The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received applications from 31 companies for allocation in predefined areas (APA). The APA is the annual licencing round for the best-known exploration areas on the Norwegian continental shelf, and comprises in 2021 84 blocks, including 4 in the North Sea, 10 in the Norwegian Sea and 70 in the Barents Sea. The round was launched on 9 June 2021, and the country aims to award new production licences in early 2022. Bidders include ConocoPhillips, Equinor and TotalEnergies.
In June 2020, Norway extended its forbidden area for oil exploration in the country’s Arctic waters (so-called ice edge boundary). The new limit is located where sea ice appeared 15% of the time in April from 1988 to 2017, whereas the previous boundary was based on 30% probability and the years between 1967 and 1989. The new line remains sufficiently far north and doesn't affect existing explorations licences.
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