The operative goal of the OfD programme is “economically, environmentally and socially responsible management of petroleum resources which safeguards the needs of future generations”.
Photo: Ken Opprann

Oil for Development Programme

The Oil for Development (OfD) Programme offers assistance to developing countries in their effort to manage petroleum resources in a sustainable manner.

Norway continues to receive numerous requests from countries that wish to learn from our experience in petroleum management, which is why the Government of Norway initiated the Oil for Development (OfD) Programme in 2005.

Through the OfD Programme, Norway shares its experience from more than five decades of managing oil and gas resources. Some key characteristics of the Norwegian experience are:

  • strategic ownership by the state, strong and competent institutions
  • continual accumulation of technical knowledge, an advanced regulatory system with high respect for the environment, health and safety
  • the society’s determination to secure national control over petroleum resources

Building partnerships

In collaboration with partner countries, the OfD Programme targets poverty reduction through responsible management of petroleum resources.

The main approach of the OfD Programme is support for capacity development through institutional collaboration. This involves Norwegian public institutions entering into long-term cooperation agreements with public institutions in partner countries.

The Norwegian public institutions involved in the OfD Programme are:

  • The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate
  • Norwegian Environment Agency
  • Petroleum Safety Authority Norway
  • Norwegian Oil Taxation Office
  • Norwegian Coastal Administration
  • Statistics Norway

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Ministry of Climate and Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications and Ministry of Finance oversee the assistance provided. The Programme also coordinates activities with the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

Other partners involved in the Programme are consultancies and research institutions, multilateral actors such as the IMF and the World Bank, as well as civil society organisations, the media and academia.

Oil for Development: Cooperation between Ghana and Norway
Ghana started producing oil in commercial quantities through the commissioning of the Jubilee field in December 2010. Norway has provided extensive petroleum related support to the country since 2008.
Published 29.10.2011
Last updated 05.02.2021