BTN PETROLEUM CHANNEL 2009 HEADLINES ONLY

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BEHIND THE NEWS PETROLEUM CHANNEL (BTNP) - BACK ISSUES 2009
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P527	Wednesday, 30 December 2009 Climategate I	Relevant for Industry's Risk Management Damning at Face Value Needs to Be Further Investigated Raises Questions about IPCC's Assumed Neutrality Human Nature to Favour the Expected Study Shows this Causes Bias also in Research Trusting a Single Institution a Risky Matter Climategate May Contribute to Political Moderation Will anyway Open More Insight for Independent Review
P526	Tuesday, 22 December 2009 The Unseen Toolbox	Parliament Worried about Supply Industry Conservatives Ask for Action Mention Tax, Petoro Ministers Can't Find any Tools But the Toolbox is there Not Necessary to Coerce Anybody Fiscal Incentives for Big and Small Using Petoro and SDFI for Diversity and Flexibility Helping Statoil with Sound Restructuring Beneficial also in the Long Term
P525	Tuesday, 22 December 2009 Petoro's Gold	Opposition Wants Report on Petoro's Role and Future Underlines New Post-Merger Role Conservatives Add NOK 50 Mill All Parties Support Efforts to Accelerate Investment Slow Movement Away from Initial Limitations But 2002 Ban on Portfolio Management Still in Place Violates Petroleum Act and Original Political Agreement Worse when Resources Insufficient to Watch All Licenses Much Need for Full Reconsideration
P524	Monday, 7 December 2009 Contentious Fuel II	UNEP Biofuel Report Confirms World Needs Oil Also Oil "Part of the Solution", like Gas Report Suggests Policies to Mitigate Biofuels' Adverse Effects But these Policies Cannot Solve Land Use Problem Forests, Valuable Land should be Protected by Price Tags Very Limited Sustainable Room for Biofuels/Biomass Cannot Replace Fossil Fuels Can At Best Cover Demand Growth UNEP Support for Cost-Effective Mitigation Policy
P523	Monday, 30 November 2009 Contentious Fuel I	UNEP Panel Submits Biofuels Assessment Confirms Earlier Research on Adverse Land Use Effects Life Cycle Analysis Show Wildly Diverging Net Climate Effects But Do Not Include Global Land Displacement Effects Full Inclusion of Land Use Will Reduce Value of All Biofuels Total Effect Likely to Be Strongly Increased Emissions Certification Systems Won't Help Much Land Use Change Particularly Damaging for Bio Diversity Direct Competition with Food about Land and Water Strong Verdict Over Fragmented Climate Mitigation Policies
P522	Thursday, 19 November 2009 Good Outlook	IEA Submits World Energy Outlook 2009 Gas, Oil Growth Also in Climate Mitigation Scenario Combines Climate, Development, Energy Objectives Based on "Not First Best" Policy Assumptions 2030 Efficiency Gap 13 Times 2007 Development Aid Supply Constraints in Conflict with Mitigation Principles Norway Expected to Increase Gas Exports Norwegian Sea Gas Very Competitive Critics Say Oil Targets Out of Reach If True, Norwegian Contribution Even More Important
P521	Wednesday, 11 November 2009 Sluggish Statoil?	Petoro Says Capital Discipline Delays Projects Statoil Particularly Fingered Majorities Formed against Statoil in some Licenses May Hold Back at Home to Follow Flow Abroad But Divests from Peregrino, GoM Reluctant to Admit to Capital Constraints Blames Politicians' Failure to Open Acreage Refers to Price Uncertainty, Need for Reduced Costs
P520	Monday, 9 November 2009 Last Year's Christmas Gift	Minister Invites Companies to Nominate for 21st Round Claims It Will Help Service Industry in Crisis Solvik-Olsen: Last Year's Christmas Gift Policy Change to Enhance Gift Value is Possible Det Norske: Open the Entire Barents Sea Greens Now Openly Opposed to all new Licensing
P519	Monday, 19 October 2009 Games within Games	Minister Doesn't Exclude Early Impact Study Soria Moria II Ambiguities Possible Labour Back Door Preparations for Hard-Line in Management Plan?
P518	Monday, 19 October 2009 Popular Support	Large Majority Supports Impact Study
P517	Wednesday, 14 October 2009 Cover-Up Still Unravelled	Little Attention to LoVe Delay in Parliament Mild Criticism from Conservatives Only Progress Party Buys "Inevitable" Version Fears of Appearing more Eager than Labour? Both Have Second Chance in State Budget Can Show Opening Decision Still Can Be Taken as Planned ULB Required One Year and Four Months Only Updating Required in new Impact Study Any Remaining Knowledge Gaps Are Self-Inflicted
P516	Friday, 9 October 2009 Retreat for Nothing	No LoVe Opening Decision in Election Period Decision on Impact Studies Only in 2010/11 New Parliament Report on Petroleum APA to Be Evaluated, Apparently Protected in Principle Statoil Ownership Freeze Continued SDFI Assets not to Decrease Open Schedule for Kårstø, Mongstad CCS< Relaxed Limits for Hydro Power Ambiguous on Subsidies for Renewables Reassessment of Climate Mitigation Policies
P515	Monday, 5 October 2009 Gags and Buttons II	Old Statoil Hand Reports on Self-Censorship Warns about Dangerous Silence NPD: Can't Compensate But it Must Contribute Within Own Competence Minister's Competence Statement Nonsense Lund: Tired of Stigmatization of Oil & Gas Signals small Modification of Silence Policy? Parliament Report on Petroleum "Fairly Early in Period" No Guarantee about Contents
P514	Thursday, 1 October 2009 Gags and Buttons I	Ministry Censored NPD Scenarios Politically Inconvenient before Election Raised Challenging Issues about NCS and Climate Minister Casts Doubts about NPD's Competence Claims Decision Was Taken by Civil Service Is That Possible?
P513	Tuesday, 29 September 2009 Half Full or Half Empty?	MPE Minister Visits Jan Mayen Conflicting Media Interpretations Greens "Geology Experts", Too Accusations of Tactical Motives Impact Study Completed in Three Years Covers Area to Greenland Border Exploration Realistic by 2020 Also Sagex Withdraws from Iceland's Dreki Tax System Main Deterrent Iceland to Reconsider, Aims at New Tender
P512	Tuesday, 22 September 2009 Tactical Retreat	Greens Recommend SV to Take LoVe Battle in Management Plan Probably Means No Decision in "Soria Moria 2" Tactical Retreat to Avoid Responsibility for Impact Studies Possible Attempt to Use Local 2011 Elections Northern Labour Tops: Let Parliament Decide Assume Impact Study Must Follow Management Plan Top Trade Unionist: Let SV Leave rather than Permanent Protection "2013 Inevitability" Probably Part of Labour Strategy Aker, FMC Speak out on LoVe
P511	Wednesday, 16 September 2009 Democracy Pre-Empted?	PM Postpones Impact Studies Pretends It is Dictated by Law Confirms Pre-Election Rumours Negative Reactions from Conservatives, Progress Party OLF: Election Favours Decision for Opening Confirmed by Socialist Left Party's Own Statements PM Says Parties' Strength Must Influence Policies Why Does He Give Concessions Before Negotiations?
P510	Wednesday, 9 September 2009 Spinners Out-Spinned	Veritas Simulates Lofoten Oil Blowout One Stranding per 170,000 Years per Production Well Or One per 13,000 Exploration Wells Average Size 43 Tonnes Worst Cases 1-2 Times "Full City" Disappointing for Green Customer For Once, OLF's Version Dominated Media Shows it Is Possible to Balance Green Media Hegemony
P509	Sunday, 6 September 2009 Foundation for Visions	New NPD Resource Report Shows Effects of No New Acreage since 1994 Barents Sea Adjusted Down StatoilHydro Without Barents Exploration Prospects Smaller Companies Looking for New Models Behind Schedule on Reserve Growth Increased R&D Effort Vital More Research on Innovation Drivers Required Needed: A Real Strategic Plan with Visions
P508	Monday, 31 August 2009 LoVe or Not - III	Labour Decides LoVe Under Non-Socialist Majority Liberals, Christians Cannot Stop anything Progress Party Promises Immediate Impact Studies
P507	Friday, 28 August 2009 LoVe or Not - II	What Will Happen Under New Red-Green Government? Contents of Compromise Dependent on Start Positions
