Politicians in northern Norway must put up a united front if the region is to become capable of adopting the best possible strategic position in relation to the oil and gas industry.
This is the view of the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF).
"In order to achieve the broadest possible level of activity for and impact from the oil and gas industry in northern Norway, the counties of Finnmark, Troms and Nordland must act more in unison", says Lars Arne Ryssdal in an interview with Petro.no.
Ryssdal is the OLF's Director of Energy Policy and Environment, and bases his view on long-term perspectives.
"It will be of much greater economic benefit to Northern Norway if development within the region is based on an overall perspective". Conditions favouring continuity in terms of the expansion of resources and establishment of oil and gas-related activity can best be developed by regarding the shelf areas lying offshore the three northern Norwegian counties as a single entity", he says.
Boosted outcome
He also points out that the end result can never be any better than that which the inhabitants of northern Norway themselves make of it.
"Competent and future-oriented political decisions will do much to consolidate the impact of oil and gas-related activities in the north", emphasises Ryssdal to Petro.no.
"Several of the region's politicians are active in relation to these issues, but it would be of major benefit to northern Norway if politicians from the region at all levels presented a more united front in terms of the issue of petroleum activity in their region.
When asked about the oil and gas sector's lobbying activities on behalf of the industry in northern Norway, Ryssdal reminds us that the Norwegian authorities' own activity prognoses up until 2030 indicate that new areas will be opened up.
"About half of the resources incorporated in these prognoses have not yet been discovered", he says.
Read also: Regjeringen vil ha mer olje i nord (in Norwegian).
Putting ourselves about
The OLF Director will act as Chair during the Barents Sea Conference which is being held on 21 and 22 April in Hammerfest. He expects that the conference will highlight the necessity and value of viewing northern Norway as a single entity. He also hopes that it will show that the government is on its toes and ready to adopt an aggressive policy towards industrial development in the northern Norway.
He points out that the Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Terje Riis-Johansen, will be attending the conference.
"What about the industry's top management. Do they ever visit northern Norway?
"Several prominent industry figures have visited the region on such occasions. If we are to make any progress, we must be aware of the region, and not least put ourselves about", says Ryssdal.
He says that the OLF has invested a lot of effort on this score, not least by means of extensive tours of the region.
"I might perhaps also mention that the OLF will hold its next Board Meeting in Stokmarknes in Nordland.
The programme for the Barents Sea Conference reveals that StatoilHydro's CEO Helge Lund will attend.