Norway had a well-established oil and gas support industry nationally, but there was much less local experience available when Statoil began developing the Snøhvit LNG project in the far north of the country. To facilitate greater local participation, Statoil helped to establish the Petro Arctic Supplier Association in 1997.

Petro Arctic’s main aim was to maximize deliveries of goods and services from member companies to Snøhvit and future projects in Northern Norway and the Barents Sea. The Association worked in cooperation with Statoil, local and regional authorities and, crucially, with contractors and subcontractors.

Petro Arctic was a critical informational link between developers and regional business. It informed members about project progress and markets member companies to developers and their sub-suppliers.

The Association continues to build productive networks among the member companies, as experience has shown that local businesses must work together to secure contracts. It also provides qualification and training programmes for members so that they are able to satisfy customer demands. It has now turned its attention to the Goliat project, the next large development in Northern Norway, and cross-border cooperation with North West Russia.

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