Norway has offered 62 production licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2023 licensing round with a binding programme of seismic studies attached.
This year’s awards are an increase on last year’s 47 licences after Norway increased what was on offer by 92 blocks in the northwest of the Norwegian Sea and west of the Barents Sea.
Of the 62 production licences offered in APA 2023, 29 are located in the North Sea, 25 in the Norwegian Sea, and eight in the Barents Sea.
In total, 24 oil companies are offered parts in one or more of these licences. Sixteen companies are offered one or more operatorships.
Equinor are the biggest winners with interests in 39 licences and operatorships in 14, while Aker BP won interests in 27 licences and operatorships in 17. Energi has won 16 new production licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, four as operator. DNO won 14 exploration licenses, three as operator.
The announcement of APA 2023 was sent for public consultation with a deadline of 7 March 2023. The licensing round was announced 10 May, with an application deadline 23 August. By the deadline, the ministry had received applications from 25 companies.
Companies offered operatorships or parts of licenses are: Shell (1/1); Aker BP (27/17); Concedo AS (2/0); ConocoPhillips (3/2); DNO (14/3); Equinor Energy (39/14); Harbour Energy (1/1); INPEX Idemitsu Norge (5/1); KUFPEC (2/0); Lime Petroleum (1/0); Longboat JAPEX (1/0); M Vest Energy (1/0); Neptune Energy (4/3); OKEA (3/1); OMV (Norge) (6/6); Pandion Energy (1/0); Petrolia NOCO (2/1); PGNiG Upstream Norway (10/1); Source Energy (3/0); Sval Energi (2/1); TotalEnergies (1/0); Vår Energi (16/4); Wellesley Petroleum (1/1); Wintershall Dea (13/5).
North Sea
On 1148 in the North Sea CS Wintershall will acquire 3D seismic data; on 1198 Aker BP will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1199 Aker BP will acquire and reprocess modern 3D seismic data. On 1200 S Equinor will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1201 Equinor will reprocess ocean bottom node studies. On 1202 S Equinor will acquire new EM data. On 1205 Conoco Phillips will acquire new EM data. On 1206 S Aker BP will acquire CSEM data, CSEM inversion and acquire ocean bottom node seismic. On 1207 Aker BP will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1208 ConocoPhillips will acquire CSEM data, CSEM inversion and acquire modern reprocessed 3D seismic data. On 1209 DNO will reprocess 3D seismic and/or acquire new 3D seismic data. On 1210 Wintershall Dea will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1211 in the Neptune Energy will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1212 S Equinor will acquire and/or reprocess modern 3D seismic and G&G studies. On 1213 S Neptune will acquire and/or reprocess modern 3D seismic data. On Aker BP 1215 will acquire modern 3D seismic data. On 1216 will acquire 3D seismic data.
Norwegian Sea
On 1217 INPEX Idemitsu will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1218 Aker BP will reprocess 3D seismic data and carry out a EM feasibility study. On 1219 Neptune will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1220 PGNiG will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1221 Petrolia will acquire and reprocess 3D data. On 1224 Vår Energi will reprocess 3D seismic or acquire modern 3D seismic data. On 1225 S Wintershall Dea will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1229 Sval Energi will acquire modern 3D seismic and G&G studies. On 1230 Aker BP will acquire and reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1231 OMV will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1232 Wintershall Dea will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1233 OMV will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1234 Wintershall Dea will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1235 Shell will acquire 3D modern seismic data.
Barents Sea
On 1236 Equinor will reprocess 3D seismic and carry out CSEM analysis. On 1237 Vår Energi will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1238 Equinor will acquire new EM data and G&G studies. On 1239 Equinor will acquire EM data. On 1240 Equinor will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1241 Vår Energi will acquire and reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1242 Aker BP will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic and carry out a EM feasibility study. On 1243 Aker BP will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data and carry out an EM feasibility study.
Equinor won 18 production licences in the North Sea, 13 in the Norwegian Sea, and 8 in the Barents Sea.
‘We are familiar with the geology and confident that we will make new discoveries,’ said Jez Averty, Equinor’s senior vice-president for subsurface.
‘Continued active exploration is necessary in order to reduce the production decline that will occur on the NCS. Phasing in oil and gas from new discoveries will secure long-term activity and contribute to energy security in the European and UK energy transition.
‘Equinor’s Snøhvit Future and Johan Castberg projects are underdevelopment in the north. We will now focus on exploration to uncover the potential for gas in the Barents Sea, working closely with Vår Energi and Aker BP to explore as much as possible with good rig utilisation,’ Averty added.
Per Øyvind Seljebotn, SVP exploration and reservoir development in Aker BP, said: ‘Our strategy is to have a portfolio of acreage that provides a good balance between exploration wells close to existing infrastructure, and wells that can lay the foundation for independent developments if we make discoveries.’
Norway has offered 62 production licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2023 licensing round with a binding programme of seismic studies attached.
