APA 2009: Continued broad interest for mature areas on the Norwegian shelf

By the deadline for applications in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2009 on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received applications from 44 companies. The Ministry aims at award of new production licenses in APA 2009 late 2009 or early 2010.

There has been a broad interest for the APA-awards recent years, with many new production licenses awarded. Large parts of the APA-areas are as of today licensed. Despite this fact, there has been a broad interest in the APA 2009 from the companies on the Norwegian shelf. 

This shows that mature areas on the Norwegian shelf still attract interest. With the APA-awards many new companies have been given the opportunity to explore areas that have been available for exploration for several years.

-It is positive that companies identify new opportunities in the mature areas on the Norwegian continental shelf. The broad diversity of companies on the Norwegian shelf creates a multitude of ideas, says Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis- Johansen.

The purpose of the APA-arrangement is to encourage exploration activity in mature areas. In these areas the expectation is mostly smaller discoveries that does not justify an independent development. Prudent resource management is to discover and develop these resources before existing infrastructure close down.

The companies that have applied for production licenses are: 4sea energy AS, A/S Norske Shell, Aker Exploration AS, Bayerngas Norge AS, BG-Norge AS, BP Norge AS, Bridge Energy AS, Centrica Resources Norge AS, Chevron Norge AS, Concedo ASA, ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, Dana Petroleum Norway AS, Det norske oljeselskap ASA, Discover Petroleum AS, Dong E&P Norge AS, E.ON Ruhrgas Norge AS, Edison International S.P.A. Norway Branch, ENI Norge AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, Faroe Petroleum Norge AS, GDF SUEZ E&P Norge AS, Genesis Petroleum Norway AS, Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS, Lotos Exploration and Production Norge AS, Lundin Norway AS, Marathon Petroleum Norge AS, Nexen Exploration Norge AS, North Energy AS, Norwegian Energy Company ASA, OMV (Norge) AS, Petro-Canada Norge AS, PGNiG Norway AS, Repsol Exploración S.A, Rocksource ASA, RWE Dea Norge AS, Sagex Petroleum Norge AS, Skagen44 AS, Skeie Energy AS, Spring Energy Norway AS, StatoilHydro Petroleum AS, Svenska Petroleums Exploration AS, Talisman Energy Norge AS, VNG Norge (Operations) AS, Wintershall Norge ASA

The Norwegian Government announced the APA 2009 on March 9th 2009. More information can be found in the press release from this date, including a map of the announced area.

Press release on March 9th 2009.