[QUOTE=c.captain;185581]YES!
AND IF THERE IS ONE NORWEGIAN HERE WHO CAN PROVE TO ME THAT NORWAY DOES NOT PROTECT ITS TURF IN THEIR OFFSHORE INDUSTRY FOR ITS CITIZENS THEN PLEASE DO SO OTHERWISE SUCK MY WANG! .[/QUOTE]
Of course Norwegians try to protect their turf, but within the limitation of the rules that is govern international trade and their treaty with the EU, which demand free market, incl. in shipping.
One of the main ways of ensuring that Norwegian seafarers are prioritized is to ban NIS flagged vessels from operation in the Norwegian oil patch and coastal trade and preferential taxation for Norwegian seafarers to stays competitive with their foreign counterparts at all levels. (Norwegians are the most expensive seafarers outside Australia after all)
Are there foreign vessels with foreign crews working in Norway?? Yes there are!!!
Not too many in the oil & gas industry, but that have also got to do with efficiency of the vessels and the aforementioned preferential taxation for seafarers.
In the coastal and short sea trad there are a lot of vessels under Faeroe flag, which is kind of like a FOC, but because they are a “colony” under Denmark, (much like PR?) they are protected by EU free market rules. But there are also vessels under Cook Island, Tuvalu and Kitts & Nevis flag etc.
Foreign Rigs, Construction vessels and others working in Norwegian water and flying FOC flags, like Panama, Vanuatu, Marshall Island etc. do not change crew just because they do a job in Norwegian waters. Likewise, NOR or NIS flag vessels does not change their crew just because they move across an imaginary line dividing the North Sea into different sectors. (EEZ)
Foreign rigs that work on long term contracts in Norwegian waters would normally have a majority Norwegians in their crew, and there are many of them.
Both Transocean and Rowan have rigs working in Norway “permanently”, other US Drilling Contractors occasionally. (OK, these are nominally none-US companies, but you would be hard put to notice the difference)
Other foreign companies working in the Norwegian sector are well know companies like; Halliburton, IM Swaco/Schlumberger, NOV to mention a few. Do they hire Norwegians?? Of course, but not exclusively and not because they are forced to. Anybody with a permit to work in Norway, who meet the required qualifications and hold the required training and vocational certificates required for the job are able to work in the Norwegian oil patch.
This does not exclude American citizens by reason of nationality, but since the training and certification system is VERY different, it may be hard for Americans to meet the requirements without going through additional training and schooling. Hence there are few Americans left offshore, although still a number in shore based positions not requiring the same training. (There is no CEO certificate, but to be a Driller on a rig you are required to have gone through a rigorous regime of schooling and training)
Here is the requirement for working in the Norwegian sector, or on Norwegian rigs anywhere: app.uio.no/ub/ujur/oversatte-lover/data/for-20030509-0687-eng.pdf
PS> Hope this suffice to convince even the doubting c.captain an others who “believe” but don’t know how things work in Norway, or abroad in general.
PPS> I refrain from taking up your offer. If you are in great need, suggest you look for the Blue Oyster Bar.
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