Thesis?’, T Asked, As We Were Chatting on Facebook an Evening in August, a Few Months Before My Thesis Was Due
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Making Resource Futures: Petroleum and Performance by the Norwegian Barents Sea Ragnhild Freng Dale Hughes Hall November 2018 This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Scott Polar Research Institute University of Cambridge ‘Will I appear in your thesis?’, T asked, as we were chatting on Facebook an evening in August, a few months before my thesis was due. I told him I have anonymised everyone, though he was still there, somewhere, which I hoped was ok. So to T, and everyone I have met during my fieldwork: I hope that you can recognise the perspectives I describe and that they reflect some of the home region you know and live in. I also hope I might surprise you; that on these pages, if you come to read them, you might find new or unfamiliar perspectives, and see some of the overlapping worlds that are woven together with your own. And I hope we meet again soon, outside of my fieldwork notes. 2 Declaration This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the Degree Committee of Earth Sciences and Geography. 3 Abstract This thesis is an ethnographic study of life with oil and gas in Hammerfest, the first petroleum town in Finnmark, and of what role this town plays and is cast as in narratives of petroleum as a driver for development in the larger region. It examines how oil in the Barents region is both disputed and celebrated, and how this resource, which has been central to the Norwegian economy and society for the last 50 years, is understood from northern perspectives. In particular, it explores what forms consent and conflict take, and how different actors engage in showing, masking and performing these. Throughout the thesis, I employ performance as a trope to understand the creation and circulation of narratives about petroleum in the north, and how they are put in motion by industry players, local and national politicians, environmentalists and other actors. Working in a region that is simultaneously Sápmi and Northern Norway, the thesis also asks how assimilation policies and coloniality continue to have an impact today, and how this partakes in the making of pasts, presents and futures in the region. The first part of the thesis seeks to ground the making of narratives and lives in Hammerfest, to understand how the stakes and impacts of resource development are understood locally, and how futures are made and broken by the materialisation of the petroleum projects on- and offshore. The second part of the thesis is concerned with how the industry, the state and environmentalists creatively engage with conference settings, state rituals and the legal system, to strengthen their own narrative or contest that of others. From platform openings to announcement of licensing rounds, industry celebrations to Norway’s first climate lawsuit, the thesis argues that an explicit focus on performance and rituals of state and industry is critical for our understanding of industrial development and resource futures. 4 Sammendrag Denne avhandlingen er en etnografisk studie av Hammerfest, den første og så langt eneste petroleumsbyen i Finnmark. Studien undersøker byens samliv med olje og gass- industrien, samt rollen Hammerfest spiller og blir tildelt i fortellingene om petroleum som en driver for utvikling og framtid i regionen rundt. Den utforsker hvordan oljen i Barentsregionen er både omstridt og bejublet, og hvordan en ressurs som har vært sentral for den norske økonomien og samfunnsutviklingen de siste femti årene blir forstått fra nordlige perspektiv. Særlig undersøkes spørsmål rundt konfliktlinjer og samfunnsaksept, og hvordan ulike aktører arbeider for å synliggjøre, skjule eller iscenesette disse. I avhandlingen brukes ‘performance’-begrepet (eller iscenesettelse på norsk) som en gjennomgående metafor for å forstå hvordan narrativene om olje i nord skapes, hvordan de sirkulerer og settes i bevegelse av industriaktører, lokale og nasjonale politikere, miljøvernere og andre. Studien er situert i en region som er både Sápmi og Nord-Norge, og avhandlingen drøfter hvordan fornorskingspolitikk og kolonialitet fortsatt påvirker samfunnet i dag og former både fortid, nåtid og fremtid i regionen. Den første delen av avhandlingen undersøker hvordan ressursutviklingen rundt Hammerfest forstås i et lokalt perspektiv, og hvilke lokale