Norway Pulls Lofoten from 24th Round

Norway’s petroleum ministry has withdrawn areas around the Lofoten Islands in the Norwegian Sea from its planned 24th licensing round, for which it sought nominations late last month.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg intervened September 8 to claim it had never been her centre-right government’s intention to include them, prompting environmental group Bellona to remark how easily she and her oil minister had “forgotten” to exclude them.

Fishermen and environmentalists have always opposed the inclusion of the Lofoten in oil and gas licensing rounds because that the seas surrounding them are rich in fish and other wildlife. Previous governments of different parties have also attempted to include them too, before backing down.

The village of Reine on the Lofoten island of Moskenesoy (Photo credit: Jorg Hempel)

In a September 8 statement that omitted to name the islands, petroleum minister Tord Lien said: “We do not wish to receive nominations in blocks that have never been appropriate to announce in the round.” He said the deadline for nominating blocks remains November 30.

Mark Smedley