As part of the 7^th International Conference and Exhibition of Offshore Oil and Gas Development - RAO/CIS Offshore 2005 – that will take place in St Petersburg , Russia , 13-15 September 2005, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme ( AMAP ) is organizing a special Symposium on Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic.

The RAO / CIS Offshore 2005 Conference is a major industry event attracting participation of experts in petroleum geology, field exploration, oil and gas development, and environmental protection from around the world, in addition to policy makers and the media. It is sponsored by major companies with interests in the oil and gas sector.

The AMAP Symposium on Oil and Gas in the Arctic will be held on 14-15 September as an integrated component of the Offshore 2005 Conference. It is expected to attract around 200 participants, and will be held in parallel with the Offshore 2005 Exhibition. The Symposium will focus on current and future Arctic oil and gas development, both onshore and offshore, and its implications for the Arctic environment, its ecosystems, and its human inhabitants.

The Symposium on Oil and Gas in the Arctic is being organized as part of the process to prepare a comprehensive Assessment of Oil and Gas Development in the Arctic , to be delivered to the Arctic Council Ministers in 2006.

Call for Abstracts

The Symposium organizers are currently soliciting proposals for oral and poster presentations to be presented at the Symposium on Oil and Gas in the Arctic (St Petersburg,14-15 September) concerning, but not necessarily limited to, the following subjects areas:

·         Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic : Past, Present and Future Development.

·         Socio-Economic Implications of Arctic Oil and Gas Development at Local, National, and Regional Scales.

·         Indigenous Peoples Perspectives on Oil and Gas Development in the Arctic .

·         Effects of Arctic Oil and Gas Development on the Environment and Ecosystems.

·         Oil and Gas Transportation in the Arctic .

·         Emergency, Preparedness and Response in Arctic and Sub-Arctic Conditions.

·         Managing Arctic Oil and Gas Development.

If you would like to make an oral or poster presentation, you are kindly requested to submit titles and short abstracts (max. 2 pages, in English) of proposed presentations by the deadline: 20 April 2005 . These should be sent to the AMAP Secretariat (by e-mail to: amap@amap.no or by fax to: +47 22 67 67 06).

Authors of presentations selected for the Symposium will be notified by 1 June 2005 at which time a detailed programme for the Symposium will be published.

Registration of Interest

If you are interested in attending the AMAP Symposium on Oil and Gas in the Arctic, either to present a paper or to listen to the presentations and participate in the discussions, and would like to receive further information on this event, you are kindly requested to send an e-mail or fax to the AMAP Secretariat (e-mail: amap@amap.no , fax: +47 22 67 67 06) including the following information: your name, affiliation, e-mail address, other contact information.

A preliminary programme and information regarding registration and accommodation, etc., will be circulated shortly to all those expressing their interest in attending the Symposium.

Preliminary Programme

Tuesday 13^th September

Opening of the 7^th International Conference and Exhibition of Offshore Oil and Gas Development - RAO/CIS Offshore 2005

Registration for the AMAP International Symposium on Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic

Wednesday 14th September

Morning Session:

Opening of the AMAP International Symposium on Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic

Session 1: Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic : Past, Present and Future Developments

Session 2: Socio-Economic Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic

Press Conference

Afternoon Session:

Session 3: Sources, Inputs, Concentrations and Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and PAHs in the Environment

Session 4: Effects of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and PAHs on Organisms, Ecosystems and Human Health

Thursday 15th September

Morning Session:

Session 5: Emergency Preparedness and Response; Managing Arctic Oil and Gas Development; Indigenous Perspectives on Oil and Gas Development in the Arctic

Session 6: Symposium Concluding Discussions

Close of Symposium

Afternoon Session:

Closing Plenary Session of the RAO/CIS Offshore 2005 Conference, including a presentation of the Conclusions of the Symposium on Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic .

Posters accepted for presentation at the Symposium will be viewed and presented during breaks and lunches.

The Symposium languages are English and Russian (with simultaneous translation during the Symposium).

Scientific and Organizing Committee for the AMAP International Symposium on Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic :

Dennis Thurston ( USA )

Hein-Rune Skjoldal ( Norway )

Michael Baffrey ( USA )

Robert Crandall ( USA )

Salve Dahle ( Norway )

Wayne Greenall ( Canada )

Jarle Klungsøyr ( Norway )

Colin Macdonald ( Canada )

Ruth McKechnie ( Canada )

Alexander Solovianov ( Russia )

Yuri Tsaturov ( Russia )

Alona Yefremenko (Indigenous People’s Secretariat)

Lars-Otto Reiersen ( AMAP Secretariat)

Simon Wilson ( AMAP Secretariat)