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-StatoilHydro must give more to northern Norway-

StatoilHydro in northern Norway

The growing opposition to oil and gas production outside northern Norway comes as the oil companies fail to give the affected regions long-term development guarantees, analyst Johan Petter Barlindhaug says.

Location

He now calls on Norwegian energy major StatoilHydro to establish a northern Norwegian contract regime, where all suppliers have to be physically based in the region.

In a comment to newspaper Nordlys, Mr. Barlindhaug underlines that the industrial and development perspectives of the northern Norwegian regions linked with petroleum production have failed to meet expectations. In addition, the dialogue with the fish industry is insufficient and the regional demand for improved oil spill preparedness has failed to materialize, he adds.

If the negative trend is to be turned, extensive and long-term positive effects of the oil activities must be documented, the experienced analyst stresses.

He also maintains that Norwegian oil major StatoilHydro, after the recent company merger, has got a near monopoly position in northern Norway, something which increased the overall regional responsibility of the company.