The Norwegian Ministry of Vitality introduced, in a press release posted on its web site on Tuesday, that it has provided 57 new manufacturing licenses to 19 corporations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf within the APA (Awards in Predefined Areas) 2025 licensing spherical.
Of the 57 manufacturing licenses provided in APA 2025, 31 are positioned within the North Sea, 21 within the Norwegian Sea, and 5 within the Barents Sea, the assertion highlighted.
Equinor Vitality AS was provided the best variety of mixed components in licenses and operatorships, with 52, adopted by Aker BP ASA, with 34, and DNO Norge AS, with 21, the assertion revealed. An entire listing of presents, exhibiting components/operatorships, as proven on the ministry’s website, might be seen beneath:
- Advertisement -
- Aker BP ASA (22/12)
- Concedo AS (2/1)
- ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS (1/1)
- DNO Norge AS (17/4)
- Equinor Vitality AS (35/17)
- Harbour Vitality Norge AS (9/4)
- INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (5/1)
Japex Norge AS (2/0) - Lime Petroleum AS (1/0)
- OKEA ASA (3/1)
- OMV (Norge) AS (4/2)
- Orlen Upstream Norway AS (6/0)
- Pandion Vitality Norge AS (1/0)
- Petrolia NOCO AS (1/1)
- Repsol (2/2)
- Supply Vitality AS (2/0)
- TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (1/0)
- Vår Energi ASA (14/6)
- Wellesley Petroleum AS (5/5)
All petroleum licensing rounds are carried out throughout the framework established by the Norwegian Parliament for the place new manufacturing licenses could also be awarded, the ministry’s assertion famous, including that APA is an annual exploration spherical for the Norwegian continental shelf.
“The APA rounds are carried out inside a hard and fast space, the APA space, which is expanded on the idea of petroleum skilled assessments and in accordance with a hard and fast annual cycle,” the assertion highlighted.
“The APA space includes the vast majority of the opened, obtainable acreage on the continental shelf, together with areas within the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea,” it mentioned.
“A binding work program is linked to all of the licenses to make sure maturation of the acreage or relinquishment of the license to the state because the useful resource proprietor,” the ministry famous within the assertion.
Annual APA licensing rounds have been launched in 2003, the ministry highlighted within the assertion, noting that the purpose was to facilitate the invention and extraction of worthwhile assets in mature areas earlier than present infrastructure is shut down. As we speak, the APA space covers a lot of the opened, obtainable exploration areas on the Norwegian continental shelf, the assertion identified.
“Norway is Europe’s most necessary power provider, however in just a few years manufacturing will start to say no,” Norway Minister of Vitality, Terje Aasland, mentioned within the assertion.
“Due to this fact, we’d like new tasks that may sluggish the decline and ship as a lot manufacturing as potential. As we speak, we’re providing 57 new manufacturing licenses to 19 corporations,” Aasland added.
“This can be a vital contribution to making sure continued exercise within the oil and gasoline business. That exercise is necessary for jobs, worth creation, and Europe’s power safety’, the minister continued.
In a press release posted on its web site, Equinor introduced that it had been awarded 35 new manufacturing licenses by the Ministry of Vitality on this yr’s APA.
“Equinor will acquire entry to engaging acreage within the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea, strengthening the inspiration for the corporate’s exploration exercise, manufacturing and long-term worth creation on the Norwegian continental shelf,” Equinor mentioned on this assertion.
The corporate highlighted that 21 of its awards are positioned within the North Sea, 10 are within the Norwegian Sea, and 4 are within the Barents Sea.
“We’re more than happy with the APA spherical, which facilitates our plans for a continued excessive stage of exercise inside exploration,” Jez Averty, Equinor Senior Vice President for Subsurface, the Norwegian Continental Shelf, mentioned within the assertion.
“A robust yr has been accomplished with 14 discoveries in 2025, seven of them Equinor operated. This quantities to roughly 125 million barrels of latest recoverable oil equal, with a possible for much more,” Averty added.
“Our geological data is excessive, and we’re consistently studying extra via additional exploration. Awards in lesser-known areas, comparable to we’ve obtained within the northeastern a part of the North Sea and within the southwestern Møre Basin, present new and thrilling alternatives,” Averty continued.
In a press release posted on its website, Aker BP confirmed that the Norwegian authorities had provided Aker BP possession pursuits in 22 exploration licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf within the APA 2025 licensing spherical.
“The awards strengthen the corporate’s place as probably the most energetic exploration corporations on the NCS,” Aker mentioned within the assertion.
Aker BP highlighted within the assertion that it has been awarded licenses within the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea. It mentioned the portfolio represents a balanced mixture of alternatives near present infrastructure and prospects in much less explored areas.
“We’re happy with the result of this yr’s APA spherical,” Petter Sørhaug, SVP Exploration and Reservoir Improvement in Aker BP, mentioned within the assertion.
“The awards assist our long-term development ambitions on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and supply a strong foundation for pursuing a centered and value-driven exploration technique,” Sørhaug added.
In a press release posted on DNO’s web site, DNO ASA introduced that its wholly owned subsidiary DNO Norge AS had been awarded participation in 17 exploration licenses underneath Norway’s APA 2025 licensing spherical.
Of the 17 new licenses, 15 are within the North Sea and two within the Norwegian Sea, DNO highlighted within the assertion.
“We’re happy as soon as once more to be among the many prime recipients within the APA spherical with the award of great pursuits in high-quality acreage, together with operatorships, in DNO core areas,” DNO Government Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani mentioned on this assertion.
“Our groups are chomping on the bit to seize new discoveries and push them to manufacturing quickly,” Mossavar-Rahmani added.
To contact the writer, electronic mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
