Norway's Arctic development will take time and money

Norway's Arctic experience shows that development in the High North will take time - and money

In 1896, on his return to Norway after an ill-fated three-year quest to reach the geographical North Pole, the country's pioneering polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen said: "The difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible is what takes a little longer." Almost 120 years after his Arctic expedition, Nansen's statement could apply equally to exploration and production in Norway's High North. While resources totalling an estimated 8 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) lie in Norway's Barents Sea play alone, Norway's slow steps in the High North are proof that as well as deep pockets, a thorough understanding of the operational environment and technological expertise, companies hoping