Norway Awards 53 New E&P Licenses on its Continental Shelf

Norway has awarded 53 new offshore oil and gas E&P licenses for acreage on its continental shelf, with 20 different companies participating in the auction round.

The so-called APA round of predefined auction areas covered mature producing regions in the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea (along with one single permit in the Bering Sea). It favors tieback developments to existing platforms. Awardees in this round included Aker BP, Shell, and a host of independents; Equinor was a clear winner wit…