News

• NPD Technology Day: Programme in place

  24/03/2023 Have you remembered to sign up for the NPD Technology Day in Stavanger on 7 June?

• Dry well near the Visund field in the North Sea

  24/03/2023 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 554, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 34/6-6 S.

• Production figures February 2023

  21/03/2023 Preliminary production figures for February 2023 show an average daily production of 1 994 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/10-9

  14/03/2023 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 827S, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/10-9 on the Heisenberg prospect.

• New Diskos data type: multi-gigapixel palynology slides

  13/03/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's digitalisation project Avatara-p has produced over thirty thousand digital palynological slides from 284 released wells. This expanding dataset of 57 terabytes is now available in Diskos.

• Drilling permit for well 6406/5-2 S

  13/03/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 6406/5-2 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 31/2-23 S and 31/2-23 A

  08/03/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 31/2-23 S and 31/2-23 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Five companies have applied for CO2 storage acreage

  06/03/2023 The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has received applications from five companies in connection with the announcement of an area in the North Sea for potential storage of CO2 on the Norwegian shelf.

• Oil discovery near the Goliat field in the Barents Sea

  02/03/2023 Vår Energi ASA, operator of production licence 229, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7122/8-1 S

• Dry well near the Edvard Grieg field in the North Sea

  02/03/2023 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 1141, has concluded the drilling of exploration well 16/1-35 S.

• Production figures January 2023

  21/02/2023 Preliminary production figures for January 2023 show an average daily production of 1 979 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for 25/2-24 S

  21/02/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 25/2-24 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well35/10-10 S

  21/02/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Wellesley Petroleum AS drilling permit for well 35/10-10 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Resource Accounts: Good reserve growth in 2022

  20/02/2023 The Resource Accounts for the Norwegian continental shelf in 2022 show good growth in reserves and good maturing of resources in fields and discoveries. Total resources have declined slightly.

• Delineation of the 16/2-5 P-Graben gas discovery in the North Sea

  16/02/2023 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 265, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 16/2-23 S.

• Extended lifetime for Mikkel

  14/02/2023 The authorities have granted Equinor consent for extended use of the subsea facility on the Mikkel field in the Norwegian Sea from July 2023 to October 2028.

• Drilling permit for well 30/6-C-2 A

  14/02/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has grantedEquinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 30/6-C-2 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil discovery near the Ivar Aasen field in the North Sea

  10/02/2023 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 867 B, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/10-17 S.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Troll field in the North Sea

  09/02/2023 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 923, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 31/1-3 S and appraisal well 31/1-3 A.

• Inviting the industry to a new course

  08/02/2023 The Norwegian model is founded on interaction and teamwork between the authorities and the oil and gas industry.

• Drilling permit for well 25/4-15

  06/02/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 25/4-15, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Seabed minerals: Substantial resources on the Norwegian shelf

  27/01/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has prepared a resource assessment of the seabed minerals on the Norwegian shelf.

• Production figures December 2022

  20/01/2023 Preliminary production figures for December 2022 show an average daily production of 1 983 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Gas discovery near the Aasta Hansteen-field in the Norwegian Sea – 6605/1-2 S and 6605/1-2 A

  18/01/2023 Equinor Energi AS, operator of production licence 1128, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6605/1-2 S and appraisal well 6605/1-2 A.

• Drilling permit for well 15/2-2 S and 15/2-2 A

  17/01/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted OMV (Norge) AS drilling permit for well 15/2-2 S and 15/2-2 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Changes in the regulations

  13/01/2023 The Resource Management Regulations and Regulations relating to documentation in connection with storing CO2 on the shelf have been changed.

• Six companies have applied for CO2 storage acreage

  11/01/2023 The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has received applications from six companies in connection with the announcement of an area in the North Sea for potential storage of CO2 on the Norwegian shelf.

• Announcement: Acreage for CO2 storage on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

  11/01/2023 On 11 of January 2023, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced an area for CO2 storage pursuant to the CO2 Storage Regulations.

• APA 2022: 25 companies offered ownership interests

  10/01/2023 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.

• Investments for the future on the Shelf

  09/01/2023 Only rarely have we seen so much oil and gas produced on the Norwegian shelf as was the case last year – and only rarely have we seen such significant investment decisions.

