Offshore oil exploration poses particular technical, safety and operational challenges, which are increased in areas prone to earthquakes. Associated oil pollution incidents may have potentially devastating consequences, both in terms of economic loss and in terms of effects on marine biodiversity and ecosystem health, in particular in sensitive marine environments like the Arctic. While offshore oil exploration and exploitation is expected to grow in the future,55 at present there is no international legal instrument to provide for liability and compensation in cases of accidental or operational oil spills.