Norway’s oil ministry has offered out shares in 51 new exploration licences to 40 companies as part of its latest licensing round.
The licences, part of Norway’s 2012 Awards in Predefined Areas licensing round, are in the North Sea (35), the Norwegian Sea (13) and the Barents Sea (3).
Forty different companies will be offered shares in one or more production licences.
Twenty-three of these companies will be offered operatorships, said the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.
Norwegian oil giant Statoil has picked up the most, with seven operatorships and 14 licences.
Aberdeen-based independents Faroe Petroleum and Bridge Energy as well as larger firms Centrica, Talisman, Premier Oil and BG and oil giant Total also picked up licences and operatorships.
“I am pleased to see strong, broad-based interest in the most well-known parts of the continental shelf,” said Minister of Petroleum and Energy Ola Borten Moe.
“This year’s licensing round confirms that Norway’s combination of framework conditions and geological opportunities is internationally competitive.”
“The award of new licences is vital for effective, long-term resource management. Today’s awards will facilitate the efficient exploration of the parts of the continental shelf that we know best.
The next step is for the companies to deliver good results in the form of profitable discoveries.”
Offers to 23 operators (number of operatorships in brackets):
A/S Norske Shell (4)
Bayerngas Norge AS (1)
BG Norge AS (1)
Bridge Energy AS (1)
Centrica Resources Norge AS (3)
Det norske oljeselskap ASA (3)
DONG E&P Norge AS (2)
E.ON Ruhrgas Norge AS (2)
ENI Norge AS (1)
Faroe Petroleum Norge AS (3)
Lundin Norway AS (2)
Maersk Oil Norway AS (1)
Marathon Petroleum Norge AS (1)
Norwegian Energy Company ASA (1)
OMV Norge AS (1)
Repsol Exploration Norge (1)
RWE Dea Norge AS (1)
Spring Energy Norway AS (4)
Statoil Petroleum AS (7)
Talisman Energy Norge AS (2)
Total E&P Norge AS (4)
VNG Norge AS (2)
Wintershall Norge ASA (3)
Offers to 40 licensees (number of shares in brackets, including where the company is an operator):
Agora Oil & Gas AS (2)
A/S Norske Shell (5)
Bayerngas Norge AS (7)
BG Norge AS (2)
Bridge Energy AS (1)
Centrica Resources (Norge) AS (9)
Chevron Norge AS (1)
Concedo ASA (2)
ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS (1)
Core Energy AS (1)
Det norske oljeselskap ASA (8)
Dong E&P Norge AS (5)
E.ON Ruhrgas Norge AS (3)
Edison International Norway Branch (2)
ENI Norge AS (3)
Explora Petroleum AS (3)
ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway AS (4)
Faroe Petroleum Norge AS (8)
Fortis Petroleum Norge AS (5)
GDF SUEZ E&P Norge AS (4)
Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS (1)
Lundin Norway AS (7)
Maersk Oil Norway AS (2)
Marathon Petroleum Norge AS (2)
Norwegian Energy Company ASA (2)
North Energy ASA (1)
OMV Norge AS (1)
Petrolia Norway AS (1)
Premier Oil Norge AS (1)
Repsol Exploration Norge AS (1)
RWE Dea Norge AS (2)
Skagen44 AS (2)
Spring Energy Norway AS (13)
Statoil Petroleum AS (14)
Svenska Petroleum Exploration AS (2)
Talisman Energy Norge AS (3)
Total E&P Norge AS (8)
Valiant Petroleum Norge AS (2)
VNG Norge AS (4)
Wintershall Norge ASA (3)
