The licences have been awarded to a total of 48 oil companies –the highest-ever number of winners – out of a record 50 bidders that applied for acreage last year, with tracts in the northern North Sea and central Norwegian Sea attracting the greatest interest.
The results of the round unveiled by the Petroleum & Energy Ministry on Tuesday will see 38 licences being awarded in the North Sea, 19 in the Norwegian Sea and eight in the Barents Sea, with 29 of the successful bidders gaining operatorships.
The