• Continuing the near subsurface mapping for offshore wind

  06/01/2023 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has awarded contracts to the companies Fugro and Enviros for mapping of the shallowest strata under the seabed.

• Gas discovery near the Goliat field in the Barents Sea – 7122/9-1

  23/12/2022 Vår Energi ASA, operator of production licence 229 E, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 7122/9-1.

• Production figures November 2022

  20/12/2022 Preliminary production figures for November 2022 show an average daily production of 1 946 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• The Shelf 2022 will be presented 9 January

  19/12/2022 9 January at 10:00 you can see the story, the numbers and the trends on npd.no.

• Submitted eleven development plans

  16/12/2022 On Friday, Aker BP submitted plans for development and operation to the authorities worth close to 200 billion kroner.

• Drilling permit for well 35/10-9

  12/12/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 35/10-9, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• The opportunities are in the details

  09/12/2022 All fields on the Norwegian continental shelf have their unique characteristics.

• Oil and gas discovery northwest of the Draugen field in the Norwegian Sea

  09/12/2022 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 938, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6407/8-8 S.

• Dry well north of the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/8-11 S

  29/11/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 124, has concluded the drilling of exploration well 6507/8-11 S.

• Correction of production figures October 2022

  25/11/2022 NPD has made an adjustment to the preliminary gas-production figures for October.

• Welcome to IEA Technical Collaboration workshops

  10/11/2022 22. – 23. November: Research and experience on Enhanced Oil Recovery. 24. November: "Oil and gas in the context of energy security and transition".

• Drilling permit for well 25/10-17 S

  10/11/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 25/10-17 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 16/1-35 S

  08/11/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 16/1-35 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• All status reports are now on the FactPages and the FactMaps

  04/11/2022 All available status reports (relinquishment reports) are now available on the FactPages.

• Gas/condensate discovery near the Oseberg field in the North Sea

  04/11/2022 OMV (Norge) AS, operator of production licence 1100, is in the process of concluding the drilling of exploration wells 30/5-4 S and 30/5-4 A.

• Announcement: Acreage for CO2 storage on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

  02/11/2022 On 2 November 2022, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced an area for CO2 storage pursuant to the CO2 Storage Regulations.

• Sharing data from older wells

  31/10/2022 Production and injection data from older wellbores is now available in Diskos.

• Impact assessment for mineral activity on the Norwegian continental shelf

  27/10/2022 The impact assessment in connection with the opening process for seabed mineral activities is now being put forward for consultation, with a deadline for responses of 27 January 2023.

• Drilling permit for 6407/8-8 S

  27/10/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS drilling permit for wellbore 6407/8-8 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea

  26/10/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 943, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6607/12-5.

• Production figures September 2022

  20/10/2022 Preliminary production figures for September 2022 show an average daily production of 1 832 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Evaluating new file format for seismic

  17/10/2022 In the near future, a number of companies on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including oil companies, software suppliers and seismic companies, are going to be contacted by Troika International. 

• Drilling permit for 34/6-6 S and 34/6-6 A

  13/10/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbores 34/6-6 S and 34/6-6 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Updating Diskos

  12/10/2022 In January, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will launch an updated version of the Diskos petroleum database.

• Awards: Two companies offered acreage to store CO2

  05/10/2022 Today, two companies have been offered exploration license for CO2 storage in an acreage in the Norwegian part of the North Sea.

• Drilling permit for 16/2-23 S

  03/10/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 16/2-23 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Seabed minerals: Sample analyses are now available

  30/09/2022 Analyses from the NPD’s data collection linked to sulphide deposits is now available.

• Drilling permit for 7122/8-1 S and 7122/9-1

  22/09/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Vår Energi AS drilling permit for 7122/8-1 S and 7122/9-1, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures August 2022

  21/09/2022 Preliminary production figures for August 2022 show an average daily production of 1 998 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Dry well near the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea – 6608/1-1 S

  21/09/2022 PGNiG Upstream Norway AS, operator of production licence 1017, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6608/1-1 S.

• Consultation – proposed amendments

  20/09/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is presenting proposed amendments for a public hearing/consultation process.

• APA 2022: Still significant interest for exploration in mature areas

  13/09/2022 The authorities have received applications from 26 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2022.

• Dry well near the Balder field in the North Sea – 25/7-10

  13/09/2022 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 782 S, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/7-10.

