The political pressure from the large oil companies to open up the sensitive areas around Lofoten has increased dramatically in recent months. The new Oil and Energy minister is from the pro-industry, conservative Right Party and has been very keen to allow development of oil and gas in the Barents Sea despite previous promises to the contrary when the current coalition government was formed. The Lofoten area is under threat and the Italian oil giant ENI is pressing ahead with plans to drill on the Goilath field just off Hammerfest. It is apparent from new maps released by the Oil and Energy Department that companies are actively targeting the Lofoten and southern Barents areas for development.

The oil industry claim that there will be "zero emissions" to sea, but have so far been unable to demonstrate how this will be achieved in practice. They have also redefined “zero emissions” to mean “zero emissions of chemicals in the so-called red category”, or zero emissions of material they can prevent release of. This creative redefinition means that any future drilling for oil in the region will still release hundreds of tons of chemicals into the marine environment, something that is in direct conflict with the Government’s own stated policies for sensitive marine areas. In addition, direct releases of crude oil through accidents during drilling and transport are a distinct possibility once oil development takes place.

In 2001, the Lofoten area was temporarily opened to test drilling, but was immediately closed down again after massive protests from local people and the environment movement, including Greenpeace. However, because of recent poor fisheries policies that have taken quotas away from the coastal fishermen and given them to the offshore fleet, the employment situation in small coastal communities around Lofoten and other northern coastal areas is becoming desperate. Oil companies are laying the groundwork for destroying local resistance to oil development by holding seminars up and down this coastline where they promise local communities jobs and income through the development of new oil infrastructure associated with offshore drilling. They are investing millions of crowns in this local lobbying in order to prevent a local uprising together with environment groups similar to that in 2001. Massive pressure is also being placed on politicians both behind closed doors, but also in the national press as the oil companies’ PR machine goes to work. As most Norwegian research institutes are dependent on some project funding from the oil industry, criticism from scientists is seldom heard publicly.

Shell, Norwegian Hydro, Statoil and ENI have declared their desire to drill for oil around Lofoten and in the southern Barents as soon as possible. They see the victory they won in being allowed to test drill in the Barents already this winter 2004/5 as a sign of things to come and are putting large amounts of pressure on the government to open up the Lofoten area, called Nordland VI and VII, as soon as possible. Test drilling on the Goliath field off Hammerfest is going ahead in September 2005. Oil companies are lobbying on the 100 billion dollar economic angle and touting the huge tax benefits to the government and many jobs this would create. They also point out that these areas are shallow, near land and therefore quick and easy to develop in a way that will lead to local jobs and ensure environmental protection.

The Chairman of the Oil Industry’s National Union has repeatedly declared to the press that Lofoten will be opened up for oil development in the near future, and concludes that political conditions are now right for this to happen. In Norway, which has been an oil producing country since 1970, the oil industry lobbyists have impressive powers.

A recent industry announcement states that Shell, Statoil, Eni and Norwegian Hydro have jointly rented two oil explorations rigs, fitted for Arctic conditions, for the winter of 2006/7. The contract is worth 200 million USD, and shows the level of confidence that the companies have with regard to securing drilling rights in the vulnerable Lofoten and Barents Sea areas – despite the ongoing political process in Norway with respect to protection of these areas.

Greenpeace believes the oil companies are strategically using these public announcements to exert pressure on the Norwegian government to open up sensitive areas before the planned Integrated Management Plan is put into place sometime during 2006. This is unacceptable and in conflict with the principles agreed to during the development phase of the management plan.

Save the Lofoten Islands!

Why Lofoten is so special

Oil companies pressure for access

Increased oil tanker traffic and lack of emergency plans

Over-fishing, factory fishing and bottom trawling

An Integrated Management Plan for Lofoten and Barents Sea: An opportunity that must not be lost