Norway Oil Strike to Worsen, Output to be Reduced Further

The strike that has hit Norway's oil sector will worsen from next Monday, when the country's output is set to fall by a further 260,000 barrels per day, said the Federation of Oil Workers (OFS) union.

The additional production stoppages will hit the Norwegian Continental Shelf's Heimdal field and Norne production ship, where 100 employees have downed tools, the union said.

Some 140,000 bpd will be lost at Norne and Heimdal, and a further 120,000 bpd from the Grane field, which will be affected by the closedown of Heimdal.

The new shutdowns will start at midnight Sunday, and come into full effect from Monday, it said.

The escalation of the strike will also cut gas production by 30 mln cubic meters per day.

The strike, called by the OFS six days ago amid a dispute with employers over pensions and work conditions, has to date shaved some 370,000 bpd off Norway's normal daily output of around 3 mln.

The government reiterated this morning that it has no plans for now to mediate in the dispute.

"The authorities are monitoring the conflict ... continuously but, given its current scale, the government has no reason to intervene," Labour Minster Dagfinn Hoeybraaten told state broadcaster NRK. The strike that has hit Norway's oil sector will worsen from next Monday, when the country's output is set to fall by a further 260,000 barrels per day, said the Federation of Oil Workers (OFS) union.

The additional production stoppages will hit the Norwegian Continental Shelf's Heimdal field and Norne production ship, where 100 employees have downed tools, the union said.

Some 140,000 bpd will be lost at Norne and Heimdal, and a further 120,000 bpd from the Grane field, which will be affected by the closedown of Heimdal.

The new shutdowns will start at midnight Sunday, and come into full effect from Monday, it said.

The escalation of the strike will also cut gas production by 30 mln cubic meters per day.

The strike, called by the OFS six days ago amid a dispute with employers over pensions and work conditions, has to date shaved some 370,000 bpd off Norway's normal daily output of around 3 mln.

The government reiterated this morning that it has no plans for now to mediate in the dispute.