UK criticism of Norwegian Statfjord deliveries

Norwegian Petroleum Museum

Dickson Mabon, minister of state at the UK Department of Energy, accused Norway of unfair favouritism towards Norwegian companies at the expense of British competitors on Statfjord. He was also extremely critical of Norway’s strong commitment to concrete platforms, which he claimed would boost development costs for the field by “billions of kroner”.

— "the British are riding two horses in the North Sea" headline in Handels og Sjøfarts Tidende 1979.04.18

Mabon also wanted to change the development plans so that the C platform was installed on the UK side. That would also require the B platform, then under construction, to be moved. The licensees and the Norwegian government maintained that the platforms were carefully tailored to seabed conditions, and Mabon’s views were not accepted.

Sources
VG, 5 February 1979. “Kontant svar på britisk Statfjord-kritikk: Grunnløse påstander”.
Helle, Egil. Oljealder i Arbeiderhistorie. 1999, p 252.