business & finance club - Abu Dhabi  : Norway's deputy petroleum and energy minister Robin Kass has given assurance of Oslo's desire to establish joint strategic projects with the UAE in the field of renewable energy and the development of the oil and gas industry to achieve sustainable development.

In an interview with Gulf News, on the occasion of the visit of the Crown Prince of Norway to the UAE, Kass said the UAE had taken an important step in aiming for electric power from nuclear stations to provide clean and less costly sources of energy.

He added that this strategic decision will meet a rapidly growing demand for energy in the UAE from a peaceful nuclear source while maintaining stocks of oil and gas for the next generation through exports to foreign markets.

Kass pointed to Norway's appreciation for the efforts of the Government of Abu Dhabi to build Masdar City and move forward with projects on the assembling, transportation and storage of carbon dioxide from oil and gas fields and electric power plants to maintain a clean and natural environment.

The Norwegian deputy minister said he expected the Norwegian Crown Prince's visit to the UAE to yield positive results.

He added that the Norwegian delegation accompanying the Crown Prince sought to establish a permanent partnership with the UAE in the oil and gas industry, renewable energy, maritime transport and environmental projects.

He said the State Oil company in Norway (Statoil) was keen to set up joint ventures with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) to develop the oil and gas industry.

He said, "We have succeeded in oil and gas discoveries in the North Sea, relying on Norwegian expertise and technologies."

He spoke of Norway's unique strategy of injecting oil wells with acid gas to increase productivity and increase dry well reserves.

"We have started implementing a project in Saudi Arabia to raise production capacity in some fields..." he said.

He explained that the oil cooperation between Norway, GCC countries and Algeria was strategic. Kass said cooperation would be expanded in light of Norway's ability employ private technologies to increase oil production, carbon capture and the liquefaction of gas, in addition to the detection and production in both land and sea fields