Among a raft of tax changes Norway-based oil companies face in 2008 is a higher carbon-dioxide tax adjusted for the price of carbon-dioxide emissions quotas just over a year from now.

Based on an expected carbon price in December 2008 of NOK160 per tonne, the new carbon-emissions tax will be NOK192 per tonne, the Norwegian Oil Industry Association, or OLF, told an audience of energy company finance people Thursday.

The Norwegian oil industry has grumbled over having to pay a carbon tax and buy its own emissions quotas for the European trade. Other European industries were allotted carbon-dioxide allowances for trading purposes.

Another troubling tax proposal in a 2008 budget the Norwegian Parliament will decide this year is a value-added “import” tax on oil and gas shipped ashore from offshore Norway.

The industry is also resisting the prospect of losing a deduction on tax advice, depreciation definitions; municipal property tax on pipelines up to 12 nautical miles out to sea and a NOK15/kg nitrogen-oxide tax (on motors over 1,000 horsepower) which has risen NOK0.39 in 10 months.

“We think it is unreasonable for an onshore municipality to levy a property tax on an offshore pipeline,” said Einar Hille, tax manager for Esso in Norway. He said there were a number of taxes which had outgrown their intended purpose.

The industry has asked the government to consider an environment-technology fund to replace carbon and nitrogen-oxide taxes. ws@scandoil.com