ENI gave researchers at the research institute Iris the promise to grant 30 million EUR on a 10 year research project. The project was going to study the environment in the waters around the Goliat oil field outside the coast of Northern Norway. However, this week it became clear that ENI has decided to cut in these grants and will use less than a million EUR on the same project.
National debate
After a critical documentary about the Goliat development project on Norwegian TV-channel NRK this week, there has been a national debate on how oil companies act in order to accomplish their goals. A local politician says that the way the promised funds for environment research are handled is typical for the way ENI acts with their former partners.
– ENI is interested in earning as much money as possible and invest as little as possible on the development of Goliat, says the local politician Geir Iversen to NRK.
It was the Stavanger based research institute Iris which was promised the money for the research in their project iMare. The institute has employed more personnel and prepared themselves for the large research project. Iris said in 2007 that with the money from ENI, they would be able to build up some of the world’s best teams on marine environment research.
Looking for money
Managing Director of Iris, Anna Aabø says to Stavanger Aftenblad that she cannot say anything about the consequences for the institute and the research project at present.
– We will work hard to replace the money which we will not receive. The iMare-projects is no matter what very important for the environment research in the northern waters, says Aabø to Aftenbladet.no.
