Norway’s Stortinget building
Withdrawn blocks overshadow Norwegian licensing round launch
Oil and gas lobby group expresses regret over omitted Barents Sea acreage
Oil watchdog the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has fired the starting pistol on the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2022 licensing round. But while the NPD hailed a 28-block expansion compared with APA 2021 in the Arctic Barents Sea, attention was focused on three blocks not included in the round “We are disappointed that blocks will be withdrawn at the next APA,” says lobby group Norwegian Oil & Gas. “We are in the middle of an energy crisis where Europe must get rid of all Russian gas. At the same time, the EU asks Norway to supply as much gas as possible. Then it is an unfortunate signal to withdraw exploration areas on the Norwegian [continental] shelf [NCS].” “The blocks
Also in this section
2 April 2025
At some point it is likely that $70/bl will be quietly accepted as the producer-consumer sweet spot for a US administration having to balance both sides of the ledger
1 April 2025
There is method to the US president’s apparent madness, and those seeking to understand need look no further than their local bookshop
1 April 2025
Strong economic growth targets are encouraging for the country’s energy demand growth, even if meeting those goals might be a tall order
28 March 2025
The Central Asian country is positioning itself as a low-carbon leader, but antiquated infrastructure and a dependence on Russia are holding it back
