On 10 January 2023, 25 companies were offered ownership interests in a total of 47 production licences on the Norwegian shelf in the awards in predefined areas (APA) 2022.

The authorities evaluated applications from a total of 26 companies during the autumn of 2022. Of the 47 production licences, 29 are in the North Sea, 16 in the Norwegian Sea and 2 in the Barents Sea. 20 of the production licences are additional acreage for existing production licences.

NPD's Director licence management, Kalmar Ildstad, commented:
"It’s gratifying to see such diversity in the player landscape, and that the companies are interested in the APAs and the Norwegian shelf. A key factor for further value creation on the shelf will be utilising available capacity in existing oil and gas infrastructure. That’s why it’s important that the companies continue active exploration to find resources that are close to this infrastructure."

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate