BTN PETROLEUM CHANNEL 2004 HEADLINES ONLY

BEHIND THE NEWS PETROLEUM CHANNEL (BTNP) - BACK ISSUES 2004
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P260	Thursday, 30 December, 2004 Hydro's Wars	Hydro: DN Falsifies WWII History Earlier Fund Story May Indicate Honourable Cold War History
P259	Thursday, 30 December, 2004 No Wolf?	NPD Expects Doubling of Exploration Activity MPE Minister Expects NOK 25 Bn of New Investment Per Terje Vold: Slower Investment Decline Hydro Increases Long-Term Oil Price Expectations Kon-Kraft Was Right, But Now it is Less Urgent Time for Dialogue to Align MoF's New Growth Theory With Tax Theory
P258	Sunday, 12 December Slow	Three Firm Wells in APA04 More Companies & and Licenses 17 Wells Committed, 12 Drilled in North Sea/APA Licenses Since 1999 Discovery in One of the 12 Drilled Still Zero Wells From 2002-03 Mature Rounds
P257	Tuesday, 30 November, 2004 Coming Along	Modernized Growth Theory Inconsistent With MoF Petroleum Tax Theory MoF: Petroleum Industry Source of Knowledge for Others Petroleum Sector More Than 10% of GNP Excluding Resource Rent Earlier Resource Rent Definition Caused Enforced Savings on State's Hand MoF Coming Along, But Still Inconsistencies
P256	Thursday, 25 November, 2004 Access to Assets	Are Larger Companies Holding Back Inactive Assets? Can Transport Capacity be Coordinated for Multiple Small Projects? New Kon-Kraft Project?
P255	Thursday, 11 November, 2004 Why?	Why is BP Selling? Proof That High-Value Companies Do Not Expand Easily SEC Problem Could be Additional But Marginal Reason
P254	Wednesday, 10 November, 2004 Coveted Worm	Petoro May Use Right of First Refusal for Ormen Bids Possible From Ormen Partners, Centrica, Ruhrgas, GdF, RWE
P253	Monday, 8 November, 2004 Deafening Silence	Cap-and-Trade for Gas Power CO2 Tax for Offshore Facilities Deafening Silence About Post-2008 Labour Must Act in Committee
P252	Thursday, 30 September, 2004 Rebuilding Confidence	MPE Accelerates 19th Round Area Fees Might Increase New Rules for Common Use of Infrastructure A Vision in Need of Completion
P251	Thursday, 30 September, 2004 A Da Sounding Like A Njet	Russian Government Approves Kyoto Advantage for Norwegian Industry
P250	Thursday, 23 September, 2004 At last	Naturkraft Goes Ahead at Kårstø, Drops Kollsnes Statoil Leaves Naturkraft to Focus On Its Own Projects Likely to Pass Final Political Hurdles Gas Power Needs Inclusion in Cap-and-Trade System As Protection Greens Will Attempt to Stop Project in Parliament, then in the Field Will Kårstø Help or Hamper Other Projects?
P249	Monday, 20 September, 2004 The Master Tactician	Centre Party Drops Resistance to Barents Sea Gas Power Next? "Paradigm Shift" Could Improve Political Climate Socialist Left Still Split on Gas Power
P248	Thursday, 16 September, 2004 No Bathtub	Wiborg: Resources Could Significantly Exceed NPD Estimates Requires Continued Cutting Edge Knowledge and Technology Policies Can Create or Destroy Resources
P247	Friday, 3 September, 2004 Lund has Delivered	Lund Builds Leadership From Inside
P246	Wednesday, 1 September, 2004 Not Forever	Widvey: Tax is Not Forever Prefers Hydro/Statoil as Two Companies
P245	Friday, 27 August, 2004 Hope and Apprehension	Lack of New Projects In ONS Air Uncertainty Over Oil Price Effects Supplier Apprehension In Front of Investment Trough
P244	Tuesday, 24 August, 2004 Who's Dishonest?	Widvey: Barents Activity To Increase Foreign Ministry to Submit Report on Northern Challenges Bellona: Widvey Playing a Dishonest Game
P243	Sunday, 15 August, 2004 Trouble From the Right	Rightwing "Think-Tank" Starts Boycott Action Noreng: CSP Ultra-Conservative Propaganda Group Targets Companies Investing in "Terrorist-Sponsoring States" Immediate Targets are US Pension Funds Total, ENI, Statoil, Lundin & Stolt Named Among "Dirty Dozen" Clearly Tied Into Statoil Probe By US Department of Justice CSP Part of Old Cold War & Religious Right Network Not to Be Taken Lightly As Enemies
P242	Sunday, 15 August, 2004 A Friendly Advice	Widvey Closes Tax Debate For "Perhaps 10 Years" Repeats Costs "Primarily Company Responsibility" Challenges Licensees on Three Old Gas Power Permissions New Assessment on Schedule for Sequestration No Opinion on Hydro/Statoil Merger
