Arctic Update Header
February 10, 2014

 

Arctic Technology Conference, February 10-12, 2014 (Houston, TX). Founded in 1969, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) provides offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. The Arctic Technology Conference (ATC) is built upon OTC's successful multidisciplinary approach, with 14 technical societies and organizations. The conference is an international event focused on continuing innovative technologies and solutions needed for exploration and production of energy within the circum-Arctic.

 

capital Today's Congressional Action:   

The House and Senate will be in session.  The formal agenda includes non-Arctic legislation.

 

 

 

Media 

 

Pentagon - Defense At Pentagon, Pre-emptive Budget Strikes. Lawmakers are trying to strong-arm the Pentagon into saving favored programs and pet projects ahead of the release of its 2015 budget next month. Projects on the do-not-touch list include the Navy's 11-carrier fleet - defended by Rep. Randy Forbes (R) and others in Virginia where carriers are built - and the Air Force's A-10 "Warthog" aircraft, long a favorite of Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.). The Hill

 

Support Hunters to Fight Hunger in Nunavut, Says Report. A new study of food security problems in Canada's eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut  is calling for increased support for the territory's hunters and fishers. It says country food provides a rich source of all nutrients needed for a well-balanced diet. Dr. Alika Lafontaine, one of the coauthors of the Action Canada report "Hunger in Nunavut: Local food for healthier communities," says he and his fellow researchers were surprised by some of the findings. Alaska Dispatch

 

Greenland's Resource Industries Face Uncertainty. A number of recent stories have cropped up looking at the future of resource development in Greenland and whether it can realistically finance Greenland's independence from Denmark. A recent report made headlines by suggesting that the case may be overstated. In it, experts said Greenland would need 24 large-scale mines at a cost of $910 million each to cover the match the current level of welfare spending. Alaska Dispatch

 

Russia and South Korea Hold First Consultations on Arctic Cooperation. The Foreign Ministries of Russia and South Korea have held their first consultations to discuss the possibility and ways of promoting cooperation in the Arctic, Anton Vasilyev, Russia's Ambassador at Large for Arctic cooperation at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Itar-Tass on Sunday. Russia & India Report

 

Deep Draft Ships Can Access Northern Sea Route Port. Citing a report by the press service of the Arkhangelsk branch of Rosmorport Arctic-Info report that last year the company implemented a significant amount of dredging works at the navigation approach channel in the Gulf of Ob and operational waters of the seaport. Dredging was carried out in the framework of the construction of federal property at the seaport of Sabetta. As a result of bringing of the bottom on the approach channel to the depth mark of 12.4 m in 2013, the preexisting navigational restrictions have been eliminated. MarineLink

 

US Wants Agreement with Canada on Beaufort Sea Boundaries, US Defense Department to Launch Satellite to Monitor Ice. The U.S. government recently released its Arctic plan. It calls for increased safety and security in the region by building ports, improving forecasts of sea ice, and developing shipping rules, according to Reuters news agency. That could pave the way for more oil drilling in the region, the news agency noted. Ottawa Citizen

 

In Unalaska, Assessing the Impact From Shell's Decision to Forgo Drilling. Unalaska served as Shell's base in 2011 and 2012, as the nearest port with year-round open water and well-developed port facilities, despite being about 1,000 miles from the offshore oil prospects to the north in the Arctic Ocean. "It's a pretty substantial hit," said Tom Enlow of Unisea, which operates the Grand Aleutian Hotel in Unalaska. Shell had planned to rent between 70 and 75 hotel rooms daily from April through September, at an average of $139 per day, he said Monday. Alaska Dispatch

 

russian flag Russian Government Approves 2 Arctic Shipyards by Rosneft. Russian authorities greenlighted plans by oil giant Rosneft to begin production of Arctic seagoing vessels at two separate facilities, a senior official said Saturday. The state-run company will build a new shipyard complex in the village of Roslyakovo in the northern Murmansk Region, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said. The complex will comprise military and civilian shipbuilding facilities, said Rogozin, who oversees defense and space industries in the government. Rosneft will also create a consortium that would produce LNG carriers and Arctic drilling platforms, Rogozin said on his Facebook. RIA Novosti

 

