Norway's national oil company facing 53m penalty for oil spills and gas leaks

"Norway's national oil company, Equinor, is facing a 53m penalty for oil spills and gas leaks at the oil-rich Scandinavian state's only refinery, which officials said were the result of years of inadequate maintenance. Norway's economic crime agency, kokrim, said it had taken action against Equinor over extensive and long-term pollution at the refinery in Mongstad, on Norway's North Sea coast. The penalty consists of a fine of 220m kroner (16m), in addition to a confiscation order of 500m kroner (37m)."

"kokrim said it had established that a number of leaks took place at Mongstad between 2016 and 2021. The most serious case involved the release of 40 tons of gas consisting of, among other things, hydrogen sulphide in high concentrations, said Maria Bache Dahl, the state attorney who prosecuted the case. The release represented a risk of fatal outcome for several employees at the plant. kokrim believes that it was only coincidence that no one was injured."

"Equinor has contested the penalty and the case will now go to court. Siv Helen Rygh Torstensen, the company's executive vice-president for legal and compliance, said: We disagree that the company has failed to fulfil its duty of proper maintenance of the plant over several decades and that the company has saved cost through inadequate maintenance. kokrim has not specified what the punishable negligence consists of. The company therefore does not accept the penalty notice and will clarify"

Equinor faces enforcement action by Norway's economic crime agency, kokrim, over extensive, long-term pollution at the Mongstad refinery. Kokrim has issued a fine of 220m kroner and a confiscation order of 500m kroner, the confiscation being the highest ever and the fine the second highest for a Norwegian company. The investigation began in 2020 after reports by NGO Bellona. Kokrim established multiple leaks between 2016 and 2021, including a release of 40 tons of gas containing hydrogen sulphide at high concentrations that posed fatal risk to employees. Equinor contests the penalty and will take the case to court.

Read at www.theguardian.com