• Dry well near the Oseberg Øst field in the North Sea – 30/3-11 S

  13/09/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 1104, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 30/3-11 S.

• Elected to the International Seabed Authority

  06/09/2022 Senior geologist and former Director of Exploration in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), Sissel Eriksen, has been elected as a member of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) for the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

• Drilling permit for well 6605/1-2 S and 6605/1-2 A

  02/09/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 6605/1-2 S and 6605/1-2 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• IOR award recognises systematic, long-term efforts

  30/08/2022 The licensees on the Statfjord field in the North Sea receives the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's award for improved recovery (the IOR award) for utilising a number of IOR measures that contribute to the world-class recovery rate.

• Class in session at ONS

  29/08/2022 In keeping with tradition from previous years, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will be in place in Hall 8 during ONS 2022, which will get under way on 29 August. The theme for this year’s stand is ‘The NOR-way’ and the concept is built around a classroom.

• Dry well northeast of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/3-16

  29/08/2022 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 941, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6507/3-16.

• Mineral deposits proven along the Knipovich Ridge

  28/08/2022 An expedition under the direction of the German research centre Marum at the University of Bremen has proven an area of hydrothermal activity west of Spitsbergen, which is a prerequisite for the formation of so-called black smokers consisting of metal-rich sulphides.

• Oil discovery near the Gjøa field in the North Sea – 35/6-3 S

  26/08/2022 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 929, has concluded the drilling of exploration well 35/6-3 S.

• Laying the groundwork for offshore wind

  25/08/2022 Earlier this year, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate was tasked with conducting subsurface surveys in the areas of Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord, which have been opened for applications for renewable energy production.

• Resource report 2022: Norway is a competitive and long-term supplier of oil and gas to Europe

  25/08/2022 Resource report 2022: Norway is a competitive and long-term supplier of oil and gas to Europe The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) today presents its Resource report 2022.

• The NPD releases geochemical data

  23/08/2022 Geochemical data from the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea are now available via the NPD’s Fact pages.

• Production figures July 2022

  22/08/2022 Preliminary production figures for July 2022 show an average daily production of 1 876 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• NPD to present new resource report

  22/08/2022 On Thursday, 25 August, Kjersti Dahle Grov, acting Director of technology, Analysis and coexistence, will present the Resource Report 2022.

• Data from old wells is now available

  17/08/2022 Data from the analysis project that Earth Science Analytics AS carried out on assignment from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) in 2021 is now available for download.

• Drilling permit for well 6608/1-1 S

  15/08/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted PGNiG Norway Upstream AS drilling permit for well 6608/1-1 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil and gas discovery northeast of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/3-15

  12/08/2022 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 941, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6507/3-15.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/8-11 S

  03/08/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 6507/8-11 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Brage field in the North Sea – 31/4-A-13 C

  29/07/2022 Wintershall Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence 055, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 31/4-A-13 C.

• Production figures June 2022

  20/07/2022 Preliminary production figures for June 2022 show an average daily production of 1 529 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• High level of activity on the Norwegian shelf in the first half of 2022

  20/07/2022 50 years after the Storting (parliament) decided to establish the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), there is still plenty of activity on the Norwegian shelf.

• Drilling permit for well 31/1-3 S and 31/1-3 A

  20/07/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 31/1-3 S and 31/1-3 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Gas discovery near the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/2-6

  13/07/2022 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 261, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6507/2-6.

• Dry well near the Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea – 6306/3-2

  11/07/2022 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 935, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6306/3-2.

• Temporary appointment - Director general

  04/07/2022 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has announced a temporary appointment, naming Torgeir Stordal (60) as Director general of the NPD from 30 June and until a new Director general of the NPD is hired.

• Drilling permit for well 30/5-4 S

  04/07/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted OMV (Norge) AS drilling permit for well 30/5-4 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 35/6-3 S

  04/07/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS drilling permit for well 35/6-3 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Preparing Nova for start-up

  30/06/2022 The authorities have granted consent to start production from the Nova field in the North Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 25/7-10

  28/06/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS drilling permit for well 25/7-10, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6607/12-5

  27/06/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 6607/12-5, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Prestigious UN post for Harald Brekke

  23/06/2022 Senior geologist Harald Brekke has been elected to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).

