DID YOU KNOW? PROFILE RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW In 2010, Norway was ranked Capital: Oslo Alberta and Norway share a number of similar interests because of our number one on the United Population: 5.0 million (2011 est.) northern climates and oil and gas Nations Human Development productions. Index. Language: Norwegian Canada and Norway enjoy good Norway separated from Government: Constitutional Monarchy political relations, cooperating in a Sweden in 1905 after a referendum. Head of State: King Harald (acceded number of areas including the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum in 1991) Alberta and Norway both for Arctic governments. celebrated their Centennials in Head of Government: Prime Minister 2005. Jens Stoltenberg (since 2005) Alberta hosts an annual Birkebeiner ski race, named after one of the Norway is one of very few Currency: Norwegian Krone, CAD$1 = largest sporting events in Norway. 5.82 NKR, 1 NKR = CAD$0.17 (June western European countries 2012) New Norway is a small rural village not to be a member of the located in the central prairies of European Union. Norway has GDP: US$483.5 billion (2011) Alberta. It was named in 1895 due to held a referendum on the issue of EU membership twice, first GDP (PPP): US$290.8 billion (2011) the large number of Norwegian families who settled in the area. in 1972 and then again in GDP Per Capita (PPP): US$58,508 1994. On both occasions, the (2011 est.) Norwegian population rejected membership GDP growth rate: 0.7% (2007-2011 avg.) New Norway is a small rural village located in the central Inflation: 2.1% (2007-2011 avg) prairies of Alberta. It was named in 1895 due to the Unemployment: 3.3% (2011 est.) large number of Norwegian Key Industry Sectors: petroleum and families who settled in the gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp area. and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing Sources: Bank of Canada, Economist Intelligence Unit
March 2013 | Input provided by Alberta Ministries of: Agriculture and Rural Development, Education, Energy, Enterprise and Advanced Education, Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Alberta's Exports to Norway 2002-2011 Alberta's Merchandise Exports to Norway 2007-2001 $60 (Yearly Average CAD$39.6 Million) $49 $50 Other 8% $40 Electrical $30 Machinery 8% $20 Millions CAD Machinery Optical and 71% $10 Medical Instruments $0 13% 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
TRADE AND INVESTMENT In 2011, Norway’s crude oil Statoil Canada operates on the Kai production plus condensate was Kos Dehseh Steam Assisted Gravity Norway is Canada's most important 1.752 million bbl/d, with a refining Drainage (SAGD) project in the Nordic trading partner and is its 10th capacity of 319,000 bbl/d (January Athabasca region to develop Alberta’s largest worldwide (2011). 2012). oil sands. The next expansion phase,
From 2007-2011, Alberta exports to In April 2010 following a 40-year Corner, is projected to produce Norway averaged CAD$39.6 million dispute, Norway and Russia signed 40,000 bbl/d by 2015. per year, consisting mostly of an agreement dividing the Barents In Norway, 95 per cent of total machinery, optical and medical Sea into two equal parts. Norway's electric power production comes from instruments and electrical machinery. Statoil and Russia's Gazprom are hydropower, with 4 per cent derived working on the development of the from conventional thermal sources Alberta’s direct imports from Norway averaged CAD$23.8 million per year Shtokman gas field located in the (IEA 2009). from 2007-2011. This figure does Russian sector. Norway is a leader in Carbon Capture not include goods sold in Alberta that The Norwegian oil sector, and Storage (CCS) initiatives and have arrived via distribution hubs in characterized by extensive public CCS forms a key part the Norwegian other provinces. ownership, has recently undergone government’s policy on energy and Foreign direct investment stocks in restructuring. The government still the environment. The largest CO2 Canada from Norway reached retains 67 per cent of Statoil, technology centre (TCM) in Norway is CAD$2.5 billion in 2011. controlling 80 per cent of Norway’s at the Mongstad refinery. crude oil and gas production. Canadian direct investment stocks in Since the commencement of the Norway reached CAD$234 million in North Sea oil and gas were first Sleipner CCS Project in August 1996, 2011. discovered in the late 1960s. Its Statoil has captured and stored over political stability and proximity to 10 million tonnes of CO2.
