Rogaland
Norway's petroleum capital hosting 210,000 oil sector jobs while pivoting toward 30,000 MW offshore wind ambition using existing engineering expertise.
Rogaland is Norway's petroleum heartland—the coastal county where the oil economy transformed from abstract offshore activity into visible onshore prosperity. Stavanger, the county seat, serves as headquarters for major petroleum companies and the hub for an engineering ecosystem that designs, builds, and operates North Sea extraction infrastructure. Approximately 210,000 people work directly or indirectly in Norway's petroleum sector, with Rogaland hosting the largest regional concentration.
The transformation began when Phillips Petroleum discovered the Ekofisk field in 1969. Within a generation, Stavanger evolved from a fishing and canning center into Scandinavia's energy capital. This path dependence created prosperity but also vulnerability—when oil prices collapsed in 2014-2016, Rogaland experienced unemployment spikes that revealed how completely the region had restructured around petroleum.
Today the county navigates energy transition with characteristic pragmatism. Petroleum production from the Norwegian continental shelf reached 241 million standard cubic meters in 2024—the highest since 2009—with investments at 272 billion NOK in 2025. Yet offshore wind development represents the emerging opportunity. Rogaland's engineering expertise in offshore construction translates directly to wind farm installation, creating a succession pathway from fossil to renewable that maintains regional competitiveness.
The government's 30,000 MW offshore wind ambition by 2040 positions Rogaland for continued energy leadership. By 2026, expect petroleum production to remain strong while wind projects advance through permitting, and the region to maintain its position as Norway's energy capital regardless of the energy source.