Oil for Development - Annual report 2012

Decades of experience as an oil and gas producer have given Norway valuable expertise in managing petroleum resources in a sustainable manner. Through the Oil for Development (OfD) programme Norway shares this experience with developing countries.

The countries which received most assistance from the Oil for Development programme in 2012 were Ghana, Bolivia, Uganda and South Sudan. The assistance provided is anchored in the Norwegian experience, but also tailor-made to local conditions and demands. Principles of good governance such as transparency, accountability, anti-corruption and gender equality are cross-cutting in all assistance provided.

Examples of key achievements in 2012:

• South Sudan: A petroleum law was enacted, and a draft revenue management bill was presented to parliament. Advisors from the OfD programme assisted the Government of South Sudan in drafting the bills, which include public reporting, contract allocation and revenue management standards based on international best practice.
• Liberia: The Government of Liberia adopted a new petroleum policy with the main goal to “manage Liberia’s petroleum resources in an environmentally responsible manner, to optimize returns for Liberia and ensure equitable benefits to the people of Liberia now and in the future”. OfD, together with Revenue Watch Institute (RWI), adviced Liberia throughout the drafting process.
• Bolivia: The knowledge and understanding of sustainable petroleum management was increased through a series of courses and capacity building activities provided by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and Petrad.
• Uganda: The IT infrastructure within the Petroleum Exploration and Production Depart¬ment (PEPD) was significantly improved and is continuously being updated. A database for all petroleum related data within PEPD was made operational, and integrated with ArcGIS and Google earth. A resource classification system is in place and is being used; resource estimation for Uganda has been undertaken.