The last surviving member of the famous balsa wood Kon-Tiki raft, which traversed the Pacific Ocean in 1947, has passed away at the age of 92. Knut Haugland, one of six members of the Norwegian crew, died in Oslo hospital of natural causes on Christmas Day. Read the full story

The University of Tromso in northern Norway is hosting the 3rd annual Arctic Frontiers conference, which is designed to discuss changes in the Arctic region involving oil and gas management and the environment. This year’s conference is titled “Oil and Gas – Political, Social and Scientific Challenges in the Arctic.” Read the full story

Iceland’s Ministry of Industry and the National Energy Authority are currently preparing the first tenders for private licences to explore for fossil fuels in the Dragon Area of sea northeast of Iceland. MBL.is reports that there is plenty of interest. The tender period lasts from the middle of January to 15 May 2009. Read the full story

Drillers drilling for hot water on the northern Icelandic island of Grimsey (the only part of Iceland to cross the Arctic Circle) have now reached a depth of 460 metres and are now finding water at 55 degrees centigrade.

Engineers on the project are happy with progress, but still hope to hit a high pressure area of much hotter subterranean water, visir.is reports.

The drilling began on Grimsey last autumn, and engineer Fridfinnur K. Danielsson believes that the work is going well to date; especially as hot water drilling has never previously been undertaken on Grimsey.