Continuing to build links to sister organisations in neighboring countries, FOÍB, representing oil companies holding licenses in the Faroes, is recognized as a significant player in all matters related to offshore energy.
Under the stewardship of Jan Müller as Managing Director since 2011, FOÍB, once barely visible to the public eye, has dramatically raised its profile. One of the ways this has been done this is by establishing a website Oljan.fo which has become the principal source of news about the oil and gas industry in the Faroes.
FOÍB (Faroes Oil Industry Group) is the organization representing oil companies holding licenses in the Faroes.
Trade statistics show up to 15,000 hits per week for Oljan.fo. Whilst Mr. Müller’s past journalistic experience has come in handy here, his new remit goes far beyond publishing news. It includes, for example, building a network of contacts, particularly with sister organisations, to further FOÍB’s objectives such as representing members and industry interests.
FOÍB’s office at Bryggjubakki 22 with its panoramic view of Tórshavn’s west harbor has become integral to Mr. Müller’s mission. Centrally located close to Parliament and Government offices, it has become a crossroads for people with an interest in the oil and gas industry. Here foreign journalists are entertained and briefed about exploration prospects as well as about the Faroes generally. The result has been glowingly positive articles in publications such as Upstream, Politiken, Aftenbladet, and the Press and Journal, Politicians, civil servants and business people drop by for a coffee which provides an ideal opportunity to informally chat about various industry issues. Bryggjubakki 22 is naturally also the first port of call in the Faroes for executives from FOÍB member companies.
The FOÍB office also doubles up as a lecture hall when groups of students from schools and colleges visit and receive an authoritative presentation on the oil and gas industry from Mr. Müller.
In June last year FOÍB staged a landmark Oil Conference at the Nordic House in Tórshavn. Both Malcolm Webb and Gro Brækken, the respective heads of FOÍB’s sister organisations Oil and Gas UK and Norsk Olje og Gass, gave presentations at the conference.
“Their presence illustrated the cordial relations we managed to establish in a relatively short period,” Mr. Müller commented. “We also have good contacts with our counterparts in Ireland, Denmark and Greenland and are now working on linking up with others further afield,” he added.
In going about his tasks, Mr. Müller retains his trademark enthusiasm. Although he covered the subject extensively in the media for many years, he said in relation to his current post: “I’ve become even more eager to learn about this fascinating industry — there are so many aspects, it never stops amazing me.”
