Norway opens 70 offshore oil-and-gas exploration areas
Offshore licensing teams must file by 1 September to compete for Norwegian acreage
Change
Norway opened 70 offshore exploration areas across the North Sea, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea, with licence applications due by 2026-09-01.
Why it matters
The approval creates a fixed licensing window for upstream operators seeking access to the newly opened acreage. Companies that do not file by 2026-09-01 are outside this award round.
Implications
- — Upstream licensing teams seeking Norwegian acreage must submit applications by 2026-09-01 — missing the deadline excludes them from this licensing round.
- — Oil-and-gas bid teams must scope applications to the newly opened North Sea, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea areas — bids outside the approved acreage do not secure access to the intended blocks.
Who is affected
- — Upstream licensing teams seeking Norwegian offshore acreage
- — Oil-and-gas bid teams preparing Norwegian exploration applications
What to watch
- — Application deadline: 2026-09-01 — licence applications close for the 70 newly opened offshore exploration areas.
- — Licence awards: early 2027 — Norway is expected to grant licences for this round.