“We are determined to establish a new long term focus in our relations with Venezuela. Not only in business terms, but also under principles of social responsibility. Venezuela is one of the countries with which we are committed to evaluate and specify new joint work opportunities in pursuit of progress and well being for the Venezuelan society”, pointed out Hege Lund, CEO of Statoil.

Lund, who assumed the presidency of the Norwegian company more than a month ago, held a meeting in Stavanger, Norway, with Alí Rodríguez Araque, president of the Venezuelan state owned oil company, Pdvsa, and indicated that Statoil will focus on areas in which it can apply its skills, know-how, and technology in a more effective way.

“We are particularly interested in evaluating new forms of participation in petroleum upgrading, in the gas business (Gulf of Venezuela and Plataforma Deltana), in the negotiations related with Sincor (in the synthetic oil business) and the Mariscal Sucre project, and in transferring know-how and technology to Venezuela”, said Lund.

For his part, Alí Rodríguez pointed out areas of strategic interest in his company’s business plan. “We see special strengths in the Norwegian industry; especially in the offshore and on-land gas extraction activities (for the local market in the first place, and for the international market in second place) and in heavy and extra heavy oil (expansion of the capacity of heavy oil upgrading)”.

“Furthermore, Venezuela and Pdvsa are particularly interested in establishing mechanisms that facilitate transference of know-how and technology developed by Statoil in the North Sea in its 30 year history. Therefore we are evaluating, among other options, possible alliances between Statoil and the Venezuelan Petroleum Corporation (CVP)”, he added.

Moreover, our commercial relations with Statoil are now focused on generating a maximum of aggregated value, with the adaptation of the sustained social and economic development model that made it possible for Statoil to contribute to the construction of today’s Norwegian society in only 30 years, on the basis of oil production..

“We want to study the possibility of taking advantage of part of this successful experience to apply it in our country. It’s a proven model of sustained economic growth and social development, which promotes generation of national capital and dignified and equitable living standards for the people”, explained Alí Rodríguez.

Statoil is handling businesses in Venezuela in Bloc 4 of the Plataforma Deltana, also in field 652 of Maracaibo Lake and in Sincor, in accordance with its policies of social environmental responsibility, and support for the formation of national capital.

It is currently assessing, together with the Ministry of Energy and Mining and Pdvsa, new possibilities of participation in the oil and gas business. In January of 2003, Staoil contributed 32 million U$ to the development of bloc 4 of Plataforma Deltana; and in September of that year, it announced 60 million U$ in investments until 2007.

With Helge Lund as its CEO, Statoil seeks to evolve into a “globally competitive firm” and “an exceptional place to work in”. For this purpose, it will reinforce its Norwegian Continental Platform (PCN) plan, construct international growth networks, and structure le a more efficient organization based on its people and on leadership.

In order to “overcome the winds of change”, the company will change from fixed installations at sea level, to submarine installations; from petroleum to natural gas; from growth to maturity (by way of cost reduction, upgrading of heavy crude oil, development of marginal fields, new technology and operational models); from south to north (initiate activities in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea); and accelerate the construction of new international growth and exploration capacities.

Published in Quantum No. 33

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