Stavanger kommune

Drill bit, Norwegian
Petroleum Museum
The town was relatively undamaged during
the Second World War and continued to grow
until the 1960s, when demand for canned
food decreased and competition within
shipbuilding was hard. The town was
heading for a new recession.
The discovery of oil in the North Sea
started a new period of growth. The
first major oil field, Ekofisk, was
discovered in the autumn of 1969.
Stavanger became the administrative
and technical centre for North Sea oil
activity. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (Oljedirektoratet)
was established in Stavanger and national and international
oil companies set up offices. The Norwegian State’s national
oil company (Statoil) became the largest employer. Major oil
installations were constructed at Rosenberg and Jåttåvågen.
After the end of major construction activity, growth continued
in the service industry and administration, with great cumulative
effect.
Amalgamation of the Stavanger municipality with Madla and
parts of Hetland in 1965 enabled Stavanger to expand and keep
pace with the growth, and to establish new districts. The first
general plan for the amalgamated area was approved in 1968.
Platform construction. Photo: A. Brueland 1973
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CITY
12