With the handover of Statfjord and production start on Gullfaks in the winter of 1986/87, Statoil could at last call itself an operating oil company.

The Gullfaks field’s three concrete platforms—especially the record‑heavy C installation—sit at the heart of a recurring question: should the Condeep gravity‑based substructures (GBSs) be given a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List?

In January 2005, the Gullfaks licence was awarded the Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) Prize. The prize is one of the clearest expressions of the Norwegian authorities’ appreciation of efforts to extend field life on a mature Norwegian continental shelf. The Gullfaks licence received the prize for 2004. What was the background for the prize in general, and for this award in particular?

Autumn 2022 was marked by a sharpened focus on the vulnerability of Norway’s energy‑strategic position in Europe.

Gullfaks sits in the Tampen area. Two other large fields are here as well. All three came on stream between 1979 and 1992—towed out to graze on the continental‑shelf “pasture” and fatten the coffers of the state and Statoil/Equinor. What do Gullfaks, Statfjord and Snorre have in common—and what sets them apart? And can they beat Troll?

Gullfaks is a pioneer field in terms of Norwegian national identity on the Norwegian continental shelf. It was also a first mover and the most significant in key areas. Together with other factors, these are strong reasons to document the field.

The concrete substructures for Gullfaks A, B and C were all designed to be moved and brought ashore for demolition. This opens the door for a genuine, case‑by‑case assessment of each platform’s fate. What practical scenarios have been explored for doing this—and how much relevant experience is there to build on?

Despite life‑extending measures, a growing number of installations will be dismantled and recycled in the years ahead. Who does this work? What are the framework conditions? And where does Gullfaks sit in this decommissioning landscape?

The 1994 winter Olympics at Lillehammer north of Oslo was acclaimed as a sporting and organisational success. As one of nine main sponsors, Statoil supplied the fuel for the Olympic flame – which is why the torch relay around Norway also called at Gullfaks, the most Norwegian field of them all.

Which key national laws and international conventions determine how the platform substructures on the Gullfaks field (and other concrete substructures on the Norwegian continental shelf) must be handled at end of service?

Norway’s block 34/10 was so attractive that it had been nicknamed the “golden block”, and became Statoil’s baptism of fire as an operator. Although the company had to share it with two partners, it secured the operatorship of the first licence on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) with only domestic licensees.

White shirt, tie, and a navy-blue knitted cardigan with a collar - that was the outfit the management team on Gullfaks C was instructed to wear when royalty came to visit. But had they done any other preparations?

The collapse in oil prices in 1985 and 1986 took a toll on activity on the Norwegian continental shelf. On 22 August 1986, the Norwegian government responded by introducing measures to stimulate new investment. Key terms include cost sharing, depreciation, production tax, and uplift allowance. This article offers a deeper dive into the changes and considers whether any patterns or lessons can be drawn from viewing these issues in context.

In the Norwegian parliament, getting things done requires the support of 85 representatives. In offshore petroleum licenses, the math is a bit more complicated.

Gullfaks began production at an unfortunate time—just over a year earlier, the oil price had collapsed to one-third of its previous level.

When the State’s Direct Financial Interest (SDFI) was introduced, Statoil’s ownership share in the Gullfaks field dropped from 85 to 12 percent. In the short term, this meant increased cash flow for Statoil.