Norway's state oil firm Equinor faces a £53 million penalty for causing oil spills and gas leaks at the Mongstad refinery. Norway’s economic crime agency, Økokrim, said the pollution was due to years of poor maintenance. The penalty includes a fine of £16 million and a confiscation order of £37 million. Økokrim called the pollution "extensive and long-term." This is the highest confiscation ever and the second largest fine for a Norwegian company. The probe started in 2020 after the Norwegian NGO Bellona reported oil leaks at Mongstad. Bellona’s founder Frederic Hauge said, "We saw a company in deep systemic crisis." Økokrim confirmed leaks occurred between 2016 and 2021, including one release of 40 tons of toxic gas, posing a serious threat to workers’ lives. Prosecutor Maria Bache Dahl said, "It was only coincidence that no one was injured." Equinor denies failing to maintain the refinery and contests the penalty. Executive vice-president Siv Helen Rygh Torstensen said, "Økokrim has not specified what the punishable negligence consists of." Equinor will take the case to court.