• Production figures May 2022

  21/06/2022 Preliminary production figures for May 2022 show an average daily production of 1 831 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Dry well near the Kvitebjørn field in the North Sea – 34/9-1 S

  21/06/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 1049, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 34/9-1.

• Ingrid Sølvberg resigns as Director General

  17/06/2022 Sølvberg has today, Friday 17 June, resigned from her position as Director General for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.

• Is the glass half-empty or half-full?

  17/06/2022 There's no reason to sit back and rest on our laurels when an old field reaches tail production.

• Minor gas discovery southwest of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/4-3 S

  16/06/2022 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 1064, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6507/4-3 S in the Norwegian Sea.

• Dry well near the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea – 6305/5-C-3 H

  15/06/2022 On behalf of production licence 209, A/S Norske Shell has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6305/5-C-3 H.

• Announcement of awards in predefined areas (APA) 2022

  14/06/2022 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced APA 2022 on 14 June 2022, encompassing the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.

• The NPD celebrates its 50th anniversary today!

  14/06/2022 14 June 1972 – Parliament (the Storting) decided to establish the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and Statoil (now Equinor).

• Building the future on the shoulders of history

  13/06/2022 14 June marks the 50th anniversary of the Storting's (parliament's) decision to establish the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and Statoil. Director General Ingrid Sølvberg takes a walk down memory lane, observes the current unrest in the world of energy and fixes her eyes on the future.

• Extended lifetime

  10/06/2022 In February 2022, production came to a halt on the Veslefrikk field in the North Sea. More than 32 years had passed since the field came on stream. The story of the field's extended lifetime was hardly visible in the whirlwind of news during the winter.

• Shared experiences about technology

  09/06/2022 We recently organised Technology Day as part of our goal for the industry to develop and utilise new technology, work in close cooperation and share experiences. The seminar was popular, with relevant presentations and exciting discussions.

• Minor oil and gas discovery near the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea – 7220/8-3

  09/06/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 532, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7220/8-3.

• Drilling permit for well 6306/3-2

  09/06/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS drilling permit for well 6306/3-2, cf. Section 13

• Three companies have applied for a licence to store CO2

  08/06/2022 When the application deadline expired on 1 June, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) had received applications from three companies that are interested in awards of acreage suitable for future storage of CO2.

• Releasing seabed data

  07/06/2022 Last Thursday, the first data on seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf were released to the public.

• Minor oil and gas discovery near the Valhall field in the North Sea – 2/8-19

  01/06/2022 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 1085, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 2/8-19.

• Delineation of oil discovery 6507/5-10 S (Slagugle) northeast of the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/5-11

  30/05/2022 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 891, has completed the drilling of appraisal well 6507/5-11 on oil discovery 6507/5-10 S (Slagugle) in the Norwegian Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 31/4-A-13 C

  27/05/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Wintershall Dea Norge AS drilling permit for well 31/4-A-13 C, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil discovery near the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea – 7220/8-2 S

  25/05/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 532, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 7220/8-2 S.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/2-6

  24/05/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 6507/2-6, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 30/3-11 S

  23/05/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 30/3-11 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/3-15 and 6507/3-16

  23/05/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 6507/3-15 and well 6507/3-16, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures April 2022

  20/05/2022 Preliminary production figures for April 2022 show an average daily production of 1 871 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Mapping offshore wind

  13/05/2022 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has given the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) an assignment to conduct surveys in connection with awarding acreage for offshore wind.

• Delineation of oil and gas discovery near the Gjøa field in the North Sea – 35/9-16 S and 35/9-16 A

  12/05/2022 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 153, has concluded the drilling of appraisal wells 35/9-16 S and 35/9-16 A on oil and gas discovery 35/9-3 (Hamlet).

• Dry well southeast of the Knarr field in the North Sea – 35/4-3

  12/05/2022 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 685, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/4-3.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/4-3 S

  27/04/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS drilling permit for well 6507/4-3 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Guidelines for interpreted data

  25/04/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has now prepared guidelines that clarify the term 'interpreted data'. The guidelines contain a definition of the term and describe what 'interpreted data' shall mean.

• Production figures March 2022

  21/04/2022 Preliminary production figures for March 2022 show an average daily production of 1 960 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Green light for Hod B

  20/04/2022 The authorities have granted Aker BP consent to start up the Hod B facility in the North Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 2/8-19

  20/04/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA drilling permit for well 2/8-19, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Announcement: Acreage for CO2 storage on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

  11/04/2022 On 8 April 2022, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced an area for CO2 storage pursuant to the CO2 Storage Regulations. This area comprises defined blocks in the North Sea.

