It's time for the Parliament to vote on which city is to become the oil capital of Norway, and everyone in town is eager to hear the result.

Mayor Rettedal uses unorthodox methods to get Stavanger elected as the oil capital of Norway. Anna does something she regrets at a party at the Esso Motor Hotel.

Christian and Martin start their own diving company, and are in need of startup capital. An old friend of Toril's returns to town.

Phillips Petroleum is looking for a place by the coast to build a gigantic tank for oil storage. Dirdal Valley, where Anna's family's farm is situated, is one of the areas they are considering.

Christian and the other divers on the Ocean Viking take risks every day at work, and the risks are increasingly dangerous.

Nyman's factory has financial problems, and Fredrik Nyman has to come up with a plan to save it. Anna Hellevik sees an opportunity to help her father-in-law, and starts scheming behind Fredrik's back.

Phillips Petroleum introduces a smoking ban on the oil rig Ocean Viking, and the mayor of Stavanger speculates on whether the Americans might have found oil.

International oil companies are pulling out of Stavanger, Norway, after years of unsuccessful test drilling. Everyone in town is affected, especially Christian, who works as a diver on one of the oil rigs, and Toril, whose boyfriend works for Shell.