Whaling

In the 1880s, O. B. Sørensen ventured into a new oil enterprise. As one of eight partners, he entered into an agreement with Svend Foyn to conduct whaling from land stations in Finnmark using Foyn’s patented hunting method. With this new method, whaling could become a profitable business.

 

Even with the new hunting technique and steamships, establishing a profitable whaling operation was demanding. It required new expertise and many workers, and the outcome was uncertain, depending heavily on weather and wind conditions.