The Norwegian Ministry of Energy has allocated 57 new production licences to 19 companies as part of the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2025 licensing round pertaining to the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).
This announcement underscores Norway’s ongoing strategy to maintain its position as a key energy supplier to Europe amid anticipated declines in production in the coming years.
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Of the newly issued licences, 31 are located in the North Sea, 21 in the Norwegian Sea and five in the Barents Sea.
Norway Minister of Energy Terje Aasland said: “Norway is Europe’s most important energy supplier, but in a few years production will begin to decline. Therefore, we need new projects that can slow the decline and deliver as much production as possible.
“Today, we are offering 57 new production licences to 19 companies.
“This is a significant contribution to ensuring continued activity in the oil and gas industry. That activity is important for jobs, value creation and Europe’s energy security.”
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By GlobalDataThe licensing process follows guidelines set by the Norwegian Parliament that define regions where new production licences may be awarded.
The APA scheme is an annual exploration initiative that aims to encourage exploration and resource extraction within designated areas on the NCS.
Each licence comes with an obligatory work programme intended to ensure either development or relinquishment of land back to the state.
In total, 13 companies have been granted operatorships among the offered licences.
Norwegian Offshore Directorate regulations, licence and area management director Kalmar Ildstad said: “This year’s awards show that the companies still see the potential for profitable exploration in mature areas. Resources proven near established installations will be crucial to ensure high value creation and effective utilisation of infrastructure moving forward.
“It is also encouraging that several companies have submitted applications to conduct new assessments of discoveries with tight reservoirs, where production has so far been deemed unlikely.”
The APA licensing rounds began in 2003 to facilitate resource discovery in mature areas before existing infrastructure is decommissioned.
The rounds occur annually within predefined zones for consistency and predictability. The APA area expands based on evaluations of an area’s maturity and resource urgency.
Public consultations preceded the announcement of APA 2025, with a deadline for applications set for 2 September 2025, by which time 20 companies had submitted their interest.
The companies that have been awarded licences include Aker BP, Equinor Energy, DNO Norge and Harbour Energy Norge.
Among the beneficiaries, Equinor has been awarded 35 new production licences, which include access to sites in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.
This strategic acquisition enhances Equinor’s exploration activities and long-term value creation on the NCS.
The breakdown of Equinor’s new licences includes 21 in the North Sea, ten in the Norwegian Sea and four in the Barents Sea, with the company designated as the operator for 17 of these licences.
Equinor has outlined plans to drill 20–30 exploration wells annually.
The company intends for 80% of its exploration efforts to focus on areas near existing infrastructure, while the remaining 20% will explore new concepts and lesser-known regions.
In addition to Equinor, Aker BP has been offered ownership interests in 22 exploration licences in the 2025 APA round.
Aker BP will assume operatorship in 12 of these licences.
The company’s newly acquired portfolio spans the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.
The associated work programmes include commitments for two exploration wells and extensive seismic data acquisition to rapidly evaluate resource potential.
