Norway offshore workers, employers enter mediation to avert strike
Overview of Labour Dispute and Mediation Efforts
(Corrects to say that one production well at the Tambar field, not the field itself, was shut down due to ongoing labour dispute after Aker BP corrected its statement, paragraphs 9-11)
Background and Current Situation
OSLO, July 1 (Reuters) - Norwegian unions representing offshore drilling rig and floating platform workers entered state-mediated wage talks on Wednesday, aiming to avert a strike from Friday that could affect parts of the country's oil and gas sector.
The three unions, Styrke, Safe and DSO, have said more than 600 members could initially walk out, with the possibility of escalation. The wage agreement covers about 7,500 workers in total.
Potential Impact on Oil and Gas Operations
Any strike would initially affect Transocean's Encourage rig, Odfjell Technology's Linus rig, the AKOFS Seafarer well intervention vessel and Equinor's Gullfaks B platform.
It was not immediately clear how a strike would affect Norway's oil and gas output, which averages around 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
The Gullfaks field in the North Sea produced about 22,900 boepd in 2025. Operator Equinor was not immediately available for comment.
Historical Context
A similar 10-day strike by workers on floating installations in 2018 led to the shutdown of Shell's Knarr field.
Recent Developments in the Labour Dispute
The unions reached a wage deal for workers employed directly by oil companies on June 5, averting disruption to production, but some workers employed by oil service firms went on strike on June 15.
The dispute has since escalated, with employers imposing a lockout affecting around 1,000 workers and warning of potential production impacts, and Safe expanding its strike by 63 workers from Wednesday.
Specific Company Impacts
Separately, oil firm Aker BP, said it had to shut down one production well at its Tambar oilfield in the North Sea because of the ongoing labour dispute.
"The Tambar field remains in production, but at a reduced capacity compared to normal operations," a spokesman for the company said.
The well produced about 4,000 barrels per day during the first quarter, he added.
Potential Output Reductions
Offshore Norway, representing oil service employers, has warned the oil service strike could cut Norway's oil and gas output by about 12,000 boepd this week, with losses potentially exceeding 120,000 boepd after mid-July if it goes on.
Government Response and Outlook
The government can intervene to halt a labour dispute if it threatens vital national interests, but so far the labour ministry has been reluctant to act.
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis, editing by Essi Lehto and Chizu Nomiyama)
