Commentary, 3/4, 2004

These days, one often hears “the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS)” and “mature” in the same breath.

In our youth-oriented culture, “mature” is often used as a quasi-polite term for something or someone who’s past the prime, that is, old and used-up. When it comes to the NCS, perhaps the exciting days of mega-discoveries may be past, but that by no means is any indication that the NCS should be written off. A recent press release from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate claims that the shelf holds more resources and that less than half of the total has been exploited. Given that, the NCS may still be hiding a mega-discovery or two.