At the application deadline on September 1st , a total of 39 companies had submitted applications for new acreage in the best known areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) in this year’s licensing round in mature areas (APA 2017).The number of applications received is more than 50 per cent higher than in last year’s APA-round, and approximately 20 per cent higher than the previous record number of applications received in APA 2014.
– Further exploration activity is vital to future value creation and employment on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.This in turn is important with reference to financing the welfare state. Therefore, I am very happy that such a diverse group of companies has delivered a record number of applications for new exploration acreage, says Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Søviknes (The Progress Party).
There is a significant increase in the number of applicant companies from last year, with a broad variety of companies among the applicants. Applications has been received from large international companies, from the established mid-size companies and from smaller exploration companies. A number of newly established companies with no prior record on the NCS also applied for acreage in this year’s APA-round.
Our petroleum resources represent a wide variety of business-opportunities. The diversity of companies applying is in itself important in order to achieve the best way to explore all the different opportunities for value-creation, and thus, good resource management. The APA-area was significantly enlarged in both the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea during the preparation for this year’s licensing round. These are interesting applications covering both inside the recent expansion and in the previously announced APA-areas.
– The record high interest confirms that the oil companies see opportunities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. This shows that the Government’s petroleum policy has the desired effect, which is vital to employment and to our revenue-stream from Norway’s most important industry in the decades to come. Stable framework conditions are an important part of this picture, Minister Terje Søviknes continues.
Background:
Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) is the annual licensing round for the best know areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The purpose of the APA-scheme is to stimulate timely, rapid and effective exploration of the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The scheme contributes to good resource management by facilitating profitable development also from smaller discoveries. The APA-area is expanded each year as the geological knowledge in areas on the NCS increases.
APA 2017 was announced on the 2nd. May 2017. More information can be found under APA 2017. The MPE will award new production licenses in the announced areas at the beginning of 2018.
The companies that have applied are:
A/S Norske Shell
Aker BP ASA
Bayerngas Norge AS
Capricorn Norge AS
Centrica Resources (Norge) AS
Concedo ASA
ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS
DEA Norge AS
DNO Norge AS
Dong E&P Norge AS
ENGIE E&P Norge AS
ENI Norge AS
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS
Faroe Petroleum Norge AS
Fortis Petroleum Norway AS
Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS
INPEX Norge AS
Kufpec Norway AS
Lime Petroleum AS
Lotos Exploration & Production Norge AS
Lundin Norway AS
Maersk Norge AS
M Vest Energy AS
MOL Norge AS
OKEA AS
OMV (Norge) AS
Pandion Energy AS
Petrolia NOCO AS
PGNiG Upstream Norway AS
Point Resources AS
Repsol Norge AS
Skagen 44 AS
Statoil Petroleum AS
Suncor Energy Norge AS
Total E&P Norge AS
Tyr Exploration AS
VNG Norge AS
Wellesley Petroleum AS
Wintershall Norge AS