Norwegian Petroleum Directorate picks new director general

The King in Council named a new director general of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate on Friday, October 11.

The NPD, a Norwegian government agency responsible for the regulation of the petroleum resources on the Norwegian continental shelf, said on Friday that Ingrid Sølvberg was appointed as the new director general.

She will be taking over the role from Bente Nyland, whose second term as the director general expires at the end of 2019.

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has not yet set a date for the transition.

The director general position in the NPD is posted as a fixed term engagement of six years, with the option of an additional six-year period.

The current director general, Nyland, said: “This is one of the most exciting jobs in petroleum activities. I’ve looked forward to going to work every single day. I wish Ingrid the best of luck.”

Ingrid Sølvberg has spent more than five years as a member of the NPD’s strategic management team with responsibility for development and operations. According to the NPD, she is thoroughly familiar with the organization, and activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Sølvberg added: “Bente Nyland has done a great job as director general. She has spoken out as a clear advocate for exploiting the resources on the Norwegian Shelf in the best way possible, and for ensuring that this value creation benefits the entire society.”

The incoming director general is a civil engineer with a degree in marine technology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

She assumed the post of director of development and operations in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate in June 2014.

She started her career in Statoil, now Equinor, in 1995 as a subsea engineer, and she was assigned her first management position in 2004.

Sølvberg had a number of management positions, including as director of platform technology and marine surveys in the period from 2007-2010 and then as HSE director for the company’s midstream and downstream activity.

In 2012, she went to Centrica as commercial manager, before taking the position as the NPD’s director for the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea in 2013.

She also held positions on the board of the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and the Ship Maneuvering Simulator Center.

Spotted a typo? Have something more to add to the story? Maybe a nice photo? Contact our editorial team via email.

Also, if you’re interested in showcasing your company, product or technology on Offshore Energy Today, please contact us via our advertising form where you can also see our media kit.