OSLO, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Off-duty Norwegian naval commandos helped two children escape from Morocco last July, Norway’s defence minister said on Monday. The children of a Moroccan Olympic gold medallist and his Norwegian ex-wife spent time at the Norwegian ambassador’s residence in Rabat before they were smuggled out of the country on a boat with the help of the Norwegian commandos. Morocco last year accused Norway of helping the children, then aged 13 and 16 and with dual Norwegian-Moroccan citizenship, to leave the North African country illegally. Norway says it did nothing wrong, that the children were held in Morocco against their will and "feared for their lives", so they were allowed to spend a few days inside the embassy. Oslo has repeatedly denied helping the children return. Defence Minister Grete Faremo said the soldiers were not acting under orders from authorities and were off duty. "The Norwegian authorities did not assist when these children were taken from the country," she told a media conference. "The troops’ participation was unacceptable," Faremo said, adding that she had launched an investigation into the affair. Moroccan newspapers said the children had been kidnapped from their father Khalid Skah, who separated from his wife Anner Cecilie Hopstock in 2006. Skah won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres race at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Norwegian authorities say the children had run away from Skah and sought refuge at the Norwegian embassy. "The transportation of the children (from Morocco) was the mother’s responsibility, plan and work," Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told the same news conference. Hopstock had told Norwegian media that she had travelled with Skah and their children to Morocco in 2006. She said he locked them up in separate rooms and took away their passports. She returned to Norway in 2007 and the children were meant to follow but Skah kept them in Morocco. Skah had told a Moroccan newspaper he was living with his children in peace and harmony until the Norwegian ambassador came to his house with armed men and kidnapped the children. Norwegian officials have denied this. (Additional reporting by Ole Petter Skonnord; Editing by Louise Ireland)

OSLO (Reuters) – An industry-backed survey published on Thursday shows most Norwegians favor an impact study that could pave the way to open a pristine, fish-rich Arctic area to oil activities and prolong Norway’s energy boom.

The oil industry says the waters near the Lofoten and Vesteraalen islands in the Arctic now have the most prospects off Norway and must be tapped to prolong the North Sea state’s oil bonanza as output from mature oilfields declines.

Environmentalists say that any spill in the unspoiled region would be disastrous for its diverse eco-system, which includes unique cold water reefs, pods of sperm whales and killer whales, some of the largest seabird colonies in Europe as well as being the spawning grounds of the largest cod stock in the world.

A number of opinion polls over past months suggest that Norwegians are split nearly down the middle on Arctic drilling and the issue was a major theme in last year’s general election.

OSLO/LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Gas production returned to normal levels at Troll, Norway’s biggest field, and operator Statoil described the supplies as “secure and reliable” after a several hour stoppage stoked alarm in Britain on Thursday.

Norwegian oil and gas producer Statoil said the ramp-up of gas production at Troll was completed in the afternoon hours after the field’s A platform was shut for about two hours from about 0815 GMT on Thursday.

“Let me stress that Troll supplies are secure and reliable,” Statoil spokesman Gisle Johanson said. “Troll is back up to normal levels.”

Troll, which can supply more than 10 percent of Britain’s peak winter gas demand, as well as ship heating fuel to continental Europe, also shut because of a leak on Sunday, contributing to a surge in gas prices as freezing weather gripped northern Europe. [ID:nNWLA1862]

OSLO (Reuters) – A diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Norway told Norwegian television on Wednesday that he had resigned in protest over a crackdown on demonstrators in Iran but the government in Tehran denied the report.

“It was the Iranian authorities’ treatment of demonstrators during the Christmas week that made me realize I couldn’t continue,” public broadcaster NRK quoted Mohammed Reza Heydari as saying.

NRK, which said it had spoken to Heydari, presented his quotes in text rather than audio or video form.

Heydari, who NRK said has served as a consul at the embassy for the last three years, was not reachable for comment.

OSLO, Dec 15 (Reuters) – U.S. oil company ExxonMobil <XOM.N> said it may sell its 9.4 percent stake in Gassled, the owner of Norway’s gas transport system, but has no plans to reduce its activities on the Norwegian shelf.

Gassled is a joint venture between oil and gas companies on the Norwegian continental shelf which owns the integrated North Sea gas transport system carrying nearly 100 billion cubic metres of Norwegian gas per year to Europe.

