Opponents of the gas processing station in northwest Mayo took their battle to Norway, the home of Statoil which has a 37% stake in the Corrib gas field. During their visit independent TD Dr Jerry Cowley and relatives of the Rossport Five were told by Statoil's senior vice-president, Helge Hatlestad, "Statoil would never embark on such a project without taking sufficient safety considerations. We are fully confident in the safety of the pipeline and the project". A local Labour MP, however, said, "We cannot have such a big company having an argument with our friends in Ireland". Tore Nordton also said that in Norway such conflicts were avoided through close consultation with the local community and by dealing with safety issues before the planning stage. On his return to Dublin Dr Cowley described the visit as a great success as it had received widespread coverage in the Norwegian media.