The authorities have received applications from 33 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2020. The deadline for applications was 22 September.
Most of the companies that are active on the Norwegian shelf have submitted applications in this year’s APA round.
"It’s gratifying to see the continued high level of interest in investigating new exploration acreage, even though there have been many awards in the last two APA rounds," says the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) exploration director, Torgeir Stordal.
The NPD will now start the work of evaluating the applications with focus on geological understanding and plans for exploration of the areas. When production licences are awarded, emphasis is also placed on the companies’ technical expertise and experience, as well as financial strength.
The authorities plan to announce which companies will be offered ownership interests in APA 2020 early in 2021.
