Norway, the world's third largest oil and gas exporter, plans to further ties with China in the petroleum and gas industry, and water resource management.
Thorhild Widvey, the northern European country's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, told reporters about the country's intentions for co-operation during her current China visit.
The visiting Norwegian delegation started a two-day workshop in Beijing on Tuesday on the management of integrated water resources and the construction of hydropower plants and flood control. It was followed by a seminar in Sanya in South China's Hainan Province from yesterday on deep offshore oil exploitation, said Ola Breidal, an official from the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing.
Widvey said Norwegian oil companies expect to co-operate with their Chinese counterparts, including Sinopec, PetroChina, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), as both countries share common ground in developing new technologies in oil exploitation and in producing more crude oil from offshore areas, in order to back up the countries' oil reserves.
The Norwegian minister also implied the two countries are expected to intensify their co-operation in technical research and development, staff training, and "to share knowledge and experiences" in water resource management and in the petroleum and gas industry.
"I am confident that Norwegian companies will prove to be valuable partners to the Chinese petroleum industry, not least when it comes to offshore activities, both in China and in other countries," said the minister.
As a major oil and gas producer in the world in the past 30 years, Norway ranks seventh in oil and gas production, third in oil and gas exports, and sixth in hydropower generation, according to Norwegian sources.
The third largest oil and gas exporter turned over 3.3 million barrels of crude oil a day in 2004, and 75 billion cubic metres of natural gas per day, and the figures are expected to be maintained for years to come, said the minister.
Since late 1970s, Norway has accumulated an investment in oil exploitation of US$200 million in China.
The Norwegian National Oil Company, one of the country's two petroleum companies, holds a 45 per cent stake in Lufeng Oilfield in the South China Sea, said the minister, and both countries intend to extend the contract.
China produced approximately 170 million tons of crude oil in 2004, and imported 120 million tons, and the turnover is expected to increase slightly, nearing 1 per cent this year, said Zhang Jian, a petroleum analyst with China Securities in an interview with China Daily.
China is to start a strategic oil reserves programme from 2006 projected by the National Development and Reform Commission, said Zhang, which will be primarily backed by deep offshore oil exploitation.
"China currently has an oil reserve to be consumed for commercial and industrial uses for 20 days only, and the country expects to increase the figure to 90 days by 2008 to safeguard national security, to reach the current level of the United States," said Zhang.
Zhang said there is a strong potential for China's co-operation with Norway in deep offshore exploitation.
Norway also intends to strengthen co-operation with China in water resource management.
Good Tech ASA, a leading Norwegian company with broad experience in development, supply, installation and maintenance of products and systems for water treatment, signed on Monday a co-operation contract with Beijing Water Group, a Beijing company in water treatment, said the minister.
(Wang Ying, China Daily 01/13/2005 )