Offshore staff

HOUSTON --Norway's oil and gas investments should increase by $21 billion during 2007-13, with existing fields accounting for 70% of this spending, said Anita Utseth, state secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy at the Offshore Technology Conference.

These figures could be taken as a sign of a maturing sector, she added. "But they are also positive, as they show how much we can increase production from a mature shelf."

In 2006, she said, Norway produced an average of 2.6 MMb/d of oil, and a total of 3.1 tcf of gas. "We ranked third in the world in gas exports, and we will soon overtake Canada, as our exports climb by 50% to 4.6 tcf."

As for exploration, most optimism is focused on the far north, she claimed. "The southern part of the Norwegian Barents Sea s open to activity, but only a limited area around Snohvit and Goliat is known geologically. Over the next year, however, there will be more extensive exploration drilling."

5/1/2007