P506	Tuesday, 25 August 2009 LoVe or Not - I	What Are the real Options for LoVe? Must new Impact Studies Postpone Decision until 2013? Has the Government Misguided Everybody? Charade, Says Commentator
P505	Tuesday, 18 August 2009 Taking the Lead	Lofoten/Vesterålen Hot Election Issue Conservative Party Taking the Yes Lead Proposes Fund for Lofoten/Vesterålen Appeals to Voters in Western, Northern Norway
P504	Thursday, 23 July 2009 Small Improvements	Small Improvements on E&P in Final Party Platforms Only Socialist Left Party Clear about Permanent Protection Christians Explicitly Removed Permanence from Compromise Liberals Apparently Quietly Did the Same Both May also Have Opened Back Doors to Limited Zones Conservatives Committed to Open All Promising Areas Similar Commitment from Progress Party Labour Still Undecided, but Interpreted as Positive
P503	Monday, 20 July 2009 A Good Day	Goliat Approved Only Liberals (Almost) Opposed Christians Play both Sides Irrational Electrification Demands Liberals Unconcerned about Spin-Offs
P502	Wednesday, 15 July 2009 Knowledge and Politics	Management Plan for Norwegian Sea Approved Conservatives, Progress Party against Møre Embargo Liberals, Christians against Jan Mayen Opening Process No Explicit Demands for Permanent Petroleum Free Zones Major Faults with Planning Process not Recognized Decisions Depend too much on Politics
P501	Monday, 6 July 2009 Brækken	Gro Brækken OLF's new CEO Last Job Secretary General of Save the Children Long Experience from Petroleum Industry, Banking, More Idealist - also for the Petroleum Industry Appointment Signals More Offensive or More Defensive Approach?
P500	Wednesday, 1 July 2009 A Magic Lunch Hour	Marathon in Parliament before Summer Vacation Five Petroleum Related Issues in One Day Not Non-Confidence against Industry Minister No Request to Pull Statoil out of Oil Sands Governance Principles Revived after Lunch Hour All Parties Willing to Put Tactics before Principles Aker Holding Survives for Now What Should Be Done with the State's Stake in Aker Solutions?
P499	Thursday, 11 June 2009 Own Goal	Control Committee Submits Aker Report Agrees about "Active and Conscious State Ownership" "Like Other Industrial Owners" Non-Socialists: Ministry Should Have Had Opinion on Strategy, Price Broader Door to Intervention in Commercial Matters No Limitations to Companies or Kind of Issues Should Be Major Worry for Statoil, Others Aker Solutions' General Meeting Confirms Transactions 46% of Voting Stock Represented 58% "No" Vote from Represented Stock outside Aker Holding
P498	Friday, 5 June 2009 Opposition Attacks	Motion of Non-Confidence against Brustad Supported by all Non-Socialists Red-Greens Unite in Defence Different Approach Progress Party, Others Progress Party Focus at Minister's "Easter War" Others Say Minister Should Have Intervened Early One Way Only to Avoid Own Goal: Brustad Could Have Replaced Board Member Kjøll Option Could Unite all Non-Socialists Would Make it a Matter of Principle, not Good or Bad Job only
P497	Tuesday, 2 June 2009 The Never-Ending Story II	No Support for Brustad in Parliament Reports Barriers against Intervention Should be Fortified Minutes from Ownership Meetings Etc Should be Public
P496	Monday, 1 June 2009 The Never-Ending Story I	Minister Tries to Reinvent State Governance Opens Barriers that Should Remain Closed Unable to Find Support in Own Parliament Report Spill-Over Risks to Statoil, Others Good Reasons why State Should be Withdrawn Basic Reason Related to Constitutional Responsibility But Often Poorly Understood
P495	Wednesday, 27 May 2009 Small Dragons from Norway	Aker, Sagex only Applicants in Iceland Tax Rules Likely Deterrent Mixture of Positive and Negative Aspects One Block Applied for at Norwegian Border First Norwegian Step towards Opening