This year’s awards are an increase on last year’s 47 licences after Norway increased what was on offer by 92 blocks in the northwest of the Norwegian Sea and west of the Barents Sea.
Of the 62 production licences offered in APA 2023, 29 are located in the North Sea, 25 in the Norwegian Sea, and eight in the Barents Sea.
In total, 24 oil companies are offered parts in one or more of these licences. Sixteen companies are offered one or more operatorships.
Equinor are the biggest winners with interests in 39 licences and operatorships in 14, while Aker BP won interests in 27 licences and operatorships in 17. Energi has won 16 new production licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, four as operator. DNO won 14 exploration licenses, three as operator.
The announcement of APA 2023 was sent for public consultation with a deadline of 7 March 2023. The licensing round was announced 10 May, with an application deadline 23 August. By the deadline, the ministry had received applications from 25 companies.
Companies offered operatorships or parts of licenses are: Shell (1/1); Aker BP (27/17); Concedo AS (2/0); ConocoPhillips (3/2); DNO (14/3); Equinor Energy (39/14); Harbour Energy (1/1); INPEX Idemitsu Norge (5/1); KUFPEC (2/0); Lime Petroleum (1/0); Longboat JAPEX (1/0); M Vest Energy (1/0); Neptune Energy (4/3); OKEA (3/1); OMV (Norge) (6/6); Pandion Energy (1/0); Petrolia NOCO (2/1); PGNiG Upstream Norway (10/1); Source Energy (3/0); Sval Energi (2/1); TotalEnergies (1/0); Vår Energi (16/4); Wellesley Petroleum (1/1); Wintershall Dea (13/5).
North Sea
On 1148 in the North Sea CS Wintershall will acquire 3D seismic data; on 1198 Aker BP will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1199 Aker BP will acquire and reprocess modern 3D seismic data. On 1200 S Equinor will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1201 Equinor will reprocess ocean bottom node studies. On 1202 S Equinor will acquire new EM data. On 1205 Conoco Phillips will acquire new EM data. On 1206 S Aker BP will acquire CSEM data, CSEM inversion and acquire ocean bottom node seismic. On 1207 Aker BP will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1208 ConocoPhillips will acquire CSEM data, CSEM inversion and acquire modern reprocessed 3D seismic data. On 1209 DNO will reprocess 3D seismic and/or acquire new 3D seismic data. On 1210 Wintershall Dea will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1211 in the Neptune Energy will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1212 S Equinor will acquire and/or reprocess modern 3D seismic and G&G studies. On 1213 S Neptune will acquire and/or reprocess modern 3D seismic data. On Aker BP 1215 will acquire modern 3D seismic data. On 1216 will acquire 3D seismic data.
Norwegian Sea
On 1217 INPEX Idemitsu will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1218 Aker BP will reprocess 3D seismic data and carry out a EM feasibility study. On 1219 Neptune will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1220 PGNiG will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1221 Petrolia will acquire and reprocess 3D data. On 1224 Vår Energi will reprocess 3D seismic or acquire modern 3D seismic data. On 1225 S Wintershall Dea will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1229 Sval Energi will acquire modern 3D seismic and G&G studies. On 1230 Aker BP will acquire and reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1231 OMV will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1232 Wintershall Dea will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1233 OMV will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1234 Wintershall Dea will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1235 Shell will acquire 3D modern seismic data.
Barents Sea
On 1236 Equinor will reprocess 3D seismic and carry out CSEM analysis. On 1237 Vår Energi will acquire 3D seismic data. On 1238 Equinor will acquire new EM data and G&G studies. On 1239 Equinor will acquire EM data. On 1240 Equinor will reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1241 Vår Energi will acquire and reprocess 3D seismic data. On 1242 Aker BP will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic and carry out a EM feasibility study. On 1243 Aker BP will acquire and/or reprocess 3D seismic data and carry out an EM feasibility study.
Equinor won 18 production licences in the North Sea, 13 in the Norwegian Sea, and 8 in the Barents Sea.
‘We are familiar with the geology and confident that we will make new discoveries,’ said Jez Averty, Equinor’s senior vice-president for subsurface.
‘Continued active exploration is necessary in order to reduce the production decline that will occur on the NCS. Phasing in oil and gas from new discoveries will secure long-term activity and contribute to energy security in the European and UK energy transition.
‘Equinor’s Snøhvit Future and Johan Castberg projects are underdevelopment in the north. We will now focus on exploration to uncover the potential for gas in the Barents Sea, working closely with Vår Energi and Aker BP to explore as much as possible with good rig utilisation,’ Averty added.
Per Øyvind Seljebotn, SVP exploration and reservoir development in Aker BP, said: ‘Our strategy is to have a portfolio of acreage that provides a good balance between exploration wells close to existing infrastructure, and wells that can lay the foundation for independent developments if we make discoveries.’