P241	Wednesday, 14 July, 2004 Political Bureaucrats	SFT Wants Sem Policy As Formal Instruction SFT Playing Purely Political Role on Climate Policy Issue Aggravates Trouble for Red-Green Coalition Bondevik Hints at Solution Based On Quota Trading
P240	Wednesday, 14 July, 2004 Bumped Playing Field	State Down to 77.1% in Statoil Lehman Brothers Fined NOK 500.000 MPE Must Review Procedures
P239	Sunday, 4 July, 2004 Berge	Elisabeth Berge New MPE Secretary General
P238	Sunday, 4 July, 2004 New Political Gas Bomb	Statoil Submits Applications for Gas Power No Political Decisions Until After 2005 Election Which Government Will Have the Pleasure? Red-Green Government Deadlocked In All Scenarios Approval Likely in Case of Single-Party Labour or Conservative Government Approval Possible Under Non-Socialist Majority if also Labour/Progress Majority Openings Under Bondevik Also In Case of Switching Or Quota Trading
P237	Friday, 2 July, 2004 9+5	MPE Confirms Nine Firmly Committed Wells, Five Conditional
P236	Friday, 18 June, 2004 Great Team	Thorhild Widvey (Conservative) New MPE Minister Oluf Ulseth (Conservative) New Deputy Minister
P235	Wednesday, 16 June, 2004 Red Tax Alliance	Government Alliance With Socialist Left Party on Tax Labour, Centre Party Open for Production Allowance Full Support for Kon-Kraft Proposals From Progress Party Majority Wants More Incentives For Tail-End Production Majority Says All Profitable Resources Must Be Produced Asks Government to Speed Up Projects In Planning Majority Opens For Sale/Swaps of Small SDFI Stakes No Extra Billion for R&D Fund Politicians Kill Their Own Cost Argument Government To Come Back to Parliament if Targets Not Achieved
P234	Thursday, 10 June, 2004 Pudding's First 10%	16 Licenses, 46 Blocks in 18th Round Minister, Companies Very Satisfied DNO, Marathon Not on List 10-13 Wells Committed NPD: 109 Prospects in Original Offer Pudding is Served, Only 10% Eaten So Far
P233	Monday, 7 June, 2004 What Next?	Labour Reported to Agree With Government on Tax Extra Billion For R&D Fund New Barents Licenses in 2005 What Was Achieved, and What Went Wrong? Why the Hostility to Oil Industry's Tax Effort? Politicians Losing Feeling of Ownership What Next?
P232	Sunday, 30 May, 2004 What About Profits?	Intsok: Offshore Industry Exports Could Grow to NOK 80 Bn Requires Continued NCS Activity Requires Also Extensive Government Programs Will Meet Same Resistance as Tax Report Necessary to Show High Company/Social Profit Potential Cluster Needs Convincing Unified Vision Kon-Kraft Capital Report Important Foundation for Renewed Strategy
P231	Monday, 24 May, 2004 A House More Divided	Anthem To Cluster's Knowledge From MPE R&D Funding of NOK 1 Bn Kon-Kraft Cost Analysis Confirmed Cowardice on Labour Relations Rest of "Activity Package" Unimpressive; the MPE has Done Its Job
P230	Thursday, 20 May, 2004 Repeat Performance	MoF Arguments Identical to NOU 2000:18 Takes Knowledge, Technology for Granted Government Position Increases Political Risk CO2 Tax Cut Defeated in Government Industry to Continue Effort, to Parliament and Beyond Success in Next Round Requires Establishing Theory Connecting Tax With Activity
P229	Sunday, 9 May, 2004 Obedient Congress	Unanimous Tax Decision at Conservative Congress No Interference With Government's Proposal May Open For Some Flexibility in Parliament Calls For Continuous Consideration of Frame Conditions Wants to Move Gas Power Concessions to New Projects Says State Must Facilitate Onshore Natural Gas Distribution
P228	Thursday, 6 May, 2004 An Abyss	Finance Minister Turns Down Tax Proposal Arguments Show Use of Same Old Theory VG: Government Declares Full War Against Industry Heavy Battle Expected at Conservative Congress
P227	Friday, 30 April, 2004 Very Courageous, Mr. Minister!	LO, NHO and Other Leaders Appeal to Prime Minister Statoil Says Statfjord Upgrading & Satellites May Be Tax Dependent Consequences of Choosing Wrong Tax Option Extremely Unbalanced Trusting the MoF Means Distrusting the NPD
P226	Sunday, 25 April, 2004 Provocation	Government Plans Insignificant Tax Response CO2 Tax; Uplift; Deficit Pay-Out No Recognition of Industry's Knowledge/Technology Effort Issue to be Raised at Conservative Party Congress
P225	Tuesday, 13 April, 2004 A House Divided	Government Applies Innovation Theory to Shipping So Far it has Applied Neoclassic Theory on Petroleum Can a Nation Live With a Split Reality Perception?
