Oil: Meanwhile, Them Blue-Eyed Arabs Are Sneaking Up On OPEC

The headline is taken from a novel about the Norwegian oil biz, Stavanger 1989, titled "Blue-Eyed Arabs of the North"  by Patricia Bjørnstad who I think took the idea from the sobriquet for the Alberta oil hustlers of the late 1970's.

From Bloomberg: 

Norway Emerges From Oil Drop as Growth Seen at Pre-Crisis Levels

Norway may be finally emerging from an oil downturn with companies the most upbeat they’ve been on economy since before the oil crisis, according to a central bank survey. The krone jumped on the news.

A survey of companies across regions and industries now indicates a broad based improvement driven by both public and private demand, according to Norges Bank’s regional network report published on Tuesday. There are even signs that improved economic sentiment has spread to the battered oil regions in the southwest.

The krone strengthened as much as 0.7 percent, the most since May 19, and was up 0.4 percent as of 2:57 p.m. in Oslo.

“The improvement was broadly based among sectors and signals that the contraction in the oil service industry has reached an end,” said Erica Blomgren, chief strategist at SEB in Oslo.

Norwegian growth is now quickening and unemployment receding after a three-year slump caused by a global oil glut. With the government pumping in a massive fiscal stimulus and the central bank cutting the key policy rate to a record, the Norwegian economy is now seen emerging from the worst downturn in a generation....MORE