§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he proposed to the Norwegians that the United Kingdom would build a natural gas pipeline from the United Kingdom sector to the Continent to enable Norway to participate in the British gas-gathering system;
(2) if he will make a statement on his recent visit to Norway.
§ Mr. David HowellDuring my visit to Norway on 6 February I had a wide-ranging discussion with Mr. Johanson, the Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy.
In particular, I gave a detailed account of progress with the United Kingdom gas-gathering pipeline, and stressed that the gas-gathering organising group is continuing to work to a schedule with a completion target of 1984–85. On the purchase of Norwegian gas, I made clear that the United Kingdom is flexible in its approach: for example we would consider the possibility of taking Norwegian Statfjord gas into the United Kingdom line for the early years only. I mentioned that plans for the onshore facilities could cater for repatriation of Norwegian NGLs for industrial use in Norway, and that Norwegian concerns would be welcome to participate in the pipeline company if Norwegian gas is dedicated to the United Kingdom line. As regards the possibility of transmitting to the Continent new supplies of Norwegian gas landed in the United Kingdom, I repeated our willingness to examine any proposal put forward by the Norwegians.
I understand that the Norwegian Government have not yet reached a decision on disposal of Norwegian Statfjord gas. I expect the United Kingdom share of Statfjord gas to come to Britain anyway, and in my view sale to the United Kingdom would be the most economic route for Norwegian Statfjord gas also. However, the United Kingdom gas-gathering line is economic on the basis of United Kingdom gas alone, and will go ahead whether or not Norwegian Statfjord gas comes to the United Kingdom.