Norwegian Fields Shut Down as Strike Intensifies

Norwegian offshore workers' union Lederne has escalated its strike over a wage dispute, resulting in the shutdown of six oil and gas fields.

Some 54 Lederne members downed tools at the Equinor-operated Gudrun, Gina Krog and Kvitebjorn fields on October 5 and the platforms have undergone a "controlled closure," the company said in a statement. The Valemon field has also been shut down as it is linked to Kvitebjorn.

In addition, Neptune Energy told NGW that it had closed down its Gjoa field. The satellite Vega field, which uses Gjoa's platform, has also been taken offline, its operator Wintershall Dea told NGW. The Gjoa platform was handling 124,740 barrels of oil equivalent/day of production prior to its closure, Neptune said.

Another 43 Lederne workers went on strike on September 30 at Equinor's Johan Sverdrup oilfield, after wage talks with the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association (Noga) failed to make progress. Output at the field, which averages 470,000 barrels/day is still unaffected, Equinor said.

Lederne have pulled a total of 126 more workers from their shifts at Gudrun, Gina Krog, Kvitebjorn and Gjoa. Noga earlier warned that some 330,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day, or 8% of Norway's total output, would be affected if those fields and Valemon and Vega were shut down.