• New oil and gas discovery near the Troll and Fram field

  11/04/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 293 B, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/10-8 S. The well was drilled about 15 kilometres west of the Fram field in the North Sea and 140 kilometres northwest of Bergen.

• Awards: Three companies offered acreage to store CO2

  08/04/2022 On 5 April 2022, three companies were offered exploration licences to store CO2 in two areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. One area in the North Sea and one in the Barents Sea were announced in September last year, and the authorities have assessed applications from five companies.

• Drilling permit for well 35/9-16 A

  08/04/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS drilling permit for well 35/9-16 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of the shut down Øst Frigg gas field and dry well northeast of the Alvheim field in the North Sea – 25/2-23 A and 25/2-23 S

  01/04/2022 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 873, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 25/2-23 A (Øst Frigg Alfa) and wildcat well 25/2-23 S.

• Production figures February 2022

  18/03/2022 Preliminary production figures for February 2022 show an average daily production of 1 980 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for well 34/9-1 S

  17/03/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 34/9-1 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 7220/8-3

  15/03/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well brønn 7220/8-3, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Snorre field in the North Sea – 34/4-18 S

  11/03/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 057 (part of the Snorre Unit), has completed the drilling of wildcat well 34/4-18 S.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/5-11

  03/03/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS drilling permit for well 6507/5-11, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 7220/8-2 S

  25/02/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 7220/8-2 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Resource Accounts for 2021: Increase in proven resources and good growth in reserves

  22/02/2022 The Resource Accounts for the Norwegian continental shelf 2021 were presented today. The Accounts show that more oil and gas was proven than in the previous year, and that nearly two-thirds of these reserves were gas.

• Production figures January 2022

  16/02/2022 Preliminary production figures for January 2022 show an average daily production of 1 968 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• We want to understand the data needs of the service industry

  16/02/2022 Do you work in the oil and gas service industry? Do you have ideas on how data from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) can be used smarter – and how to increase coordination? Take part in a survey and give us your input.

• Drilling permit for well: 35/9-16 S

  15/02/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS drilling permit for well 35/9-16 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for wells 34/4-18 S and 35/10-8 S

  15/02/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for well 34/4-18 S and 35/10-8 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well northwest of the Draugen field in the Norwegian Sea – 6407/9-13

  14/02/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 1060, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6407/9-13.

• Video: Learn more about seabed minerals

  11/02/2022 Watch a video with the geologists Nils Rune Sandstå and Jan Stenløkk, and learn more about seabed minerals. You can either watch a short or a long version.

• Drilling permit for well: 6305/5-C-3 H

  31/01/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted AS Norske Shell a drilling permit for well 6305/5-C-3 H, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well: 35/4-3

  31/01/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 35/4-3, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 34/4-17 S

  31/01/2022 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 34/4-17 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• The search is on for a new winner of the IOR award

  31/01/2022 "A major recognition and very motivating," was the immediate response of researcher Geir Evensen of the Norce research institute when asked how it felt to win the award for improved recovery (IOR) in 2020.

• Dry well north of the Gjøa field in the northern North Sea – 36/1-4 S

  27/01/2022 Wellesley Petroleum AS, operator of production licence 885, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 36/1-4 S.

• More knowledge available: 200 status reports on Factpages

  26/01/2022 Over the past year, more than 200 status reports (relinquishment reports) have been made available on the Factpages.

• Production figures December 2021

  20/01/2022 Preliminary production figures for December 2021 show an average daily production of 2 108 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate

• APA 2021: 28 companies offered ownership interests

  18/01/2022 18 January 2022, 28 companies have received offers of ownership interests in a total of 53 production licences on the Norwegian Shelf in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2021.

• Dry well east of the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea – 6306/9-1

  17/01/2022 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 886, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6306/9-1.

• Record-high revenues from the Norwegian shelf

  13/01/2022 The combination of high production of oil and gas from a total of 94 fields, significant demand and high commodity prices led to a historically high level on the State's export revenues from petroleum. Much of this is due to record-high gas prices.

