Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating
Companies (NOFO)
OUR OBJECTIVE
NOFO – Norwegian Clean Seas Association for
Operating Companies – develops and maintains oil
spill preparedness on the Norwegian Continental
Shelf for the purpose of combating oil pollution on
behalf of 30 operating companies.
NOFO was established in 1978 and its main
objective is to meet the members’ needs for
efficient and robust oil spill preparedness.
NOFO will ensure oil spill preparedness on the
Norwegian Continental Shelf in order to combat
oil pollution on behalf of the operating companies.
Figure 1: The multi-barrier principle
This includes response to spills in open seas as
well as in coastal waters and along the shoreline.
NATIONAL OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS
The organisation consists of 30 full-time employees,
NOFO is part of the established national emergency
around 50 duty / reinforcement personnel from the
preparedness model, which combines public and private oil
operating companies and 80 persons assigned to our
spill response resources.
5 bases.
This unique organisational relationship between public and
Being a member of NOFO, with its standardised
operational procedures and common resource pool,
is far more cost-effective than a stand-alone
solution would ever be.
Our oil spill preparedness has been based on a
multi-barrier principle (figure 1). Barrier 0 is all
the preventive measures on the installation.
Barriers 1 and 2 include all oil recovery using
sea-going systems. Barriers 3 and 4 include the
coastal and shoreline zone.
The damage-mitigating effect of the barriers is
controlled by the spill circumstances, type of oil,
weather and environmental factors and also
access to technology, material, qualified
personnel and training.
private response organisations ensures that responsibilities
and lines of command are clearly defined, and that Norway’s
total emergency response resources are available at all
times.
According to Norwegian law, the industry is required to
establish emergency preparedness based on Environmental
Impact Assessments (EIA) and Risk Analyses (RA), Field
Development Plans (PUD and PAD) and contingency plans.
The operating company has the overall responsibility for
combating an oil spill from oil installations, including
strategic command. NOFO is responsible for tactical and
operational command of the oil spill response resources
employed.
NOFO’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESOURCES
NOFO has access to significant oil spill response
resources, which may be mobilised to all parts of
the Norwegian Continental Shelf:

11 OilRec vessels on permanent standby
with sea-going oil recovery equipment on
board and 20 OilRec vessels which are
deployable.

25 towing vessels.

25 sea-going, mechanical oil recovery
NOFO arranges 50-60 courses a year on its own initiative
or through business partners. The courses cover all
elements of oil spill preparedness and response.
OIL-ON-WATER EXERCISES
Norway is one of the few countries in the world that
allows oil to be discharged on the sea for the purpose of
testing equipment and procedures. These annual oil-onwater exercises have played an important role in the
development of NOFO’s oil response equipment and
competence.
systems.

5 oil spill responses bases.

2 depots at Hasvik and Måsøy
respectively.

Large stocks (~ 800 m3 ) of dispersant
for use from OilRec vessels and/ or
aircraft.

Remote sensing of the continental shelf
from radar satellites, aircraft,
helicopters, vessels and installations.

Oil recovery equipment for coastal
operations and access to a fleet of
around 30 small oil recovery vessels
(fishing vessles).

Specialised task force (more than 60
people) for organising and conducting
shoreline operations.

IGSA emergency shoreline response
team (IGSA) made up of 40 people for
rapid response along the shoreline.

Cooperation with government agencies
(Norwegian Coastal Administration/
Inter-municipal Committee against
Acute Pollution (IUA) and private
companies and organisations.
COURSES AND TRAINING
OilRec vessels, towing vessels and equipment are
verified annually.
Exercises are conducted together with the oil
companies and also our governmental, municipal and
private partners. There are a total of more than
100 exercises and verifications each year.
This gives the oil response personnel valuable
training and experience with handling and using oil
recovery equipment.
Figure 2: Annual oil-on-water exercise, North Sea.
These exercises have attracted significant international
interest and have meant that countries, such as the US,
Canada, Japan, Brazil and Russia have acquired a similar
range of equipment as we use.
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Since NOFO was established in 1978, hundreds of
proposed projects related to new technology that
improves the oil spill preparedness have been evaluated.
Technology development is aimed at four main topics: oil
recovery at sea, dispersant application technology, remote
sensing and technology for coastal and shoreline
operations.
Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO)
P. O. Box 8077, N-4068 Stavanger
Office address: Vassbotnen 1 (Trallfagården), N-4313 Sandnes
Tel.: (47) 51 56 30 00 - Fax: (47) 51 56 23 98
E-mail: post@nofo.no - Org. no. 971 454 075 - Website: www.nofo.no