On 16 January, forty people were killed, including five Statoil employees, in a terrorist attack against Statoil’s In Amenas’ base in Algeria. The investigation team of the incident concluded that the terror attack against In Amenas was an unprecedented attack and companies like Statoil today face serious security threats.
Statoil has engaged The Norwegian Defence Estates Agency to examine the security situation for the company’s office building and land in Norway. The company “can be considered a legitimate target of violent extremists for several reasons,” concludes the agency.
Statoil is now concerned that it will take too long before the police can help if any of the onshore facilities in Norway are exposed to terrorist attacks, writes newspaper Bergens Tidende.
– It is a topic that has been discussed on the board. The company has initiated and held a dialogue with the authorities about it. A number of our onshore facilities are located relatively far from established police and fire fighting centers, says executive chairman Svein Rennemo.
Statoil CEO Helge Lund suggest that it is the government’s responsibility to do threat assessments and implement measures. He adds that it is important to put in place quick response by the police. This involves classified information.
