Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
▲▲Norwegian Petroleum Museum (Norsk Oljemuseum)
—This enter-
taining, informative museum—dedicated to the discovery of oil in Norway's
North Sea in 1969 and the industry built up around it—offers an unapologetic
look at the country's biggest moneymaker. With half of Western Europe's oil
reserves, Norway is the Arabia of the North. Since the discovery of oil here
in 1969, the formerly poor agricultural nation has been transformed into a
world-class player. It's ranked third among the world's top oil exporters, pro-
ducing 1.6 million barrels a day.
Cost and Hours:
100 kr; June-Aug daily 10:00-19:00; Sept-May Mon-Sat
10:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-18:00; tel. 51 93 93 00,
www.norskolje.museum.no
.
The small museum shop sells various petroleum-based products. The mu-
seum'sBølgenogMoirestaurant,whichhasaninvitingterraceoverthewater,
serves lunch and dinner (see listing under “Eating in Stavanger,” later).
Visiting the Museum:
The exhibit describes how oil was formed, how it's
found and produced, and what it's used for. You'll see models of oil rigs, ac-
tual drill bits, see-through cylinders that you can rotate to investigate different
types of crude, and lots of explanations (in English) about various aspects of
oil. Interactive exhibits cover everything from the “History of the Earth” (4.5
billion years displayed on a large overhead globe, showing how our planet has
