State of the Market: Norway

18 April 2023

We are glad to welcome you to a new, recurring type of blog post where we hope to detail some of the more interesting details regarding a select market that Atlas Professionals operates in. For this edition of State of the Market, we wanted to delve deep into the state of the Norwegian Energy market with insights from Linda Sletten Gjesdal, Team Lead, and Warren Reid, Commercial Manager.

One exciting aspect of this post is that it allows us to introduce some of the most recent changes Atlas Professionals has implemented across its Norwegian office as Warren has been promoted to Commercial Manager and Linda will now helm the operations as Team Leader: “This is a change that is also aligned with our core value of conducting business in any given market by closely cooperating with local talents, Clients while adapting to local practices - allowing us to assist our Norwegian Clients in a manner they are accustomed to since Linda, as a Norwegian herself, has vast amount of experience within the Norwegian market.”

While on the topic of her promotion, Linda also mentions a rather unique positioning Atlas Professionals has as we are one of the only companies operating in Norway that is in extended cooperation with Norwegian Shipowners' Association, an association that works closely with Professionals to ensure compliance and safety measures are observed, emphasising our commitment to fully explore any market we are part of: “Being part of Norwegian Shipowners' Association allows us to offer exceptional service for our Professionals – and our Clients enjoy this too as our desire to be compliant with local and international regulations greatly assists their efforts as well.”

Atlas Professionals has been active in Norway for decades by providing local and global talent to Norwegian Clients, and in 2012, this relationship got even stronger and more local with a series of high-profile acquisitions of Norwegian personnel recruitment companies – allowing the company to present a more localized and dedicated service within the country. Today, with a sizable office conveniently located at Stavanger, one of Europe’s energy hubs, Atlas Professionals can present modern personnel solutions and career options for its global and Norwegian clientele.

Stavanger is a significant location that acts as an energy hub for Europe as the city's strategic location, combined with its infrastructure and expertise, make it a critical centre for the production and transportation of oil and gas. This has helped to ensure a reliable and secure supply of energy for Europe, while also contributing to economic growth and job creation in Norway and beyond. Linda, agreeing with this sentiment, goes on to mention how it is important to be present at the heart of the Norwegian Energy industry: “We get a chance to connect with some of the most talented the Norwegian industry has to offer, and some of the biggest Clients operating in the country."

Gearing Up for Post-COVID Market

It is no secret that global disruptions and uncertainties have greatly affected our industries in recent years. However, this trend has been rapidly changing as more and more countries continue to lift COVID-19 related measures thanks to a global effort to prevent and combat COVID-19.

As Atlas Professionals, we understand the importance of the Norwegian market and how it allows the region to have energy independence and security as according to data from the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association, Norway produced 1.8 million barrels of oil per day in 2020, making it the largest oil producer in Western Europe and in addition to oil, Norway is a major exporter of natural gas, supplying around 25% of the EU's gas imports as well.

Warren mentions how the state of the market is expected to witness a significant uptick soon as traditionally, Norwegian markets tend align with the UK-North Sea markets – and UK markets have been experiencing a post-COVID boom for some time now: “We are expecting 2024 and onwards to be phenomenal for Norway as the industry is gearing up for an impressive comeback. Another change we are also observing that is rather unique to Norway is an increase in sustainable practices within the Energy industry to reduce Carbon output of the petroleum industry, such as use of renewable energy within rigs and personnel transportation, and as usual, and Atlas Professionals is here to support these endeavours too.”

As a global organization that greatly values cooperating with local Clients and organizations, Atlas Professionals will continue to seek out further opportunities to offer best possible career solutions for our Norwegian Professionals and Clients!