Statoil ASA (STO, STL.OS) Chief Executive Helge Lund said Monday in a town hall meeting with Norway's prime minister and thousands of employees that the In Amenas terror attack represents a crossroads for the global oil and gas industry, but international activities by the company and Norway's wider industry won't be deterred.
Statoil ASA (STO, STL.OS) Chief Executive Helge Lund said Monday in a
town hall meeting with Norway's prime minister and thousands of employees that
the In Amenas terror attack represents a crossroads for the global oil and gas
industry, but international activities by the company and Norway's wider
industry won't be deterred.
Mr. Lund spoke to employees in 40 locations through a webcast from an
auditorium on the Norwegian west coast as five Norwegian colleagues were still
missing after a terrorist attack at the In Amenas gas facility in
Algeria
, a
joint venture between Statoil, BP Plc (BP, BP.LN) and Algerian energy company
Sonatrach (SON.YY).
"This act of violence is a crossroads, for the global oil and gas
industry, for our organization, our culture and the quality of our
leadership," Mr. Lund told his employees. "Together we need to define
our way forward."
He said that the "terrible and unacceptable acts" committed by the
terrorists at In Amenas was the worst attack on Statoil and the oil and gas
industry in living memory, and that it was an attempt to create fear and
instability.
"We've seen it in 2011 in
Oslo
and
at Utoya," he said. "This time, a brutal attack on Statoil and our
close partners and colleagues from many companies in the Algerian desert."
But the company would not let the terrorist attack interfere with its
determination, Mr. Lund said, because that would be to let the company and the
missing colleagues down. This view was echoed by
Norway
's
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
"We feel your pain and share your anger and desperation," Mr.
Stoltenberg told the Statoil employees, adding that he was proud of the way the
company had handled one of its worst crisis ever. "When terrorism hits,
Norway
responds like a tight-knit family."
Mr. Stoltenberg said in comments following Mr. Lund that the In Amenas attack
was on the global economic system, but it won't discourage
Norway
's
activities on that stage. "We will never abandon international activities
as a result of terrorist attacks."
"Norwegian companies should not be intimidated to step down their
engagement in legal business activities abroad, Mr. Stoltenberg said, calling
the international community to step up the fight against terrorism.
"The alternative is to let extremists dictate the rules of international
cooperation," he said.
Prior to the meeting, Mr. Stoltenberg had visited Statoil's emergency room
together with Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ola Borten Moe, and early
visited affected families at the family center in
Bergen
north
of
Stavanger
.
Norway
's
Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon also visited the affected families earlier
Monday.
Mr. Lund on Sunday named the five Norwegians who were still missing in
Algeria
. Today,
search and rescue efforts continued unabated at the In Amenas gas facility, in
the desert and in hospitals, he said.
Two days after Algerian forces ended the hostage situation at the facility
which left scores of hostages and hostage takers dead, hope is dwindling that
the five missing Norwegians are still alive. Mr. Lund said the entire company
felt compassion for the families who were still waiting.
"This senseless event now demands the best from all of us," Mr. Lund
said. "Five families miss their loved ones. Twenty-two-thousand employees
in Statoil think of the unbearable agony they feel over not knowing."
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