Norway NCP accepts complaint for examination, which involves two Norwegian companies

Specific instance addresses several areas in the Guidelines

The complaint involves enterprises and National Contact Points in several countries. The complainants allege that Samsung Heavy Industries, Total, Total E&P Norge, Equinor and TechnipFMC have violated the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises during construction of an oil platform for the Martin Linge Project on the Norwegian continental shelf. The complaint is submitted by Korean Transnational Corporations Watch and Samsung Heavy Industries Martin Linge Project Crane Accident Workers Support Team.

Read Norway NCP’s Initial Assessment and find all relevant documents for the specific instance here.

The platform was under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in the Republic of Korea, when a serious accident occurred 1 May 2017. Six persons were killed and 25 were injured. Furthermore, more than 150 workers are suffering from trauma due to the accident and are in need of treatment, according to the complainants.

The complainants claim that the companies have violated the OECD Guidelines with reference to the chapters on general policies, disclosure and human rights.

Norway NCP finds that the issues raised in the complaint merit further consideration and will offer its good offices to the parties with a view to resolve the issues. The decision is not an assessment of whether the companies have violated the OECD Guidelines.

Norway NCP is lead NCP for handling the case regarding the companies based in Europe, in collaboration with France and UK NCPs. Norway NCP is in dialogue with Korea NCP, which has also accepted the complaint and will handle it with reference to the Korean company, Samsung Heavy Industries.

The companies

The Martin Linge project refers to a unitised area on the Norwegian continental shelf comprising three Norwegian production licences. The unit is licensed to a joint venture, which at the time of the accident was composed of TEPN (51%), Petoro AS (30%) and Statoil Petroleum AS (Equinor with 19%). TEPN was the operator on behalf of the other participants. In March 2018, TEPN assigned its entire participating interest to Equinor, which has since been the operator (now 70%).

Samsung HI and TechnipFMC form the consortium of contractors engaged by the joint venture to build the platform for the Martin Linge project. Samsung HI is the owner of the Geoje shipyard and responsible for the construction of the platform. TechnipFMC is the leader of the consortium, and is responsible for the design of the platform.

Contact information:
Professor Ola Mestad, in charge of handling the case for the National Contact Point.
Email: ola.mestad@jus.uio.no, tel: (+47) 928 81 455.