narrativ som skapes og sirkulerer. Den spør også hva som står på spill i folks liv når byen formes og omformes, og hvordan ulike framtider blir muliggjort eller forhindret når petroleumsprosjekter materialiseres offshore og på land. Den andre delen av avhandlingen søker å belyse hvordan industriaktører, staten og miljøvernere tar i bruk arenaer som konferanser, statlige ritualer og rettssystemet på ulike måter, enten det er for å styrke sitt eget narrativ eller for å utfordre andres. Avhandlingen viser at et eksplisitt fokus på ‘performance’/iscenesettelse, særlig statlige og industrielle ritualer, åpner for nye måter å forstå industriutvikling og ressursfremtider på, blant annet gjennom åpninger av oljeplattformer, annonseringen av nye lisensrunder i Barentshavet, feiring av industriutvikling og Norges første klimasøksmål. (Abstract translated to Norwegian by the author) 5 Oktiigeassu Dát nákkosgirji lea Hámmárfeastta etnográfalaš dutkkus. Hámmárfeasta lea vuosttamuš, ja dán rádjái áidna, petroleumgávpot Finnmárkkus. Dutkkus guorahallá gávpoga ovttaseallima olju- ja gássaindustriijain, ja válddáhallá Hámmárfeastta rolla - sihke dan maid váldá ja dan maid oažžu - muitalusas mas petroleum oidno birastahtti regiovnna ovdánahttima ja boahtteáiggi vuodjeleaddjin. Dutkkus suokkarda mo Barentsregiovnna olju lea sihke riidovuloš ja ávvuduvvon, ja mo resursa mii maŋimuš 50 jagi lea leamaš norgga ekonomiija ja servodatovdánahttima vuođđun áddejuvvo davveguovllu čalmmiiguin. Erenoamážit guorahallojuvvojit riiddut ja servodatdohkkeheapmi, ja man láhkai iešguđetge aktevrrat barget dáid čalmmustuhttit, čiegadit dahje čájehallat. Nákkosgirjjis geavahuvvo “performance”-doaba (sámás “láhttedeapmi” ) obbalaš metaforan ádden dihte mo narratiivvat davveguovllu oljju birra hábmejuvvojit, mo dat johtet ja mo industriijaaktevrrat, báikkálaš ja našuvnnalaš politihkkárat, birasgáhttejeaddjit ja earát váldet oasi dáid jođihit. Dutkkus lea dahkkon regiovnnas mii lea sihke Sápmi ja davvi-Norga, ja nákkosgirji suokkardallá mo dáruiduhttinpolitihkka ja koloniálateahtta ain báidná otná servodaga, ja mo dat hábme regiovnna vássán áiggi, dálá áigge ja boahtteáiggi . Nákkosgirjji vuosttaš oassi guorahallá mo Hámmárfeastta guovllu resursaovdánahttin áddejuvvo báikkálaš perspektiivvas, ja mat báikkálaš narratiivvat ráhkaduvvojit ja jođášit. Jearrá maiddái mii buollá olbmuid eallimiin go gávpot hábmejuvvo ja rievdaduvvo, ja mo iešguđetge boahtteáiggit šaddet vejolažžan dahje hehttejuvvojit go petroleumprošeavttat bohtet áigái sihke mearas ja gáttis. Nákkosgirjji nubbi oassi iská čuvgehit mo industriijaaktevrrat, stáhta ja birasgáhttejeaddjit iešguđetge láhkai váldet atnui arenaid nu mo konferánssaid, stáhtalaš rituálaid ja riektavuogádaga, jogo iežas narratiivva nannet dahje earáid narratiivvaid hástalit. Nákkosgirji čájeha ahte láhttedeami eksplisihtta guovdilastin, áinnas stáhtalaš ja industriála rituálaid guovdilastin, rahpá ođđa vejolaš áddejumiid industriijaovdánahttimiidda ja resurssaboahtteáiggiide. Earrát eará guoská dát oljolávddiid rahpandilálašvuođaide, Barentsábi ođđa liseansaohcanalmmuhemiide, industriijaovdánahttima ávvudemiide ja Norgga vuosttaš dálkkádatášševuolggaheapmái. (Abstract translated to Northern Sámi by Siri Broch Johansen) 6 Table of contents Declaration 3 Abstract 4 Sammendrag (Abstract in Norwegian) 5 Oktiigeassu (Abstract in Northern Sámi) 6 Table of contents 7 List of figures 10 Acknowledgements 11 Acronyms (English-Norwegian/Northern Sámi) 14 Tuning in: a rough guide to the Norwegian North 16 Chapter 1 25 On learning to listen and daring to write 25 Initial research questions 28 Via Greenland to Hammerfest 29 Fieldwork 33 What’s in a name? 34 Finding a position ‘at home’ 35 Specific challenges 41 Anthropology in a (still) colonial context 45 Is there a postcolonial? 50 Listen before you speak 52 Not a protest ethnography 55 Chapter 2 58 Performing the frontier: framing and theory 58 On political geography and the anthropology of oil 61 Norway as resource nation 62 Geographical distribution 65 Norwegian nature, Norwegian environmentalism 67 Sustainable development and petroleum expansion 70 Oil north of 62 degrees 72 Strategy: Making the High North 74 A changing consensus? Norwegian oil at risk 79 The case for anthropology and performance 83 Performativity and performance 86 Framing reality 90 Interlude: Of Paris, the streets and global localities 96 Chapter 3 101 Defining the stage: narratives and localities 101