{
  "id": 5151430,
  "title": "Vi fyller ikke råolje på tanken",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/vi-fyller-ikke-raolje-pa-tanken",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-02T19:16:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "E24 Norway",
    "slug": "e24-norway",
    "url": "https://e24.no/norsk-oekonomi/i/43vdoR/vi-fyller-ikke-raaolje-paa-tanken"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Norwegians are being told that the country does not buy crude oil directly. In September, pump prices skyrocketed, with diesel prices reaching up to 30 Norwegian kroner per liter. Temporary tax breaks for gasoline and diesel were introduced in the spring, following the Iran crisis that sparked an energy crisis. Now, the breaks are being removed, with many citing oil prices as the reason. Finance spokesman for the right Niklas Astrup is among those making this claim. \"Oil prices are now back to a more normal level,\" he told NRK in August.\n\nTrump is now playing with fire against Iran, causing oil prices to soar once again. A barrel of North Sea oil costs $95, which is solidly above pre-war levels. However, it is far from the scary scenarios that were predicted. When the war began, many feared oil prices of $150 or $200 per barrel. Much of the pessimism was misplaced. Experts, particularly those who underestimated China's oil consumption, were caught off guard. China's large imports of oil have significantly increased their leverage in the oil market. However, this does not help much for car owners, who often believe this is not a significant concern.\n\nWe Norwegians are accustomed to relying on North Sea oil, or the more commonly known Brent price. Higher oil prices translate to higher gasoline and diesel prices. The journey from the oil field to the gas pump involves several crucial steps: the oil must be shipped, refined, and transformed into the products we actually use. Right now, this part of the process is where much of the drama is unfolding. Norway has only one large oil refinery left, in Mongstad. Norwegian production only covers about 40% of our diesel consumption. The rest must be imported. Diesel, in particular, makes us dependent on a global market that is currently very tight.\n\nIran's war has locked much of the oil in the Persian Gulf. Many refineries and trade in finished oil products have been hit. Meanwhile, Russian refining capacity has also been significantly reduced. Successful Ukrainian attacks on Putin's aggressor state have severely disrupted exports of specialty diesel. And now, with fuel stocks already low – both in Europe and globally – the result is that the increase in the price of crude oil is being passed on. It has become prohibitively expensive to convert crude oil into gasoline and diesel. While many of us were enjoying summer vacations, the crude oil price dropped to levels not seen since before the war. Yet, gasoline and diesel prices were still about 30% higher than before the war, according to the IEA energy agency. This alone should question the notion that oil prices and pump prices move in tandem. Just as a loaf of bread becomes expensive when flour suddenly becomes scarce, the price of bread can rise even if flour prices barely move. Cheap flour helps a little if the bread-making process suddenly becomes expensive and difficult. Similarly, the situation with the oil market now.",
  "summary": "Råoljen har blitt dyrere. Men bensin og diesel har blitt langt dyrere.",
  "key_points": [
    "Norwegians no longer buy crude oil directly",
    "Oil prices return to normal post-Iran crisis",
    "Diesel prices reach up to 30 NOK per liter"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}