25. licencing round on the Norwegian Continental shelf - here are the applicants

25.runde-kart.jpg

Credit: Norskpetroleum.no

25/02/2021 Seven companies have applied for production licenses in the 25th licensing round on the Norwegian shelf. The deadline for applications was 23 February.

A total of 136 blocks or parts of blocks were announced in this licensing round. Of these, eleven are in the Norwegian Sea and 125 in the Barents Sea.

“In this round, the announced blocks are mostly in frontier areas. We see that large and medium-sized companies with good technical and financial capacity to conduct exploration in such areas have applied”, says Torgeir Stordal, director of technology and coexistence in the NPD.

Seven companies have applied for production licences, either alone or in groups:

  • A/S Norske Shell
  • Equinor Energy AS
  • Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS
  • Ineos E&P Norge AS
  • Lundin Norway AS
  • OMV (Norge) AS
  • Vår Energi AS

Now begins the work of evaluating the applications. Companies that are awarded licences must have technical expertise and a solid understanding of the geology. Emphasis will also be placed on financial strength and experience.

This is outlined in the announcement letter. The announced blocks have been mapped by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate to ensure a good evaluation process.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy aims to award new production licences in the 25th licensing round before the summer of 2018.

Read more: Ministry of Petroleum and Energy press release

Contact

Ola Anders Skauby

Director Communication, public affairs and emergency response

Tel: +47 905 98 519

Updated: 26/02/2021

Latest news

Drilling permit for wellbore 30/11-16 S
15/04/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for wellbore 30/11-16 S in production licence 873, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.
An APA overview
09/04/2025 Through APA the industry has gained regular access to new acreage on the Norwegian continental shelf. Today, this includes nearly all the acreage that has been opened for petroleum activity.
Technology Day programme announced
08/04/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate’s Technology Day will be held on 5 June. There are still some slots available!
Another sulphide deposit, “Gygra”, discovered on the NCS
02/04/2025 The Centre for Deep Sea Research at the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Norwegian Offshore Directorate have discovered a new sulphide location on the Knipovich Ridge, west of Svalbard.
New organisation at the Norwegian Offshore Directorate
01/04/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is implementing a new organisation.
Oil and gas discovery in the North Sea (35/10-15 S and A)
28/03/2025 DNO and its partners have made an oil and gas discovery in the "Kjøttkake" prospect.
Dry well in the Norwegian Sea (6507/2-8)
27/03/2025 Aker BP ASA and its partners have completed drilling on the “Kongeørn” prospect in the Norwegian Sea, 240 kilometres west of Sandnessjøen.
Drilling permit for wellbore 25/11-30 S
27/03/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 25/11-30 S in production licence 169, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.
Dry well in the North Sea (35/6-6)
26/03/2025 OMV and its partners have drilled a dry well on the “Horatio” prospect in the North Sea.
Production figures Febuary 2025
20/03/2025 Preliminary production figures for February 2025 show an average daily production of 1 938 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.