Russia to Create Integrator Agency for Arctic Shelf Projects Monitoring. Russia will create a national integrator agency to monitor the exploration and development of Arctic shelf deposits. The initiative was put forward by the Parliament. Global warming-driven ice melting has stirred up interest in the Arctic region and its rich hydrocarbon reserves estimated at billions of tons of oil and trillions of cubic meters of natural gas. Russia's Arctic hydrocarbons can play an important role in global energy supplies in the coming decades. Voice of Russia

 

Shell in Chukchi Opinion: Science, Completed Regulatory Process Should Guide Offshore Oil Development. There is little question that Alaska is a resource-rich state. We have everything from gold to oil to fish and forests, and in general, we are a state that likes to take advantage of that fact. More than that, we are fairly dependent on these resources for our fiscal future, for better or worse. But few of us want to turn the state into a wasteland either. So where is the balance? One of the most popular lines coming from government and industry officials in recent months is that science should guide development. The line of thinking goes something like this - everyone has an opinion, but development should be about more than a popularity contest, it should be based on facts, facts revealed through good science and a fine-tuned regulatory process. The Arctic Sounder  

Legislative Actionfutureevents  

  

No Arctic legislation was formally considered Friday.

Future Events

 

Developing Alaska's Marine Workforce, February 14, 2014. (Anchorage, Alaska, USA). The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) hosts the luncheon. Discussion will focus on industry strategies for moving forward to secure Alaska's future needs for an educated and trained workforce are met. Feature presentations include a recap of NAMEPA's 2012 meeting, University of Alaska updates on the FSMI (Alaska's Fisheries, Seafood, Maritime Initiative) Workforce Development Plan and trends in education and training. 

 

Arctic Ambitions, February 27-28, 2014 (Girdwood, Alaska). World Trade Center Alaska will host Arctic Ambitions III: Commercial Development of the Arctic. This conference focuses solely on Arctic international trade and business opportunities. It is anticipated that about 200 business and government leaders attending next year's conference.


Arctic Ambitions III will concentrate on the theme of international trade and business opportunities that flow from resource development in the Arctic. While policy and research inform the discussion, the conference focuses on global markets, international trade and logistics. The previous two conferences brought together presenters from Canada, Finland, Norway, Russia, Korea and Alaska. USARC Chair Fran Ulmer will be a speaker. 

 

Arctic 2050, March 12, 2014 (Brussels, Belgium). The 4th European Marine Board Forum will bring together Arctic stakeholders from multiple sectors (science, industry, policy & governance, NGOs, etc.) to: discuss current trends and patterns of change in Arctic Ocean ecosystems, including human activity; identify possible "2050" scenarios for Arctic Change and the corresponding implications for human health and well-being; highlight key research gaps, needs and challenges in support of understanding, mitigating against, or adapting to Arctic change; stimulate dialogue across sectors to aid common understanding, collaborative actions and sustainability targets; promote a vision for a sustainable ecosystem-based management of the Arctic Ocean by 2050.

 

44th Annual International Arctic Workshop, March 14-16, 2014 (Boulder, CO). The Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research of the University of Colorado will host the workshop. This year's theme is "Arctic's New Normal." The workshop will consider shifting environmental baselines over decades to millennia and comparisons with the Antarctic. Previous workshops have included presentations on Arctic and Antarctic climate, atmospheric chemistry, environmental geochemistry, paleoenvironment, archeology, geomorphology, hydrology, glaciology, soils, ecology, oceanography, Quaternary history and more.

 

Association of American Geographers Polar Geography Sessions, April 8-12, 2014 (Tampa, Florida).  Polar Geography Sessions are being planned in areas such as Sustainable Development in the Arctic, Urbanization and Transportation in the Arctic, etc. Contact Scott Stephenson (stephenson@ucla.edu) for more information, and see attached flyer. 

 

Arctic Science Summit Week April 5-8, 2014 and Arctic Observing Summit, April 9-11 (Helsinki, Finland). ASSW is a gathering for Arctic research organizations. Any organization engaged in supporting and facilitating arctic research is welcome to participate. The ASSW meeting in 2014 will be arranged during April 5-8 in Helsinki Kumpula Campus, in the facilities of FMI and Physics Department of the University of Helsinki. Second circular here

 

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