Browne, now executive chairman of L1 Energy, was discussing the long-term perspectives for the Norwegian continental shelf at ONS in Stavanger, and praised the country's attractiveness and future prospects.

"For a province that's been producing oil and gas for almost half a century, Norway remains an attractive place to do business. When I was with BP, it (Norway) accounted for approximately 5% of our global activity and about one-fifth of our European activity.

"At