Norway Says "Fuck It!"; 36 Blocks Up For Auction (New Record); Farthest North Offshore Sites Ever
The record-number of new oil blocks in the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea is part of the country’s 25th License Round. Companies are now invited to place bids for their desired blocks. About half of the suggested blocks are in the northern part of the Barents Sea at between 73°N and 74°N and will, if approved, be some of the northernmost offshore oil drillings in the world.
In a comment, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tina Bru underlines that “new discoveries are necessary to ensure continued activity, ripple effects, employment and governmental revenues across the country.” “Around 200,000 people are employed directly or indirectly in the petroleum sector in Norway,” she explains.
But for environmentalists, the announcement of the new license round is seen as a highly provocative step. According to Greenpeace Norway, the announcement from government is “reckless and a mockery of future generations.”
“This is a shameful day to be Norwegian. With this announcement, Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s government has no right to claim to be a green pioneering country. The oil has gone straight to the government’s head,” says Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace Norway.
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https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/climate-crisis/2020/11/oslo-fends-climate-activists-offers-oil-companies-136-new-oil-block-northern