Special Rules for the Arctic? The Analysis of Arctic-Specific Safety and Environmental Regulation of Offshore Petroleum Development in the Arctic Ocean States

Abstract

Following the announcement of vast petroleum resources in the Arctic waters, politicians and commentators called for the adoption of an Arctic treaty establishing a harmonised approach to developing petroleum resources in the fragile and harsh circumpolar environment. Five Arctic Ocean coastal States (Canada, Greenland/Denmark, Norway, Russian Federation, and the United States) have all either expressed interest in developing or are already producing Arctic offshore resources. While some of these States have an established history of offshore petroleum development, the development in the Arctic waters presents a unique set of challenges requiring additional regulation. In addition to the general petroleum legal regime, each of these four States has developed some Arctic-specific regulations to establish more stringent safety and environmental rules compared to more conventional locations. The chapter identifies such Arctic-specific rules and provides a comparative analysis of safety and environmental rules developed specifically for the Arctic.