OGA reports awards for 30th offshore licensing round

May 24, 2018
The UK Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) has offered for award 123 licenses over 229 blocks or partial blocks to 61 companies in the 30th Offshore Licensing Round. The round was launched on July 25, 2017, and closed for applications on Nov. 21, 2017. Locations vary across the UK Continental Shelf. 

The UK Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) has offered for award 123 licenses over 229 blocks or partial blocks to 61 companies in the 30th Offshore Licensing Round. The round was launched on July 25, 2017, and closed for applications on Nov. 21, 2017. Locations vary across the UK Continental Shelf.

OGA has made available huge areas of acreage; a total of 26,659 sq km has been offered for award. If offers are taken, the additional area under license will be an increase of 50% on existing acreage held.

The new work program commitments include 8 firm exploration and appraisal wells, 9 firm new-shoot 3D seismic surveys, and 14 licenses progressing straight to field development planning (second-term licenses).

The round may help to unlock 12 undeveloped discoveries containing a central estimate of 320 million boe/d of resource in undeveloped oil and gas discoveries previously stranded, OGA said.

Gunther Newcombe, OGA operations director, said, “After a period of low exploration activity, support from the OGA and government has helped kick-off a revival in activity, as demonstrated by industry’s renewed interest through this license round. It was particularly pleasing to see many companies identifying new prospects through the application of the latest seismic processing technologies and modern 3D surveys.”

The 31st Licensing Round, scheduled to launch this summer, will cover areas including the East Shetland Platform, North West Scotland, South West Britain, and the Mid North Sea High.