Norway oil and gas exploration round attracts bids from 21 firms, including Shell
XLE•Round covers 70 new blocks
This year's round will contain 70 new blocks or parts of blocks to explore for oil and gas in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea, the government said in May.
Norway receives applications from 21 companies
OSLO, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Norway's energy ministry said on Friday it has received applications from 21 oil and gas companies seeking exploration acreage in the government's annual mature-areas (APA) licensing round.
The number of companies rose by one from last year's APA round, as Shell SHEL.L made a comeback after being absent in 2025, the list of applicants showed.
Major applicants include Equinor and ConocoPhillips
Equinor EQNR.OL, Aker BP AKRBP.OL, ConocoPhillips COP.N and TotalEnergies TTEF.PA were among the companies applying.
"Continued exploration and new discoveries are crucial for Norway to remain a stable supplier of oil and gas," the energy ministry said in a statement.
