OSLO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Norway has received applications from 21 companies seeking oil and gas exploration acreage in its annual licensing round on the Norwegian continental shelf, the Ministry of Energy said Friday in a press release.
The round, known as Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2026, opened on May 5, with applications closing on Sept. 1. New production licenses are expected to be awarded in early 2027.
This year's round expanded the available area by 70 blocks or parts of blocks across the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.
"Continued exploration and new discoveries are crucial for Norway to remain a stable supplier of oil and gas," the country's Energy Minister Terje Aasland said.
Applicants include Shell, Equinor, Aker BP, ConocoPhillips and TotalEnergies.
Introduced in 2003, the APA system covers mature exploration areas and aims to facilitate the discovery and extraction of commercially viable resources before existing infrastructure is shut down.
Production licenses grant exclusive rights to explore for, drill for and extract petroleum within designated areas. ■