APA 2022: 25 companies offered ownership interests in NCS licenses
Twenty-five companies have been awarded ownership interests in production licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf as part of Norway's Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2022 licensing round. A total of 47 production licenses were on offer by Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to oil and gas firms – 29 in the North Sea, 16 in the Norwegian Sea, and 2 in the Barents Sea.
Equinor Energy AS was awarded 26 new production licenses—16 in the North Sea, nine in the Norwegian Sea, and one in the Barents Sea. Of those licenses, Equinor will serve as operator in 18 and in eight as partner.
In 2023, the operator plans to participate in 25 exploration wells, most of them around existing infrastructure, the company said in a release Jan. 10.
“Around 80% of the exploration wells will be drilled in known, mature areas. Discoveries near existing infrastructure require less volume to be commercially developed and can be quickly put on stream and with low CO2 emissions,” said Jez Avery, Equinor’s senior vice-president for subsurface in exploration and production, Norway.
Aker BP ASA was offered interests in 17 new licenses, nine as operator. Of the 17 licenses, 13 are in the North Sea (six as operator) and four are in the Norwegian Sea (three as operator).
Wintershall Dea has been awarded 11 licenses, including three as operator. Neptune Energy was awarded two licenses, one as operator.
DNO Norge AS has been awarded participation in 11 exploration licenses, of which one is an operatorship. Of the 11 new licenses, nine are in the North Sea and two in the Norwegian Sea.
Other companies offered operatorship include Var Energi ASA, OMV Norge AS, ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, Wellesley Petroleum AS, OKEA ASA, Petrolia NOCO AS, and Harbour Energy.