P224	Tuesday, 23 March, 2004 Last Before the Desert?	Historical Well Commitment Survey Released 59 Blocks Applied For in 18th Round "Last Gasoline Station Before the Desert"? What Should Be 18th Round Success Criteria? What May be Won or Lost From Late Tax Response?
P223	Tuesday, 23 March, 2004 Costs as Ransom	Kon-Kraft Cost Study Submitted Main Patterns As Expected No Foundation for Holding Costs Ransom for Tax Reform
P222	Tuesday, 16 March, 2004 Not the Eating	Minister Very Pleased With 18th Round Applications Applications from 18 Qualified Companies BP and ConocoPhillips Not on List Volume and Commitments Still Unknown It's a Pudding, But Not the Eating
P221	Tuesday, 9 March, 2004 Gullfaks CO2	Gullfaks CO2 Injection Deemed Much Too Expensive Minister Will Consider State Contribution - Should He? Socialist Left Party Demands Implementation Did Anybody Consider What Made the Project an Option to Start With? Why Does Statoil Use Only USD 14 as Its Reservation Price?
P220	Monday, 8 March, 2004 Swapping Human Capital	Helge Lund New Statoil CEO Inge K Hansen From Statoil to Aker Kværner A God's Gift For "Best Practise" Efforts
P219	Monday, 8 March, 2004 Invent, or Else!	Socialist Left Party (SV) Submits IOR Proposal Considers IOR Mostly Equal to CO2 Injection Other IOR Directly Negative, SV Says Wants to Close Down the North Until South is Depleted State Power to be Used to Demand IOR Tax, R&D Incentives Limited to IOR With Focus on CO2 Injection Northern Norway Comes Last, Just Like First Time
P218	Friday, 5 March, 2004 Paper, Stone and Scissors	Lindbæk Says he Initiated Merger Talks, but Never Made up His Mind Merger Talks a Liability for Statoil A Very Long Time Before New Merger Talks, Lindbæk Says What are Proper Information Routines? Should the Politicians Clarify Their Policies? Should the State Contribute to an Optimal Solution?
P217	Monday, 1 March, 2004 Save the Small From Lower Tax!	Steensnæs Indicates No Special Tax Cut Fears Lower Tax Will Frighten Small Companies Weirdest Argument To Date Implication is Materiality Should Be Destroyed Does Government Consider Industry's Knowledge Absent, or Unworthy of Reward? Will the Government Add Insult to Injury?
P216	Monday, 16 February, 2004 Best Practise	Suppliers, Operators Agree on Best Practise What Will it Take to Make it Work? Cluster Institution Required<
P215	Monday, 16 February, 2004 The Non-Merger	Statoil/Hydro Merger Talks Discontinued Merged Company's Cultural Heritage Vital Merger More Likely in Erosion Scenario Easier to Solve Problems in Upside Scenario
P214	Sunday, 8 February, 2004 Four Options	Conservatives List Four Tax Options Special Tax, Uplift, Ring Fence, Production Allowance Says Industry's Knowledge Must Not Erode
P213	Monday, 19 January, 2004 Lower Tax Or Lower Standards?	Conservative Committee Submits Petroleum Tax Report Proposes "Package" to Attract More Companies Recommends Tax Incentives, But Uncertain About How Package Contains Reducing Standards and Financial Solidity
P212	Friday, 30 January, 2004 APA 2004	MPE Announces APA 2004 Snøhvit Neighbourhood Included Relinquished Acreage Automatically Included Work Obligations Will Be Published Acreage Cards Are On the Table; Rounds Will Now Test Tax System
P211	Friday, 30 January, 2004 Labour's Network	Dagsavisen Reveals Labour's Oil Network Unknown to Many Prominent Party Colleagues Not a Secret in Industry
P210	Monday, 26 January, 2004 Progress and Doubts	Politicians in Sandefjord: Something Should Be Done Factual Description Mostly Accepted Conservatives Slightly More Open Than Earlier Steensnæs Plays Hard on Cost Card Focus on Costs in Parliament Report Tax Policy Announced With Revised National Budget Politicians, Ministries Looking for "Targeted" Proposals Why System Can't Be Designed for Niche Companies Only
P209	Monday, 19 January, 2004 Vold	Per Terje Vold New OLF Director
P208	Saturday, 10 January, 2004 Beyond OG21	Aker Kværner to Design World's First Offshore Concrete LNG Terminals IFE/Prototech to Develop Space Fuel Technology for ESA Kongsberg Seatex to Supply 35 Ship Navigation Stations Telenor/Norwegian First to Offer Air Tickets Via Mobile Terminals Petroleum Cluster's Spin-Off Capability is Not Fiction
P207	Thursday, 1 January, 2004 Reputation and Influence	Kon-Kraft Project Recommends Reputation Forum