Norway oil production to be hit as workers plan for strike over wage negotiation

Around 200 Norwegian offshore oil and gas workers plan to go on strike on June 4 unless wage negotiations lead to a deal with employers, the Lederne labour union said on Wednesday. A strike would hit seven offshore fields, and similar disputes in the past have resulted in lower output from Western Europe's largest producer of crude oil and natural gas.

Equinor's Kristin, Oseberg East and Gudrun platforms would be affected, as would Neptune Energy's Gjoea, Okea's Draugen and Aker BP's Ivar Aasen, the union said. ConocoPhillips-operated Ekofisk installations were also on the list, it added.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the fields were at risk of shutting down in the event of a strike. Also known as the Norwegian Organisation of Managers and Executives, the Lederne union could later escalate a strike to around 1,000 workers.

Under Norway's rules for collective bargaining, a state-appointed mediator has set a mandatory June 3 deadline for talks, and a strike is only allowed from the following day. Two larger labour unions, Industri Energi and Safe, representing a combined 6,000 offshore workers, do not have the right to go on strike this year.

Equinor, Eni, Aker BP, Lundin Petroleum, DNO, Shell, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips are among the companies producing oil and gas offshore Norway.