The Norwegian state has distributed 53 new licenses for the extraction of oil and gas on the Norwegian continental shelf in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the Barents Sea.
According to Norway's energy minister Terje Aasland, the continued development of oil and gas facilities on the Norwegian continental shelf is crucial for jobs, value creation, and the oil industry on the mainland in the future.
But it's also about European energy security, according to the minister.
"We need new discoveries to ensure that Norway can remain a stable and predictable oil and gas supplier to Europe. That's why it's very positive with such great interest in new exploration areas," he says according to a press release.
Norwegian Equinor has received seven operator licenses and 20 licenses as a partner in connection with the distribution of new licenses.
The company promises "robust investments" and has set a goal to drill around 250 exploration wells by 2035.
