Norwegian Gas Supply at Risk from Strike

Norwegian gas exports from the Troll area could be disrupted if the country's Safe workers union decides to go on strike, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association (Noga) said on February 15.

Noga and Safe are in mediation talks which will run until 00:00 on February 16. The dispute mainly relates to pay issues for personnel at onshore plants. Workers will decide whether to strike based on the outcome of these talks. Only a dozen will down tools initially, at the Mongstad refinery near Bergen. But up to 800 workers could strike if negotiations are protracted, Safe has warned.

"The effect of a potential strike could reduce crude storage and harbour capacity at the terminal at Equinor Mongstad refinery, which could affect the production at several Equinor-operated fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including Johan Sverdrup and Troll and it could be necessary to shut down production there until further notice," Equinor warned in a February 12 statement. 

A strike could affect gas supply from other fields in the Troll area, and the Equinor-operated Kvitebjorn, Visund, Byrding, Fram and Valemon fields, Noga said.

Norwegian union Lederne held a strike last October, leading to the shutdown of the Equinor-operated Gudrun, Gina Krog and Kvitebjorn fields, along with Neptune Energy's Gjoa and Wintershall Dea's Vega fields. It ended in a settlement.