North-Sea Eco-Thriller “Scandinavian Target”
Scandinavian Target: The Stavanger Protocol
Stavanger was once called the “oil capital of Norway”. In the 1970s, black gold transformed an industrial city – known for its canneries and shipyards – into an economic powerhouse. Today, fifty years on, the great oil fields are largely depleted. But the industry remains, only now it wears green.
“Scandinavian Target” unfolds during this transition. CO₂ storage in depleted oil caverns is touted as cutting-edge technology, a way to combat the climate crisis. But what happens when commercial interests and environmental protection collide? When billions are at stake and no one wants to look too closely?
Two Sides of a Story
The book doesn’t offer simple answers. The North Sea oil industry made Norway wealthy, created thousands of jobs, shaped an entire region. At the same time, there’s the other side: Events like Piper Alpha, 1988, off the Scottish coast. Alexander Kielland, 1980, in Norwegian waters. Names that stand for catastrophes, for lives lost on the platforms.
Erik Wiedner, the journalist at the story’s centre, must navigate through exactly these contradictions. His wife Amelia, a marine biologist, discovers something underwater that shouldn’t be there. Both come from different worlds – he seeks the story, she seeks scientific truth – but their perspectives complement each other.
When Technology Becomes Risk
The premise isn’t far-fetched: what if an environmental technology itself becomes a threat? Storing CO₂ beneath the seabed sounds elegant, but the North Sea isn’t a laboratory. Currents, pressure, marine ecosystems – these are variables that can’t be controlled. And when corners are cut in implementation, when the complexity of deep-sea engineering meets the pressure of corporate timelines and political agendas, the consequences can spiral beyond anyone’s control.
The fourth volume of the Pursuit Series brings the characters onto platforms, into corporate headquarters, into the political back rooms of Scandinavia. Detlev Klüver, a former governor with a past, plays his own agenda – somewhere between genuine environmental concern and personal ambition.
Research as Foundation
What carries the story is its authenticity. The operations on a North Sea platform, the dynamics within Norwegian energy corporations, the scientific details about marine microorganisms – none of it feels constructed. It’s the result of research, not Hollywood fantasy.
For readers interested in the North Sea, in the history of the oil industry, in the question of how we should handle environmental technology, the book offers food for thought. Without preaching. The characters have their viewpoints, their conflicts – and the reader is free to form their own opinion.
“Scandinavian Target: The Stavanger Protocol” is available now as a Kindle or print edition on Amazon UK or on Amazon US. The North Sea remains dangerous – only now the dangers sometimes come in different guises.
