Terje Riis-Johansen, Norwegian minister of petroleum and energy. Photograph by Eivind.
Norway will not allow new drilling in the deepwater areas of the 21st licensing round until there is sufficient knowledge about the Gulf of Mexico blowout and spill, “including possible implications for our regulation,” said Norwegian minister of petroleum and energy Terje Riis-Johansen on 8 June.
Although the ministry will move forward with the new licensing round, Mr Riis-Johansen emphasized the need for more knowledge about the Gulf incident before awarding new licenses. “The precautionary principle, combined with a predictable framework, have to be the foundation for our petroleum politics,” he said.
