From 1962 the Norwegian offshore oil industry provided Europe with a significant portion of its energy, and Stavanger, once a centre for fish-canning, became the principal base for exploration and for the supply and servicing of rigs. The displays in the purpose-built Museum of the Petroleum Industry, opened in 1999, are concerned principally with the first 20 years of the industry, and show the technology of oil exploration and pumping, the way of life of those who worked on the platforms, and the effects of the industry on Norwegian society.