major European markets have In June 2009, the Norwegian ENERGY allowed the North Sea to play a government passed legislation Norway has the largest reserves of oil major role in world oil and gas allowing for offshore wind-power and natural gas in Europe, and is a markets. development. The region typically key supplier for the region. Norway has 71 trillion cubic feet (tcf) has wind speeds of 8 to 10 metres In December 2012, Norway was the of proven natural gas reserves per second (m/s). 2nd largest natural gas exporter (January 2012), compared to Enova SF, a public agency owned by behind Russia and the 7th largest oil Alberta’s reserves of 35.7 tcf (2011). Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and exporter in the world, reportedly Calgary-based Talisman Energy Oil, in conjunction with Statoil ASA, exporting an estimated 1.45 million operates 10 oilfields in the Southern invested a total of Norwegian Kronor barrels per day (bbl/d) of crude oil, of North Sea Area, off the Norwegian (NOK) 459 million in Norway’s which 90 per cent went to OECD coast. In 2011, production averaged Hywind 2.3-megawatt wind turbine European countries (2011). 34,600 barrels of oil equivalent per (2011). Norway has 5.32 billion barrels of day (boe/d), accounting for proven oil reserves (January 2012), approximately 68 per cent of compared to Alberta’s oil reserves of Norway’s production. EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES 170.2 billion bbl (2011). Statoil Canada’s Heavy Oil Though Norway has a tradition of In April 2011, Norwegian companies Technology Centre, located in state control over major industries, Statoil and Eni made Norway’s Calgary, is the first technology centre dominating the oil, banking and largest oil and gas discovery in over a outside Norway focused on research telecoms sectors, the government decade in the Barents Sea, north of and technology development to has plans for limited privatization in Norway. New exploration and support the company’s heavy oil the oil and telecommunications production is also taking place in this business and the development of new sectors. region. technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
COMMUNITY The UofC is part of a consortium RECENT VISITS According to the 2006 census, there (CaNoRock) involving the Universities of March 2012: A delegation of 13 are over 144,580 Albertans of Calgary, Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada and University of Oslo and parliamentarians, and three officials Norwegian descent, making them the which includes Her Excellency Else 8th largest ethnic group in Alberta. University of Tromsø in Norway to provide student access to Andøya Rocket Range Berit Eikeland, Ambassador of Norwegian settlers first arrived in for teaching space instrumentation and Norway, Maryann Løcka, Energy counselor, and Kari Hoel, First Alberta in 1880. Between 1894 and rocket mission training. 1914, a large influx of Norwegian Secretary from the Royal Norwegian The Arctic Institute of North America settled in Central Alberta following Embassy in Ottawa, visited Alberta (AINA) is a non-profit membership the completion of the Calgary- and met with the Ministers of organization and a multi-disciplinary Edmonton railroad in 1891. Camrose Environment and Sustainable became a major centre for Norwegian research institute of the UofC. The Resource Development, Finance and settlement. institute’s mandate is to advance the Justice. study of the North American and Between 2007 and 2011, 97 circumpolar Arctic through the natural November 2011: Norwegian Minister immigrants from Norway chose and social sciences, the arts and of Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Alberta as their destination. humanities and to acquire, preserve and Moe, visited Alberta and toured the oil Approximately 65 per cent were disseminate information on physical, sands facilities of Statoil. economic immigrants. This includes environmental and social conditions in the January 2009: Minister of Finance and principal applicants and their North. AINA provides opportunities for Enterprise, Iris Evans visited Norway. dependents. Alberta/Canada and Norway collaborative The meetings with major energy research. companies in Norway allowed her to From 2007 to 2011, 359 foreign engage in substantive discussions on workers from Norway were issued a The University of Alberta (U of A) also has the challenges and opportunities permit to work in Alberta. various agreements with universities in related to the sustainable Approximately 35% were issued open Norway including the University of Oslo, development of our oil sand resources employment permits and the rest the Norwegian School of Sport Science, and to outline the province’s were largely occupied as legislators and Telemark University College. commitment to the development of an and senior managers; managers in integrated hydrocarbon industry. engineering, architecture, science The U of A is a leader in Nordic Studies and information technology; creative with its Canadian Institute for Nordic November 2006: Norway’s and performing artists; engineers; Studies. Ambassador to Canada made his official visit to Alberta. physical science professionals. In May 2008, U of A Professor Christopher Hale was bestowed the Royal Norwegian From 2007 to 2011, 81 foreign Order of Merit for excellence in promoting students from Norway were issued a Norwegian literature and culture in permit to study in Alberta. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION Canada. He is the Head of Scandinavian Studies Program, the only degree- Norwegian Ambassador to Canada is granting program in this field in Canada. Her Excellency Mona Elisabeth EDUCATION AND CULTURE He is also one of the founding members of Brother. the Association for the Advancement of Canadian Ambassador in Norway is Sexsmith Secondary School in Scandinavian Studies in Canada. Sexsmith, Alberta has a school David Sproule. partnership with a school in Olso, The U of A’s Augustana Campus is the Canadian Honorary Consul in Bergen Norway. only institution in Canada teaching the is Dr. Karin A. Pittman. Norwegian language. The University of Calgary (UofC) has Mr. Roar Tungland is the Honorary a university wide linkage agreement Mount Royal University has partnerships Consul in Edmonton, with jurisdiction with the University of Oslo. The UofC with Oslo and Akershus University College for Alberta, excluding Calgary. also has agreements with the of Applied Sciences and Hedmark University of Stavanger, including University. Mr. Egil Bjornsen is the Honorary Consul in Calgary. Faculty of Nursing Practicum Exchange and research and student exchange for the School of Engineering.
The UofC has a cooperation agreement for business students with the Norwegian School of Economics.
For more information, contact: Alberta International and Intergovernmental Relations Tel: 780-427-6543 Fax: 780-427-0699 www.albertacanada.com