New gas pipe quashed

In a move seen as demonstrating her green credentials, the country's new energy minister has turned down StatoilHydro's planned further development of the Troll field – a decision that has led to the cancellation of plans for a new gas export pipeline to Europe, Martin Quinlan writes

AS RECENTLY as late summer, StatoilHydro was expecting to take an investment decision on the Troll project and the new gas pipeline in December, and to submit the plans to Storting (parliament) for approval early in 2008. But on 18 October – less than a month after she took up office – petroleum and energy minister Åslaug Haga wrote to the firm to say that "accelerated gas production" from Troll would not be approved. A shocked StatoilHydro had little alternative but to announce the next day that the Troll Further Development (TFD) plan – covering an increase in gas production from the existing Troll East development and the production of gas from the Troll West oil development – would be "d