Government steps on the gas

Oil & Energy Minister Ola Borten Moe remains as bullish as ever in his drive to step up oil and gas exploration and production in Norway’s Arctic areas. Despite low gas prices and opposition from both industry professionals and environmentalists, Moe and his government colleagues are poised to open up Norway’s newly defined southeastern portion [...]

Huge new energy reserves detected

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (Oljedirektoratet, NPD) unveiled new studies of southeastern portions of the Barents Sea and the area around the Arctic island of Jan Mayen on Wednesday, and predicted the sea floor contains enormous amounts of oil and gas. The new resources are expected to boost earlier estimates of undiscovered resources by at least [...]

‘Let’s drill off Lofoten this year”

Oil and Energy Minister Ola Borten Moe now wants to open up waters off scenic Lofoten for oil drilling later this year, stirring up a heated debate among government allies, opposition politicians and members of his own Center Party. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of the Labour Party rejected Moe’s comments and said the area would [...]

Arctic drilling dispute heats up

As top government officials and business leaders huddled in southern Norway this week to discuss energy and environmental issues, oil and gas exploration plans continue to swirl around Norway’s northern areas. The government’s willingness to consider exploration in colder, deeper and more remote waters than ever before is fueling more debate over the risks of [...]

Norwegian waters brimming with cod

This winter’s cod haul in Norway is predicted to break all records, and the Barents Sea is brimming with the fish. The fishing industry, however, fears that without an increase in demand, cod prices may drop, and they have embarked on a global hunt for new consumers. The North East Arctic cod stock, the largest [...]

Russian relations ‘not the same’

After years of political pride and satisfaction over Norway’s close relations with its large neighbour to the east, concerns are now rising in the Norwegian foreign ministry. “Russia has changed” during the latest term of President Vladimir Putin, according to Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. “We must acknowledge that the role of civilian society [...]

Statoil boss scoffs at debate over oil

While things keep looking up  for Norway’s booming offshore oil and gas industry, debate is also rising over what that means for mainland industry and the environment. Statoil boss Helge Lund was among those scoffing at the debate, as Norway’s financial elite gathered at a prestigious meeting in Oslo this week. “In other countries, a [...]

Arctic drilling plans called ‘immoral’

Environmental organizations were quick to vent their fury over new plans, announced Tuesday by Norwegian oil company Statoil, to dramatically expand oil exploration activity in the northern reaches of the Barents Sea. One activist called Statoil “immoral” while conservation authorities are worried. “Statoil’s Arctic campaign is terribly immoral, and I now think Statoil is one [...]

Risk and rewards loom in Barents

Norwegian oil company Statoil is banking on opportunity but faces high risk in its new pact with Russian state oil company Rosneft for oil and gas exploration in the Barents Sea. Reaction to the historic agreement is generally positive in Norway, but some red flags are flying. The agreement struck over the weekend between Statoil [...]

‘Ambitious goals’ for Northern Areas

The so-called Nordområdene (Northern Areas) have long been at the top of Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s agenda. On Friday, he and three fellow ministers traveled north to Bodø to roll out their strategy for Norway’s northern counties and surrounding territory, both offshore and across national borders. It involves what Støre called a “completely clear [...]

Norway now bigger in the Barents

Norway officially expanded its territory in the Barents Sea this week, when its newly agreed offshore border with Russia took effect just over a year after a breakthrough in lengthy negotiations with the Russians was announced. Now a Russian researcher thinks Norway can tap into more oil and gas resources than it’s enjoyed in the [...]

Stoltenberg and Putin meet in Helsinki

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg sat down for talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a break in a conference dealing with environmental issues in the Baltic Sea. Their topic involved jurisdiction over the Barents Sea and a longtime dispute over borders stretching to the North Pole. It’s a sensitive issue, and Norway wants [...]