In cooperation with the oil industry, NOFO has established oil spill preparedness using fishing vessels and other vessels through agreements with shipping companies and fishing boat owners throughout the country. The fleet is administered by NOFO, which is responsible for contract follow-up, ongoing contact, coordination and planning of courses and exercises as well as oil spill response equipment.
Vessels must comply with the Norwegian Maritime Directorate’s Regulations on the use of vessels in oil spill response.
Practical information
Vessel owners who wish to participate in the scheme can contact NOFO by sending an email to opl@nofo.no
Vessels will be assessed individually according to NOFO’s needs before a contract is entered into.
Assessment criteria for vessels to be included in the fleet will be the vessel’s size, crane capacity, towing capacity, good deck space, truster capacity and geographical location.
Liabilities and remuneration
A contract with NOFO entails the following obligations for the vessel owner:
- Maintain vessels in proper condition
- Report on position and availability
- Access to at least 3 crew members during exercises or actions
- Participate in regular courses, exercises and oil spill response operations
Remuneration is determined according to the size of the vessel:
- Annual remuneration for participating in oil spill response
- Daily rate for exercises with vessels
- Daily rate for crew training
- Daily rate for participation in real oil spill response operations
Oil spill response vessels - fishing vessels and workboats
Nearly 150 vessels are on standby along the entire Norwegian coast – for the sake of the sea.
Shipowners and fishing boat owners who are part of the emergency response must undergo training in oil spill response, under the auspices of NOFO and competence environments NOFO collaborates with.
Requirements for oil spill response vessels on the Norwegian continental shelf
Information we need:
- Owner name
- Detection signal
- Length
- Home port
- Operational area
NOFO operates according to a barrier principle for where different types of vessels operate. We distinguish between barrier 1-2 and barrier 3 oil spill response vessels.
Barrier 1-2
- Vessel length: 26-45 meters
- Propulsion machinery: minimum 800 hp
- Thrusters: minimum 120 Hp forward
- Towing capacity: minimum 10 tons
- Crew: two shifts of 4 people
- Lugar capacity: minimum 4
- Certified for speed range: Bank Fishing 2
Barrier 3
- Vessel length: 10-28 meters.
- Propulsion machinery: minimum 240 hp
- Maneuverability: Weight, draft, rudder type, propeller size
- Certified for speed range: Small Coastal Coastal
- Towing force: minimum 2 tons
NOFO Standard
The NOFO Standards are developed and based on recognized standards, with the addition of provisions deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the Norwegian petroleum and shipping industry. Where relevant, the NOFO Standards can be used as the Norwegian industry’s input in the international oil spill response work.
The NOFO Standards are administered and published by NOFO in Norway.