Photo: Generalkonsulatet Houston
The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit was instituted by the late King Olav V in 1985. According to its statues the Order is to be conferred on foreign nationals in recognition of particularly meritorious services rendered in furtherance of Norwegian interest.
Mr. Mulva was awarded for his contribution to the development of the Norwegian offshore oil and gas sector. He has for more than three and a half decades been among the top leaders of Phillips Petroleum and later ConocoPhillips, and was a key player during the planning and financing of the different phases of the giant Ekofisk project offshore Norway. This project stands out as a major success story of “The Norwegian Oil Adventure”, and for Norwegian oil policy in general. Throughout the years Mr. Mulva has continued to strengthen relations between Norway and the US in this sector. He has supported research and innovation in Norway and the development of a Norwegian offshore service sector, which today is estimated to be second only to the American. James J. Mulva must be given much credit for Norway’s emergence as one of the world’s leading producers of oil and gas.