Phillips Norway established

by the Norwegian Petroleum Museum

Interpretation of the seismic data acquired by Phillips in 1963-64 confirmed the geologists’ assumptions. The sedimentary deposits extended northwards through the North Sea, and many interesting structures were identified which the explorers itched to drill.

— There are no photos from when the North Sea seismic maps were presented to the Phillips management in Bartlesville. After careful documentation, Bartlesville management convinced themselves that the Norwegian shelf was worth a few million dollars. Illustration: Ståle Ådland/ConocoPhillips

After careful documentation, the Phillips management at the Bartlesville head office in Oklahoma became convinced that the Norwegian continental shelf was worth committing a few million dollars to.

The area which attracted particular attention from the geologists would probably lie on the median line between Norway and the UK in the North Sea. It appeared to contain a Tertiary basin which resembled structures where oil and gas were often found. Phillips drew a clear conclusion – it was time to start drilling here.

Establishing a company in Norway was the next step towards securing an exploration licence. As early as 1963, Phillips was advised to create a local subsidiary which could continue to cultivate relations with the Norwegian authorities.

Fred Terry was in place in Oslo on 4 September, and establishing a company there was one of his first jobs. Phillips Petroleum Norsk A/S was formally created on 22 October and entered in the Oslo register of companies on 25 November. Terry’s job was otherwise to follow up the shaping of Norwegian oil policy and to ensure that Phillips was included when the first blocks came on offer.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Kvendseth, Stig S, Giant Discovery. A History of Ekofisk Through the First 20 Years, 1988: 10–11.