Russia terminates licenses at Spitsbergen
The only Russian coalmining at Spitsbergen is around Barentsburg for the time beeing. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).
Russia is terminating 12 licenses for coalmining at Spitsbergen, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK reports.
Russia is terminating 12 licenses for coalmining at Spitsbergen, the Norwegian broadcaster NRK reports.
Russia now has only 21 licenses left, but Norwegian authorities does not see this as a signal of reduced Russian coalmining or activity.
- There is nothing indicating that the company Trust Arktikugol are reducing it's acitivty, Peter Brugmans tells the broadcaster.
Mr. Brugmans is department-director at the Norwegian Directorate of Mining.
The licenses involved gives the right to mining in a certain area, under the regulations of The mining-agreement of Spitsbergen. Norwegian authorities will also consider the laws on environment before they eventuelly issues a licene for mining.