The oil company ENI promised to spend 30 million EUR on environment research connected to the development of the Goliat oil field. Now it seems like the oil company will use only a small sum of money on the same project.

The Shtokman Development AG is likely to get green light for unrestricted acquisitions of technology and equipment from abroad. Russian engineering and machine-building companies now increasingly fear they will be squeezed out of the unique project.

As a joint effort by Canadian and American icebreakers approaches the end, researchers on the project that set out to map parts of the Arctic are reporting that they have found some things of interest, including some undersea volcanoes.

More needs to be understood of the Arctic's environment, these guest columnists write. The Arctic has a significant influence on the global system so any impacts from increased activity must be given special consideration. This creates a tension between exploitation and conservation that can only be resolved through effective governance.

The list over participants to Murmansk Economic Forum now counts nearly 420 names. Amongst these are many Norwegians and Finns, but also Frenchmen and Canadians.

Simultaneously as climate scientists can see a near record low sea ice in the Arctic, two German merchant vessels are the first ever to make it through the formerly impenetrable Northeast Passage.

Another Arctic marine mammal is one step closer to being listed as an Endangered Species. Due to the effect of global warming on their habitat, a petition asking that the Pacific walrus be listed as an Endangered Species passed its first review on Tuesday.

The Svalbard population of polar bears could be increasing, says World Wildlife Fund expert Dr Tom Arnbom.

The Norwegian crew got 11,400 roubles in penalty for violating Russia’s border regime.

Canada’s Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl announced yesterday that the federal government will be conducting a $975,000 feasibility study to see if the Arctic communities of Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, located in the Northwest Territories, could possibly be linked to one another year-round by building a new 140-kilometre highway between the two communities.