• Follow the livestream of The Shelf 2021

  12/01/2022 Thursday, 13 January 2022 from 10:00 Director General Ingrid Sølvberg gives a summary of the Shelf in 2021.

• Oil discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/10-7 S and 35/10-7 A

  07/01/2022 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 630, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/10-7 S and appraisal well 35/10-7 A.

• Drilling permit for wells 25/2-23 S, 25/2-23 A and 25/2-23 B

  28/12/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for wells 25/2-23 S, 25/2-23 A and 25/2-23 B, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Smarter use of data can increase value creation

  21/12/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has taken an initiative to discuss with the industry which steps can be taken to increase value creation through better use of data.

• Production figures November 2021

  21/12/2021 Preliminary production figures for November 2021 show an average daily production of 1 999 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Five companies want to store CO2

  16/12/2021 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received applications from five companies in connection with the announcement of two areas associated with injection and storage of CO2 on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Geobank will remain closed

  14/12/2021 Due to increasing infection levels, Geobank will close starting from 15 December. This will initially apply until the end of the year.

• NOK 160 million for new national petroleum centres

  13/12/2021 The Research Council of Norway has announced that two new national petroleum centres will receive state funding, following a decision in the Portfolio Board for Petroleum.

• Dry well near the Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea – 6306/3-1 S

  09/12/2021 PGNiG Upstream Norway AS, operator of production licence 937, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6306/3-1 S.

• The Shelf in 2021: Past, present and future on the Norwegian shelf

  02/12/2021 Each year in January, we host "The Shelf" event, which is a presentation of the previous year on the Norwegian shelf – and a bit about the years to come.

• IOR award 2022 – nominate your candidate

  01/12/2021 Now you can nominate candidates for the IOR award! The award was presented for the first time in 1998, and the next time we present the award will be at ONS 2022.

• Drilling permit for well 6306/9-1 in production licence 886

  23/11/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Lundin Energy Norway AS a drilling permit for well 6306/9-1, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures October 2021

  19/11/2021 Preliminary production figures for October 2021 show an average daily production of 2 062 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• New technology: Norwegian Petroleum Directorate stepping up efforts

  11/11/2021 Technology has been very important for developing the oil and gas industry in Norway.

• Minor oil discovery near the Ula field in the southern North Sea – 7/11-14 S

  10/11/2021 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 906, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7/11-14 S.

• Minor oil discovery south of the Bøyla field in the North Sea – 24/12-7

  09/11/2021 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 1041, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 24/12-7.

• Sharing CCS knowledge in Glasgow

  03/11/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's Eva Halland is giving two CCS presentations this week during CoP26, the UN climate conference in Glasgow.

• Oil discovery near the Tyrihans field in the Norwegian Sea – 6407/1-9

  01/11/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 939, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6407/1-9.

• Dry well near the Snorre field in the North Sea – 33/6-5 S

  27/10/2021 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 882, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 33/6-5 S.

• Boreløyve for brønn 6407/9-13 i utvinningsløyve 1060

  22/10/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Equinor Energy AS for well 6407/9-13, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well southeast of the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea – 17/8-1

  22/10/2021 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 976, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 17/8-1.

• Drilling permit for well 36/1-4 S in production licence 885

  21/10/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Wellesley Petroleum AS for well 36/1-4 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures September 2021

  20/10/2021 Preliminary production figures for September 2021 show an average daily production of 2 022 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate,

• Drilling permit for well 24/12-7 in production licence 1041

  18/10/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Aker BP ASA for well 24/12-7, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Minor oil and gas discovery near the 7122/6-1 (Tornerose) discovery in the Barents Sea – 7122/6-3 S

  13/10/2021 Vår Energi AS, operator of production licence 901, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7122/6-3 S.

• Dry well near the Solveig field in the North Sea – 16/4-12

  08/10/2021 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 981, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 16/4-12.

• 25 years’ experience with safe and secure CO2storage

  05/10/2021 Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a hot topic. Director General Ingrid Sølvberg recently took part in a panel discussion at the EU-Norway Energy Conference to spread the word about safe and secure storage of CO2 on the Norwegian shelf.

• Minor oil discovery near the Ekofisk field in the North Sea – 2/5-15

  28/09/2021 DNO Norge AS, operator of production licence 006 C, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 2/5-15.

