Thesis title:
Industry Transformation in the Norwegian Oil and Gas Industry: Electrification, Policies, and Johan Sverdrup.
About the project:
The oil and gas industry is Norway’s largest industry, both in value creation, investments, and export value. The industry’s size and thereby importance to the Norwegian economy make it a vital piece of the puzzle in the transition to a greener energy mix. This thesis is about the ongoing transition on the Norwegian continental shelf. The Norwegian energy company, Equinor, is the most significant player on the shelf. Alongside Equinor, the oil and gas platform Johan Sverdrup is used as a case study to demonstrate the measures taken by the Norwegian oil and gas industry to reduce emissions and prepare for a greener energy future. Equinor states that they strive to be a leader in the energy transition. As Norway’s largest actor, studying Equinor’s status quo is highly relevant to understanding Norway’s energy transition. For an oil economy such as Norway, looking at the newest and most economically significant project on the Norwegian continental shelf (Johan Sverdrup) is of societal relevance. Equinor is the operator of Johan Sverdrup. The main research question guiding this research is: To what extent can Equinor and Johan Sverdrup be considered leaders in the industry transformation on the Norwegian continental shelf?
Two main topics are in focus to address the transition: electrification and policies on the Norwegian continental shelf. Electrification of the continental shelf has become an important strategy for the Government and Equinor to reduce CO2 emissions in the industry. In this context, electrification of the shelf is introduced, alongside the accompanying media debate and Johan Sverdrup’s role (the platform is powered with cables from shore -hydropower more specifically). The part of the thesis focused on electrification is led by the following question: How can the electrification of Johan Sverdrup make it harder for Norway to reach its Paris Agreement targets?
The part of the thesis focusing on policies centers on the role of policies’ in the green transition. It also describes how the Norwegian oil and gas policy framework works and discusses the Norwegian paradox. The Norwegian paradox can be explained as the contradiction of Norway making big environmentally friendly investments -such as protecting the rainforest and investing in a large electric vehicle fleet - while being one of the world’s largest gas producers, planning to continue oil and gas production in the foreseeable future.
Supervisor
Taran Thune (UiO)
Commentator
Markus Steen (Sintef)
About Eili Skrivervik
Eili Skrivervik is a PhD Research Fellow at the TIK Centre. This seminar marks the final evaluation prior to submission of her dissertation.
Eili Skrivervik's manuscript is available upon request from 19 April. Please send the request to Skrivervik at: eili.skrivervik@tik.uio.no
The seminar will be hybrid. If you would like to participate via Zoom, please contact Inger-Johanne Ullern: i.j.ullern@tik.uio.no
Welcome!