850–1899, 1900–1949 and 1950–2001. For each of these study sub-periods, a mean April ice edge and a set of anomalies (differences in position between a given April and the mean April ice edge) are computed. The calculations show the mean ice edge position retreated north-eastward over the 152-year period, with the greater retreat seen in the changes from the 1850–1899 sub-period to the 1900–1949 sub-period. The distribution of the standard deviation of the ice edge anomaly over the linear distance along the mean ice edge shows no substantial difference between any of the three periods of the study. Within each study period, the maximum variation is observed in the sector bounded by the 25° E and 49° E meridians, which covers the main pathway of the warmer water flow from the Norwegian Sea.

Master's thesis in Petroleum engineering In this study, seismic reflection, well logs and core data has been used to characterize Lower Cretaceous marine to deep marine syn-rift clastic wedges in the southwestern Barents Sea. The study area is situated on a faulted terrace towards the Tromsø Basin away from the Finnmark Platform. The terrace is confined an intersection between three major fault zones which confines the structure. The structure is heavily segmented, generating sub-terraces and along strike depocenters towards the Tromsø Basin. Three main fault families are controlling the paleodrainage, in which two are controlling the sediment dispersal into the structure and one is controlling the distribution of sediments. Seismic characterization reveals three seismic facies, from chaotic low amplitude to continuous high amplitude reflections. Characterization from the seismic reveals several depositional environments, in which one of the seismic facies penetrated and controlled by well data. Three main lithofacies have been distinguished in core, and consists of heterolithic mudstones, debris flows and high density turbidites.

Master's thesis in Offshore technology The Barents Sea region is thought to play a key role in Russian and Norwegian oil and gas field development and hydrocarbon resources production. Both countries are moving petroleum activities into the Barents Sea Area due to the high potential of hydrocarbon occurrence. The relationship between Russia and Norway in the energy sphere has been peaceful and cooperative. Moreover, new perspectives for oil and gas explorations have been opened, since the signing of the agreement on a delimitation line in the Barents Sea between the two countries in 2011. Starting with a description of the metocean conditions of the Barents Sea, the thesis will discuss the challenges for development of potential hydrocarbon fields in the Barents Sea Area. Main accent in the presented Master thesis will be placed on a review of the technological challenges for drilling operations, by providing a comparison of different International Safety Standards and Technical Regulations relevant for the Arctic region, in particular, for the Barents Sea Area including follows: • American Petroleum Institute (API); • International Organization for Standardization (ISO); • Norsk Sokkels Konkurranseposisjon (NORSOK); • Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology (Russian Federation); • Other relevant standards. As well, risky scenarios during drilling operations in the Barents Sea will be analyzed to ensure well control and integrity and environmental safety. Design according to different standards will be compared. Based on a review of possible technical solutions for drilling operations in the Barents Sea Area, conclusions regarding using different Safety Standards and Technical Regulations will finally be given.

Master's thesis in Petroleum engineering As the petroleum industry is in a constant move north for new exploration and production areas, both challenges and opportunities are many. The vast majority of the northern hemisphere are characterized by low temperatures, darkness, ice and great distances which makes any drilling operation more complicated and therefore precise measures and solutions need to be in place to prevent problems from arising. This is the case for the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea where petroleum activities has been ongoing for decades but is still relatively underdeveloped with only one field in production. The Barents Sea could be looked at as an extension of the harsh Norwegian Sea and additionally has the Arctic weather phenomena’s such as polar lows and snow storms. Well control is always of great concern in a drilling operation and it should be just as safe and secure in the Barents Sea as the rest of the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). It is in this thesis tried to identify specific risks and precautions related to a drilling operation in the Barents Sea based on environmental conditions and recent findings, as it is expected to be the new phase of petroleum production in Norway in the years to come. There is a general environmental concern with undertaking drilling in the Barents Sea areas as these locations are pristine and vulnerable to a potential oil spill. More specific challenges are related to the choice of an appropriate drilling unit and the limited number of winterized rigs available if a blow-out should occur and there is a need for relief well drilling. Hydrate formation in well control equipment both topside and subsea is a possible threat to create an unwanted situation. The main focus in this thesis is put towards recent findings of a karst reservoir at Gotha which is located in the Barents Sea. This is the first time there is proven economic viability of such a reservoir in Norway, a reservoir type which has a history of being complicated and costly to drill due to severe losses of circulation leading to non-productive time (NPT). A study of what karst are, how it is formed and the difficulty to both map and drill this geologic feature is included in this thesis. A possible solution to the drilling issues in karst is implementation of the managed pressure drilling (MPD) version pressurized mud cap drilling (PMCD), which is not yet a recognized drilling technique in Norway. By looking at what is done up to date and comparing with the plans for the Barents Sea in the future it is clear that an accurately planning process is essential for successful operations. The planning process requires close cooperation between the industry and the authorities to enable PMCD on the NCS as well as regards to procedures, HSE, equipment and proper training of personnel.

Master's thesis in Environmental technology The oil and gas industry is required to have a monitoring capacity that makes it possible to fulfill the regulatory requirements in the areas they operate today and intend to operate in the future. Because of the relative scarcity of new oil and gas fields in already explored offshore areas, the oil and gas industry is now moving to more challenging areas such as the Barents Sea where potential new resources may exist. Cold Water Corals (CWC) are present in the Barents Sea. The development of CWC as part of a whole organism biosensor can provide a new tool to be used for early warning of leaks allowing implementation of corrective actions before an operational event develops into a serious environmental problem. Consequences of a late response can include breach of environmental permits, environmental harm and clean-up costs, loss of production and damage to reputation. The oil and gas industry is obliged to have control of their environmental footprint. Current technology is limited to short and offline environmental effect campaigns using sampled bivalves followed by analysis in lab. CWC can provide a real-time presentation of analyzed behavioral data. This will be in line with anticipated future requirements from the Authorities. One of the major environmental target compounds that can result from accidental discharges at sea is drill cuttings (DC). The thesis experiment is using DC to expose the CWC as the impurity to be tested against. The development of a real time biosensor capable of capturing images of coral nubbins and measuring the individual polyp activity was accomplished. This was done by utilizing pixel area fraction calculations on thresholded images of L. pertusa polyp images. The software was developed and run entirely through Matlab. Further research on reducing uncertainties and making the sensor more reliable by removal of false signals from the image analysis are advised with suggestions for improvements.

