Risks related to maritime transportation of crude oil and liquefied natural gas in the Baltic Sea

Growing traffic density is believed to increase the wide range of maritime risks in the Baltic Sea. Any accidents involving oil and LNG spills may potentially have devastating impact on the vulnerable environment of the Baltic Sea. The present study aimed to discover the risks related to the maritime transportation of oil and LNG in the Baltic Sea and examine the regulations and requirements for the maritime safety in the area. Qualitative method was used to achieve the objective. A simple statistical analysis was used to compare the indexes of different periods to explain the nature of revealed changes. An interview was conducted to explore the issues related to LNG and oil seaborne transportation with closer consideration of the Baltic Sea area. The results of the thesis showed that notwithstanding the traffic growth, risks pertaining to the maritime transportation of oil and LNG are effectively assessed, managed, minimized or even eliminated with the help of different instruments considered in the paper. Human factor plays vital role in maritime accidents. Paying special attention to the navigation conditions of the Baltic Sea, shipping in the area is constantly under monitoring safety measures are reviewed, improved and consequently implemented. In the future, for the efficient prevention of and reaction to maritime accidents and incidents, close cooperation of the Baltic States, port authorities, shipowners and crew is essential