Strike forces closure of Norwegian oil fields

Oct. 5, 2020
Equinor has conducted a controlled closure of fields Gudrun, Gina Krog, Kvitebjørn, and Valemon due to 54 members of the trade union Lederne stepping up its strike on the Norwegian continental shelf on Oct. 4 at midnight.

Equinor has conducted a controlled closure of fields Gudrun, Gina Krog, Kvitebjørn, and Valemon due to 54 members of the trade union Lederne stepping up its strike on the Norwegian continental shelf on Oct. 4 at midnight. Neptune Energy’s Gjøa field and Wintershall Dea Norway’s associated Vega field also will shut down.

As the fields produce 330,000 boe/d of the Norwegian shelf’s 4 million boe/d oil and gas production, some 8% of the shelf’s total oil and gas production may be curtailed.

Production at Johan Sverdrup currently continues despite 43 members of Lederne being on strike there since Wednesday morning.

The strike is the result of a break in negotiations between the employer organization Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and Lederne on Sept. 30.

If mediation fails, fields Johan Sverdrup, Kristin including Tyrihans and Maria, Aasta Hansteen, Kvitebjørn including Valemon and Snorre B, risk closing down, resulting in a daily production loss of around 900,000 boe corresponding to about 22% of the total daily production of oil, gas, condensate and NGL on the Norwegian shelf. Other fields where strikes are reported have no immediate consequences for production.