“We are continuously looking at optimising our portfolio and this time we are marketing Gassled to see if we can sell it,” Exxon Norway spokeswoman Kristin Kragseth said on Tuesday.

The decision to market the stake comes a year after Exxon, as well as other foreign minority Gassled owners including Total <TOTF.PA>, Shell <RDSa.L>, ConocoPhillips <COP.N> and Eni <ENI.MI>, accused the Norwegian government of giving too much sway over Gassled to companies it has influence over.

OSLO (Reuters) – Financial markets need global climate talks getting underway in Copenhagen to iron out a plan to price emissions more effectively and seal the switch to a low carbon economy, Europe’s biggest investor told Reuters on Monday.

Norway’s oil revenue-fueled $440 billion sovereign wealth fund says climate change poses risks for its long-term investment and has lobbied along with other international investors for a strong agreement in Copenhagen.

The December 7-19 summit aims to agree cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and raise billions of dollars in aid to help the world curb its addiction to fossil fuels and seek low carbon alternatives.

“The financial markets need a strong commitment… and a strong price signal that the transition to a low carbon economy has started,” Anne Kvam, head of corporate governance at the Norwegian central bank-ran fund, said in an interview. But she said the prospects for a strong global agreement were hindered by problems with passing legislation in the United States, which along with China is the world’s top carbon dioxide emitter and remains outside the current Kyoto emission scheme.

NEW YORK/OSLO, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Cisco Systems Inc <CSCO.O> said its bid for Tandberg ASA <TAA.OL> has been accepted by 84 percent of shareholders in the Norwegian videoconferencing company, and gave a one-day ultimatum to those who have not yet tendered their shares.

Most analysts said the 19 billion Norwegian crown ($3.4 billion) deal is likely to go forward, creating an industry leader in videoconferencing, although the acceptance level by Tuesday was slightly lower than the 90 percent originally set as a minimum requirement.

Cisco reiterated on Wednesday that it could waive that 90 percent requirement, although it still sees it as a key threshold. It said it will announce whether it met that 90 percent level after the offer expires on Thursday at 1630 GMT.

“If not, Cisco will determine whether to withdraw the offer or waive this (90 percent) condition,” it said in a statement.

OSLO, Dec 1 (Reuters) – Europe’s two biggest suppliers of natural gas, Norway’s Statoil ASA <STL.OL> and Russia’s Gazprom’s <GAZP.MM>, signed initial deals to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the United States and trade energy there.

The preliminary deal, whose terms will be negotiated over the coming months, comes at a time when U.S. gas markets are plagued by low prices due to massive expansion of shale production, which has reduced the need for LNG imports.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the companies said the deals include Gazprom gaining regasification capacity at the Cove Point, Maryland, LNG receiving terminal.

Statoil will also sell natural gas to Kremlin-controlled Gazprom at various U.S. locations, while purchasing LNG from the Russian company at Cove Point.

TOFTE, Norway (Reuters) – Norway opened on Tuesday the world’s first osmotic power plant, which produces emissions-free electricity by mixing fresh water and sea water through a special membrane.

State-owned utility Statkraft’s prototype plant, which for now will produce a tiny 2-4 kilowatts of power or enough to run a coffee machine, will enable Statkraft to test and develop the technology needed to drive down production costs.

The plant is driven by osmosis that naturally draws fresh water across a membrane and toward the seawater side. This creates higher pressure on the sea water side, driving a turbine and producing electricity.

“While salt might not save the world alone, we believe osmotic power will be an interesting part of the renewable energy mix of the future,” Statkraft Chief Executive Baard Mikkelsen told reporters.

OSLO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Cisco Systems Inc <CSCO.O> raised its bid for Tandberg ASA <TAA.OL> 10 percent to 19 billion Norwegian crowns ($3.41 billion), a move widely expected to win over shareholders of the video conferencing company.

Cisco said on Monday its new bid of 170 crowns per share has the approval of holders of more than 40 percent of Tandberg shares, including the top two investors, OppenheimerFunds, which had opposed the original offer, and Folketrygdfondet.

That was a significant improvement from the less than 10 percent that accepted Cisco’s initial 153.50 crown bid,

Analysts and investors expect the new bid, which the U.S. network equipment maker said would be its last, to win more shareholder support. Tandberg’s board, which had already supported the original price, called the sweetened offer “outstanding.”