Sokkeldirektoratet

New research article about the Barents Sea North

matt-hardy-6ArTTluciuA-unsplash.jpg

Illustration image.

6/12/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has contributed a research article in the internationally recognised periodical Geological Society of London (GSL) Special Publication Memoir no 57.

The title of the special publication is Sedimentary successions of the Arctic region and their hydrocarbon prospectivity.

The authors behind the article, which is titled North Barents composite tectono-sedimentary element, are geologists Bjørn Anders Lundschien, Rune Mattingsdal, Sondre Krogh Johansen and Stig-Morten Knutsen.

The article is included as one of 67 unique contributions on geological developments in the Arctic.

The NPD was asked by the Books Editorial Committee to write the article about the Barents Sea North, since the area has not been opened for petroleum activities, which means that the resource authorities are the only ones who have data from the area.

The purpose of all the articles is to compare geological provinces in the Arctic. The articles follow the same template and structure, thus ensuring that the different geological provinces can be compared in the best possible manner.

"The work on our article started in early 2016 and is based on several years of seismic interpretation and interpretation of core materials from our shallow stratigraphic drilling, alongside several years of field studies onshore in Svalbard," says Bjørn Anders Lundschien, who led the work on the article.

Picture of an updated structural element map.The article contains an updated structural element map, which forms the basis for updating the NPD’s structural element map on the NPD FactPages.

Read the special publication Sedimentary successions of the Arctic region and their hydrocarbon prospectivity here

Contact

Ola Anders Skauby

Director Communication, public affairs and emergency response

Tel: +47 905 98 519

Updated: 6/12/2023

Latest news

Drilling permit for wellbore 34/4-19 S
9/15/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 34/4-19 S in production licence 057.
Drilling permit for wellbore 34/6-9 S
9/15/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 34/6-9 S in production licence 554.
Oil discovery in the North Sea (31/4-A-15 B)
9/11/2025 OKEA and its partners have made an oil discovery near the Brage field.
Drilling permit for wellbore 6507/8-12 S
9/11/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 6507/8-12 S in production licence 124 B.
Invitation to nominate blocks for the 26th licensing round
9/10/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is inviting the companies on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) to nominate blocks for the 26th licensing round on the NCS.
Interest in exploration on the Norwegian continental shelf remains high
9/4/2025 The authorities have received applications from 20 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2025. The deadline for applications was 2 September.
Regulations relating to seabed minerals now stipulated
9/3/2025 With effect from 1 September 2025, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate has now stipulated the Regulations relating to data collection and documentation in mineral activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
New dashboard provides insight into exploration activity on the NCS
9/1/2025 Exploration activity is crucial for future oil and gas production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).
Drilling permit for wellbore 6407/1-B-2 H
9/1/2025 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 6407/1-B-2 H in production licence 1121.
Dry well in the Barents Sea (7117/4-1)
9/1/2025 Equinor and its partners have drilled a dry well in the "Deimos" prospect.