Søviknes: – Voters in Oslo do not understand the value of oil

Stavanger.Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Søviknes.Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB Scanpix

Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Søviknes (Progress Party) believes it is worrisome that some parties do not want to further develop the oil industry get a strong support in Oslo.

 

A week before the election, the minister takes a strong examination of voters who will suppress oil and gas production, writes Dagens Næringsliv. He specifically refers to certain environments in the nation’s capital.

“These are highly educated people, but I do not think they understand the value of oil and gas. What it means to the nation.”

To tell you the truth, it’s dreaming. There are many naive people who swirle around Oslo in these environments and have never seen a shipyard, never worked with a supplier company, never seen an oil platform, and do not know what competence base we are on, says Søviknes to the newspaper.

He believes those in Oslo differ from the rest of the country’s voters.

“There is reason to worry when we see that parties are unwilling to further develop this industry, this sums up 25 percent of the voters in Oslo,” said the minister.

Søviknes receives support from Statoil’s CEO Eldar Sætre:

“Understanding the oil and gas business and what it means for workplaces and the ripple effects is by far the largest in Western Norway,” he says.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today