Norway’s state Auditor General’s office has determined that Norwegian authorities did not sufficiently follow up those who survived the capsizing of the oil platform Alexander Kielland in 1980. They found no basis, however, for a new investigation. The Auditor General (Riksrevisjonen) released its examination of how the authorities handled their responsibilities after the capsizing, which […]
Equinor posts its worst results ever
February 10, 2021
Norway’s state oil company Equinor has followed up its worst, scandal-plagued year ever by posting its worst quarterly results ever as well, along with a sharp decline in profits for all of 2020. Heavy losses especially on international operations, many of which had been kept under wraps, ended up even larger than analysts had expected. […]
Equinor strikes more oil as price rises
February 5, 2021
Finally some good news for Norway’s troubled state oil company Equinor, if not for climate activists: The company and three partners including the state have struck oil and gas near the Troll oil field in the North Sea. It may be worth as much as USD 586 million at current oil prices. Equinor announced Friday […]
‘Arrogant’ oil chiefs face more grilling
February 4, 2021
Some of Norway’s most powerful oil chiefs, both past and present, have been called in to a new disciplinary hearing in Parliament this month. Top officials at state controlled oil company Equinor and the government oil ministry face more grilling after the state Auditor General referred to them as both “arrogant” and “egotistical.” The unflattering […]
Equinor scolded again
January 27, 2021
Norwegian state oil company Equinor logged one of its most troubled years ever last year, as it lurched from one scandal to another. This year isn’t getting off to better start as Equinor finds itself in trouble with environmental authorities again. Now the issue is allegedly deficient maintenance at its large Mongstad oil refinery that’s earlier […]
Oil ministry scolded over Equinor
December 22, 2020
Norway’s State Auditor General (Riksrevisjonen) has concluded that the government has done a poor job following up on its large ownership stake in state oil company Equinor. The oil ministry failed, according to state auditors, to make enough demands for information regarding Equinor’s deeply troubled international operations. Equinor has been in trouble for months over […]
Arctic oil prevails over ‘The People’
December 22, 2020
Norway’s Supreme Court (Høyesterett) ruled in favour of the state on Tuesday in a long-running landmark case billed as pitting “The People vs Arctic Oil.” In this case, the state was not “The People” but instead the government-approved Arctic oil operations that once again won over Norwegians’ alleged constitutional rights to a healthy environment. It marked […]
Biden welcome, not his Arctic oil ban
December 15, 2020
The vast majority of Norway’s top and mostly liberal politicians welcomed the news this week that Joe Biden finally has been officially elected as the next US president. Most, however, are not at all keen on his proposal to stop oil drilling in the Arctic. Biden has said he intends to make climate issues a […]
Norway no longer ‘best place to live’
December 15, 2020
NEWS ANALYSIS: Oil has long fueled Norway’s hugely successful welfare state, but now it’s helped knock the country off the top of the UN’s annual list of the world’s best places to live, when adjusted for “planetary pressures.” The UN is now taking countries’ carbon footprints and their impact on consumption into account, and both are […]
‘Spies target the oil and energy sector’
December 7, 2020
UPDATED: The abrupt resignation on Friday of the central bank boss responsible for Norway’s huge Oil Fund, because he’d lost his security clearance, came just a day after Norwegian intelligence experts warned of increased spying on the country’s oil and energy sector. Among those believed to be behind the alleged spying: China and Russia. Jon […]
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