Environmentalists sue Eni in Arctic project

«We were promised zero-emissions, that was the precondition», Hauge says to newspaper TU.no.  «Then, the first thing they do is to break that promise», he adds.

Environmental foundation Bellona last week field a suit against the oil company after repeated emissions of highly poisonous firefighting foam. According to the environmentalists, the volumes emitted amount to 777 kg. 

«They have been making fun of us […] the project is fully out of control», the Bellona leader underlines to TU.

A representative of the Norwegian Directorate of Environment confirms to the newspaper that it is investigating the emissions.

The Goliat project has turned a nightmare-like story for the Italian oil company. Production on site was originally to start in 2013. However, the huge project FPSO did not arrive to Arctic Norway before April 2015. Since then, Eni has hectically tried to make the installation ready for production. 

In January this year, the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority formally approved the use of the Goliat installation, and the company announced that it would start up production in late February.

It is now again unclear when production on site will start.

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Eni has invested about NOK 47 billions in the project, a budget overrun of at least 17 billion NOK.