Page 99 - Sjæklen2002

of 1985-90. These calculations do, however, involve a large
number of uncertainties concerning possible new finds and
future technological developments – and they take no ac-
count of possible basic changes in political, legal or operatio-
nal production conditions. But given the new finds of recent
years in the Danish North Sea, it would not be unrealistic to
expect continued steady growth in Ribe County’s offshore
sector in the immediate future. The course of the final pha-
sing out process will, however, depend on whether there are
further new finds in future years, or whether production will
be maintained for a period solely by improved extraction
technology. With this knowledge, there will thus be time for
both the sector and the authorities to convert to new initiati-
ves while production is still at its peak.
When investments in research and field extensions final-
ly cease, it will be impossible to avoid some impact on the
region’s offshore-related companies, which in a purely ope-
rational situation may see investments cut at a minimum to
about 40% of their present level. The sector has been
accustomed for many years to rapid readjustment in a mar-
ket marked by major fluctuations in investments, and there
will be a natural risk that the strongest companies will fol-
low the offshore activities to where the markets will be at
the time in question. This will be the case not least for the
many branch companies.
With respect to jobs and turnover, there is thus an impor-
tant specific task to be borne in mind both locally and regi-
onally in the years to come. With the establishment of a
socalled “offshore centre” now underway in Esbjerg, the
first steps have been taken both politically and commercial-
ly to counter the predictable challenges to come. The object
of the new centre is to combine all available knowledge and
will into a combined marketing and a joint development of
offshore extraction technology and know-how, and to
develop alternative ways of utilising the knowledge which
the sector has accumulated over the years. This will help to
create a creative and innovative environment which will
make it attractive enough for the offshore-related compani-
es to remain in the area when the last drop of oil has been
extracted from the Danish North Sea.
99
Elsams vindmøllepark på Horns Rev. Offshore vindmølleparker er én af de nicher, hvor Esbjergs offshorebranche kan drage nytte af erfa-
ringerne med anlæg, drift og vedligehold af olie- og gasinstallationerne på Nordsøen (Foto: Medvind).