A total of 90 prospective geologists, geophysicists, petroleum technologists, reservoir engineers and drilling personnel have signed up this year.
They are taking part with 30 professors, guests and representatives from universities and university colleges in Norway.
“The aim is to strengthen university-level education and lay the best possible recruitment base for our business,” says Jon Martin Huslid.
He is project manager on behalf of the Technology entity in Statoil for the Svalex expedition, which runs from 23 August to 4 September.
The idea is to introduce students to the whole value chain within geology and geophysical activities.
It also provides new Statoil employees with good experience, not least with a view to the group’s internationalisation.
An innovation this year is that the students come not only from Norway, but also from countries in which Statoil has operations – including Russia and Nigeria.
To give participants an understanding of the technology associated with seismic shooting, the Directorate of Fisheries has made its m/v G O Sars survey ship available.
Seismic data will be gathered in the fjords around Svalbard, explains Mr Huslid. The m/v Nordstjernen cruise liner will be used to accommodate the Svalex party.
Statoil collaborates over the expedition with the universities on Svalbard and in Tromsø, Trondheim, Bergen and Oslo, and with the Stavanger University College.
The programme is organised as multi-disciplinary case based on learning in the field, with the natural environment and geology of Svalbard providing a perfect setting.