Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the relationship between the Norwegian national oil company Equinor (formerly Statoil), and the governments of Tanzania and Norway, with a particular focus on trust and the aid relationship.

Paper long abstract:

Trans-national companies investing in the oil and gas sectors of poor countries have been criticized for neo-colonial exploitation of vulnerable nations and populations. Some countries, including China and Norway, simultaneously play the role of investors and development partners. Equinor, formerly Statoil, is a Norwegian national oil company which has recently rebranded itself to become a broader energy company. It has invested in more than 30 countries, including several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper explores the company - state - society interactions of Equinor, Tanzania and Norway, with a particular focus on how 50 years of 'development partnership' plays into the understanding of trust. More than six years after Equinor discovered huge gas resources in the country, the Tanzanian government is still hesitant to sign a final host government agreement with the company. The paper untangles the complex ways in which Norway is involved in Tanzania's petroleum sector: First of all as one of the major prospective investors in the oil and gas sector, but also as an (unwelcome) advisor through the Oil for Development aid program.