Offshore Lockout to Shut Norwegian Oil Fields

The Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) announced that a lockout will be imposed from 24.00 on Monday 28 June on all members of two unions covered by the offshore pay agreements. This move against the Federation of Oil Workers Trade Unions (OFS) and the Norwegian Association for Supervisors follows a deadlock in the strike which they initiated on 18 June. According to the OLF, a stoppage will lead to an almost complete shutdown of oil and gas production on the NCS. Statoil-operated fields stand to suffer a daily loss of some 1.4 million barrels of oil and condensate and roughly 150 million cubic metres of gas. The group itself will be losing roughly 585,000 barrels of oil and condensate and some 60 million cubic metres of gas per day from its own or partner-operated fields. The lock-out warning embraces all members of the OFS and Supervisors not already taken out on strike. Roughly 1,800 members of these unions in Statoil will then be involved in the conflict.