Securing Local Content
This chapter describes what is meant by local content and examines the diverse incentives that countries can use to favor domestic suppliers/contractors, and how these have necessarily changed over time. The unique nature of the Norwegian licensing system allowed the state to allocate offshore exploration and development responsibilities. In the early years, this authority was used to ensure that Norwegian firms and institutions gained a large share of the petroleum activities, and many of these firms matured to become global leaders in their fields. We consider the particular incentives used by Norwegian authorities, including active participation and procurement requirements, profit-sharing/carried interest clauses, the national oil company (Statoil), technology and goodwill agreements, and so on.