Norwegian government has offered 24 companies ownership interests in 62 production licenses on the Norwegian shelf in pre-defined areas (APA) 2023, Norway's regulator of the petroleum resources informed.
The awards, unveiled on January 16, 2024, mark an increase from previous year, when 47 licenses were awarded, according to Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
The authorities reviewed applications from a total of 25 companies in the fall of 2023.
Of these 62 production licenses, 29 are in the North Sea, 25 in the Norwegian Sea and eight in the Barents Sea.
Norwegian Offshore Directorate said that 16 of the production licenses are additional acreage for existing production licenses.
"We can see that the companies still have plenty of faith in making more discoveries in areas with familiar geology and close to existing infrastructure.
“It's important to prove resources so that available capacity in established process plants and pipeline systems can be utilized. This means that even small discoveries can yield significant value creation," said Kalmar Ildstad. director of license management in the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
"Last year, I specifically encouraged companies to explore opportunities in the Barents Sea. This year we are offering more than double the number of production licenses in this region compared to last year's round.
"This shows that several companies have responded positively to the call, and that they are conscious of their social responsibilities. Proving more gas resources is important for profitability, by increasing the export capacity from this region," added Norway's Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.
The following companies have been offered parts in licenses, or operatorships (parts/operatorships):
