Judy Maksoud
International Editor

STAVANGER, Norway -- Mayor of Stavanger Leif Johan Sevland opened the 19th annual Deep Offshore Technology Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007.

Sevland took the opportunity of the DOT conference to talk about how far the industry has come in Norway since the first oil was discovered in 1969. "Today, the Stavanger region is part of one of the world's most important energy clusters," he said.

Sevland told participants at the opening session that there is a strong interest in new offshore areas. "Times are more exciting than ever," he said, noting that Norway is experiencing "an all-time high" in offshore activity.

According to Sevland, the Stavanger region holds one of the best R&D centers in the world and has attracted one of the largest pools of industry experts. The industry's "can-do attitude" has brought it "from the nuts and bolts to the modern high-tech industry established in Norway today," Sevland said.

10/10/2007