Norwegian energy company Statoil explains sale of non-core assets in the North Sea as part of an effort to focus on greener options. After reporting first quarter earnings below analyst expectations, Norwegian major Statoil announced it was selling off non-core assets in the North Sea. The company, co-owned by the government, reported net operating income of $5 billion, up from the $4.3 billion during the first quarter of 2017. Earnings after tax were $1.5 billion, up about 35 percent from the same period last year, but slightly below analyst expectations. On Monday, the company agreed to sell its 17 percent interest in the Alba oil field in the British waters of the North Sea to Verus Petroleum for an undisclosed sum. In a separate agreement , Verus paid $63 million to take a 47 percent interest in the […]