This report presents a study of possible changes in species’ spatial distribution in the Barents Sea as a result of possible future changes in the ocean climate. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) are constructed to describe and quantify the relationship between past distribution of species and environmental conditions. On the basis of simple environmental scenarios, the same models are used to project possible changes in individual species’ spatial distributions. The work was conducted under the NFR funded project BarEcoRe: Barents Sea Ecosystem Resilience under global environmental change.

Denne oppgaven tar sikte på å forklare hvordan Norge arbeider for å få Russland med på en helhetlig økosystembasert forvaltning av Barentshavet, og hvilke utfordringer Norge møter i dette arbeidet.

Master's thesis in Petroleum engineering Norsel High is located in the southeastern part of the Bjarmeland Platform area, close to the southwestern margin of the Nordkapp Basin. There is one well located on Norsel High, exploration well 7226/11-1. The Lower Triassic, the Havert Formation, is very deeply buried and seems to be a prograding tide – dominated delta system, which very often have poor or challenging reservoir qualities, and therefore has been a bit challenging. The Havert Formation has been interpreted to be dominated by mixed – influenced delta systems with impacts from fluvial input, tidal action and drift currents. This interpretation is based on different sets of data. These different dataset are core description, detailed well interpretation, 2D – and 3D seismic interpretation. The first dataset is the core description of the Havert Formation from three core samples, combined with the second dataset, a detailed well interpretation, which has been interpreted in sequences and depositional environments. The third dataset is seismic interpretation, comprising of both 2D and 3D seismic interpretation. Integrating these datasets gives the Havert Formation a thorough interpretation. The main goal for this study is to provide a better understanding of the Lower Triassic on Norsel High, focusing on the stratigraphic and tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Lower Triassic basin-fill.

A crustal model transecting the Tiddlybanken Basin, Hjalmar Johansen High and Bjarmeland Platform in the Barents Sea Southeast have been constructed with emphasis on P-wave phase picking and subsequent P-wave model-building with the ray-tracing software MacRay (Luetgert, 1992). The final model consist of a 7-8 km thick cover of platform sediments of Late Paleozoic - to Mesozoic age., underlain by a up to 11 km thick layer of Late Proterozoic age (Riphean Complex). The upper crystalline basement is situated at extreme depth of 13-16 km and is characterized by an irregular topography that can be divided into a basement high corresponding to Hjalmar Johansen High, and two basin-shaped depressions corresponding to Tiddlybanken Basin in the SSE of the profile and Bjarmeland Platform in the NNE of the profile. The crustal thickness is quite thin taken into consideration that the area is characterized as a platform area. The crust can be divided into an upper and a middle crust with the respective velocity-intervals of 6.15 - 6.35 km s^-1 and 6.5 - 6.7 km s^-1. The depth-position of the upper crust was poorly covered by arrivals due to the overprint over multiples from earlier arrivals; whereas the middle crust was characterized by high reflectivity and high amplitude arrivals. The Moho-discontinuity is situated at 32-34 km depth, and was covered by high-amplitude arrivals which could be picked at great offset-intervals. Master i Geovitenskap MAMN-GEOV GEOV399

Denne rapporten beskriver beregninger av tilførsel av olje, miljøgifter og radioaktive stoffer fra åtte kilder til fire regioner i Lofotenområdet og den norske delen av Barentshavet. Dataene fra de ulike kildene brukes til å beregne konsentrasjoner av miljøgifter i vannsøylen i hele det definerte havområdet (3 dimensjoner) og beregne transport av Hg, PCB-153 og BaP inn og ut av hver av de fire regionene. Denne transportfluksen er stor sammenlignet med tilførslene og vil skiftevis være en netto kilde eller netto sluk til hver region. Utenom netto eksport/import fra tilstøtende havområder er hovedtrekkene at tilførslene domineres av relativt stort nedfall fra atmosfæren som modifiseres av sjøis og balanseres av nedbrytning og sedimentering. Transport fra sjø til atmosfære er ikke inkludert i nåværende utgave av modellen. Det er relativt liten tilførsel av miljøfarlige stoffer til disse fire regionene. Med få unntak gir tilførsel fra luft det største bidrag av kvikksølv, bly, kadmium, krom, arsen, PCB (PCB-153) og PAH (benzo[a]pyren) til alle regionene. Unntak gjelder bidrag fra land for krom i midt-Norge og bidrag fra havbunn for bly og krom fra mer sentrale deler av Norskehavet og for krom og arsen fra mer sentrale deler av Nordsjøen. Skipstrafikk dominerer mht. tilførsel av olje. Tilførsel fra luft gir det største bidraget av radionuklidene plutonium-239+240 i alle regionene og av strontium-90 i Barentshavet og den østlige delen av Norskehavet. Det er fortsatt store kunnskapsmangler og usikkerheter både i datagrunnlag og i estimatene av tilførsler. Det er spesielt viktig å få forbedrede tall for tilførsler til havområdene via luft og forbedring av de marine transport- og spredningsmodellene. Klif