New Norwegian oil minister adds to Statoil oil-sands uncertainty

Ola Borten Moe previously said company should withdraw; Statoil facing court appearance over water charges

THREE years ago, a young Norwegian politician from the junior partner in the country’s coalition government told the country’s best-selling newspaper Dagbladet: “Obviously one cannot accept Statoil’s involvement with [Canada’s] oil sands … or other business we believe Norway should not have a part in.” The politician, the Senterparti’s (SP) Ola Borten Moe, added that the government could halt the company’s controversial investment in Canada’s oil sands “whenever we want”. The Norwegian state holds a 67% majority stake in Statoil. “Given the connection the state has to the company, Statoil must be viewed as a representative of Norway,” 34-year-old Borten Moe, who last week was named as Norway