P494	Monday, 25 May 2009 Barriers under Pressure	Protests against Statoil's Oil Sand Project Defeated at General Meeting State Cast Its Votes against Reference to Proper Governance Environment Minister Endorsed Proposal Storebrand Inconsistent Motion in Parliament Referred Committee Non-Socialist Wanted a Reality Vote Uncertainty about Outcome in Committee Virtual Minority World Vs Real Majority World
P493	Wednesday, 20 May 2009 New Reality Encounter	Kårstø Capture Cancelled for Now Pending Experience with Gas Power Regularity Integration with Terminal to Be Considered Minister Mentions NOK 8 Bn as Capex
P492	Tuesday, 19 May 2009 Eyes of the Beholder	UBS Says Transactions Were Fair Pareto with Opposite Opinion Outsider and Insider Assumptions Reports Answer Different Questions Much of Difference is Knowledge Capital Invisible to Outsiders Inside View is Better Informed Non-Socialists Must Avoid Making Own Goal
P491	Monday, 18 May 2009 Full Retreat	Government Accepts Aker Deal Presentation at General Meeting Review of Shareholders' Agreement State Ownership main Loser Question now is about Governance
P490	Monday, 11 May 2009 Political Risk Aversion	Management Plan Norwegian Sea Submitted No Permanent Protection Large Areas Closed until 2014 Extensive New Restrictions Start of Opening Process for Jan Mayen Reports Prove Risk is Very Small No Irreversible Damage Claimed No Risk/Reward Analysis Final Decisions Based on Political Risks
P489	Monday, 4 May 2009 CCS Sensibility Emerging	Parliament Postpones Full-Scale Mongstad CCS Will Wait for Test Centre Findings Too Early to Pick Winners Opposition: Open for Other Technologies Wants State Purchase System Considered What then about Earlier Kårstø CCS Decision?
P488	Thursday, 30 April 2009 Skanled Cancelled	Skanled Partnership Cancels Project Gassco, MPE Quote Uncertainty about Gas Demand Could Be Discussed again if Conditions Improve Petoro Highlights Cost Problem Minister, Region, LO Disappointed Progress Party: Government to Blame Defeat for "Governance by Semaphore" Deception or Ignorance?
P487	Tuesday, 21 April 2009 Stoltenberg's War	Government, Aker Take Time-Out Waiting for New Value Assessments Did Aker Dump Garbage at Aker Solutions? Did Aker Cut Corners in Decision-Making Process? Why Did the Government Declare War? Now, Labour Regrets Belligerence Still Insists on "Victory"
P486	Wednesday, 8 April 2009 More Dog-Wagging II	Integration No Help for Kårstø Capture Holds also in Lower Capture Cost Scenario Grey Zone with Rock Bottom Costs Even when Counting Local Emissions only Most Scenarios Deteriorate when Counting Global Emissions Some Scenarios Bring Global Unit Cost "Beyond Infinity" Covering Naturkraft Loss for Full Regularity Better Idea Export More Gas Best Climate Mitigation Policy Constructing more Power Plants without CCS also Better
P485	Monday, 6 April 2009 More Dog-Wagging I	Gassco Submits Kårstø CCS Integration Study Full Program Requires Second Power Plant + Capture Facility Means Scrapping Equivalent of Full Power Plant NOK 13 Bn Capex on Top of all CCS Costs Staged Implementation Possible Driven by Need to Justify First Capture Facility Much of the Power Market Problem Remains No New Information about Capture Costs Total Kårstø Capex Could Run into 50 Bn Adding Mongstad and Storage Could Reach 80 bn In the Meantime, Alternative Technologies Emerge
P484	Wednesday, 1 April 2009 Cities for Climate	Study Shows Cities Emit Much Less CO2 Illustrates General Efficiency Gains Oil, Gas Associated with Urbanization Changing Social Fabric May Have Surprising Results
P483	Friday, 27 March 2009 Wagging the Dog II	OK to Have Buyer-Owned Skanled? Some Buyers Are also Sellers What Motivates Buyers? How May Skanled Affect Gas Sales Strategy? Political Deal about Troll Gas? Deadline Extended by One Month Minister: Must Find Solution Have Gassco, Petoro Roles Been Compromised?
P482	Tuesday, 24 March 2009 Wagging the Dog	Yara Throws Cards on Skanled Deal Disagreement on Price, Take-or-Pay, Termination, Investment No Grenland Customers Left Skanled Dead or Alive? Minister Calls Rush Meeting Gasunie Enters Project Group Export Pipeline Only?
P481	Wednesday, 18 March 2009 From High to Low North	Bondevik II Strategy Now better than Red-Green Clearest Expression of the Desirability of Northern E&P Støre's 2005 Speech Most Offensive Version Some Watering-Out already in 2006 Petroleum from High to Low in 2009 Barents 2020 Faded into the Background
P480	Tuesday, 17 March 2009 High North Hibernation	Petroleum Tuned Down in High North Strategy Only briefly Mentioned at Presentation MPE Minister not even Present Approach More Introvert, Designed for Election A Step Back, but no Doors Closed A Little Better in Foreign Policy Parliament Report Opposition Could Use the Latter to Boost E&P Parts
P479	Monday, 9 March 2009 Stronger Case	KonKraft Report #6 on Northern E&P Released Documents Minimal Risk for Fisheries Major Improvements in Oil Spill Contingency Possible Scenario: 2000 Local Jobs Some Areas More Interesting than Others Greens Use Invectives to Hurt Credibility "Social Contract" Could Be Deal-Breaker The Compromise Debate
P478	Thursday, 5 March 2009 Reshaping the CCS Market	Full-Scale CCS Projects Should Be Cancelled Test Centre Should Go On Intensified R&D Effort Establish State CO2 Purchase System
P477	Monday, 2 March 2009 CCS Objectives	Are We in a Hurry to Capture Carbon from Gas Power? What Is the Social Cost of Emissions? Can Market Failure Justify Higher Unit Costs? What About "Doing More at Home"? CCS Required to Secure Power Supply? Or To Protect Norway's Interests as an Oil & Gas Nation? Is there Truly a Technological Benefit?
P476	Saturday, 28 February 2009 Prelude to Scandal	Political Pressure Cause of CCS Predicament Technology Development Process Reversed Moon Landing without Landing Technology Faulty Bellona Report Contributed to Euphoria Warnings from Professionals not Heeded Major Clean-Up Job Waiting for next Government
P475	Friday, 27 February 2009 Hot CCS Potato	StatoilHydro Submits Report on Mongstad Capture New Cost Estimate NOK 25 Bn, Huge Uncertainty Kårstø Capture Even More Expensive? Possible Full Revision of Kårstø Plans Mongstad Pilot of Little Value under Political Schedules Unknown Cancer, Health, Environment Risk Could Force Politicians to Postpone Decisions StatoilHydro's Warnings Real CSR Opportunity Should Be Used to Change CCS Approach
P474	Friday, 20 February 2009 Why Did God Create Oil?	Church, Clergy, Demand Oil & Gas Moratorium Admit Ignorance about Petroleum Industry Based on Sentiments about "God's Work of Creation" No Factual Foundation Available Echoes Green Faction in Government Foreign Aid Study Strong Reactions from Locals, Trade Unions Campaign to Terminate Church Membership Maybe God Created Oil to Protect His Forests?
P473	Thursday, 19 February 2009 Inaction Again	MPE Submits Report on Structural Changes Entire Industry Misses Diversity Fears that Some Suppliers May Be Closed Out Ministry Quotes External Actors Only Establishes "Reference Base" Offers No Policy Options
P472	Friday, 6 February 2009 Labour As Expected	Labour Remains Uncommitted to Lofoten/Vesterålen Will “Give Access to Interesting Acreage” Wants to Maintain Value Creation at High Level Ambigous on StatoilHydro Ownership Reaffirms High North Strategy Management Plan for Barents North No Change on Climate Policies, Renewables No Mention of NCS Diversity
P471	Friday, 30 January 2009 Strong APA Support II	Industry Wants APA Area Extended Several Other Proposals about APA Improvement Critics Contradict themselves on Foundation for Extensions APA Area Knowledge May Have to Be Verified Fishermen May Be More Flexible than at First Sight
P470	Friday, 30 January 2009 Strong APA Support I	APA Review Letters: 42 Yes; 7 No Massive Support from Industry, Suppliers, and Local Governments Opposition as Expected from Environmentalists Fisheries Sector Split between No and Restrictions Green Agency Asks for Restrictions only State Secretary Says MPE's Process Will Take Half a Year
P469	Wednesday, 28 January 2009 Campaign Mode	New National Action Group against Lofoten/Vesterålen E&P Outclassed in Membership by new Movement For E&P Local Supporters Outnumber Local Opponents - So Far 8 of 10 Norwegians: E&P Is Good for Northern Norway Conservatives & Progress Party Strongly Committed Liberals Promise Veto in Non-Socialist Coalition Different Versions on Veto from Socialist Left Party NPD: Stepwise Opening Possible; Helge Lund Agrees Aftenposten: Wait or Protect

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