• Delineation of the 6507/3-13 oil and gas discovery southwest of the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/3-14

  28/09/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 159 B, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 6507/3-14.

• Production figures August 2021

  23/09/2021 Preliminary production figures for August 2021 show an average daily production of 2 114 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for wells 7/11-14 S and A in production licence 906

  17/09/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for wells 7/11-14 S and A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of the 16/1-29 S (Lille Prinsen) oil and gas discovery and minor oil discovery near the Edvard Grieg field in the North Sea – 16/1-34 S and A

  16/09/2021 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 167, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 16/1-34 S and appraisal well 16/1-34 A on the 16/1-29 S (Lille Prinsen) oil and gas discovery.

• Continued significant interest in exploration in mature areas in APA 2021

  15/09/2021 The authorities have received applications from 31 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2021.

• Announcement: Award of area for storage of CO2 on the Norwegian continental shelf

  13/09/2021 On 10 September 2021, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced two areas for storage of CO₂.

• Drilling permit for well 6306/3-1 S in production licence 937

  13/09/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted INEOS E&P Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6306/3-1 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for wells 35/10-7 S and A in production licence 630

  09/09/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 35/10-7 S and A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 7122/6-3 S in production licence 901

  08/09/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Vår Energi AS a drilling permit for well 7122/6-3 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of the 6406/3-10 (Bergknapp) oil discovery near the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea – 6406/3-10 A

  06/09/2021 Wintershall Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence 836 S, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 6406/3-10 A on the 6406/3-10 (Bergknapp) oil discovery.

• Solveig secures consent for start-up

  02/09/2021 The authorities have granted consent for start-up of the Solveig field in the North Sea. Operator Lundin plans to start up the field this autumn.

• Delineation of the 25/2-21 (Liatårnet) oil discovery northeast of the Alvheim field in the North Sea

  01/09/2021 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 442, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 25/2-22 S on the 25/2-21 (Liatårnet) oil discovery.

• What nature itself is doing at the ice edge

  23/08/2021 The ice edge has been frequently debated – both where and how the ice edge should be defined and what it should mean for further commercial activity in the Barents Sea. This text was written by geologists Rune Mattingsdal and Stig-Morten Knutsen in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate as an opinion piece in Teknisk Ukeblad (Norwegian engineering magazine).

• Production figures July 2021

  19/08/2021 Preliminary production figures for July 2021 show an average daily production of 2 035 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for well 33/6-5 S in production licence 882

  19/08/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS a drilling permit for well 33/6-5 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 17/8-1 in production licence 976

  18/08/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Lundin Energy Norway AS a drilling permit for well 17/8-1, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Yme starts up again

  11/08/2021 The authorities have granted Repsol consent for a new start-up of the Yme field in the North Sea. Yme will once again be producing oil, 20 years after the last time the field was on stream. Planned start-up will be in the second half of 2021.

• Drilling permit for well 2/5-15 in production licence 006 C

  05/08/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted a drilling permit to DNO Norge AS for well 2/5-15, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of the 25/8-19 S (Iving) oil and gas discovery near the Balder field in the North Sea - 25/8-21 S and 25/8-22 S

  29/07/2021 MOL Norge AS, operator of production licence 820 S, has concluded the drilling of appraisal wells 25/8-21 S and 25/8-22 S on the 25/8-19 S (Iving) oil and gas discovery.

• Green light for Duva

  28/07/2021 The authorities have granted consent for start-up of the Duva field in the North Sea, where the operator Neptune Energy estimates the reserves at about 11 million standard cubic metres of oil equivalent (71 million barrels of o.e.)

• High activity level on the Norwegian shelf

  21/07/2021 The activity level on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) has been high in the first six months of the year – despite the Covid situation. Eight discoveries have been made, production remains high, and many new development projects are on the drawing board.

• Production figures June 2021

  21/07/2021 Preliminary production figures for June 2021 show an average daily production of 1 883 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate,

• Minor gas discovery south of the 7435/12-1 (Korpfjell) gas discovery in the Barents Sea - 7234/6-1

  20/07/2021 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 858, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7234/6-1

• Results from exploration well south of the Oselvar field in the North Sea – 1/3-13

  12/07/2021 OMV (Norge) AS, operator of production licence 970, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 1/3-13.

• Geobank re-opening

  09/07/2021 Once again, the Geobank is available for viewing core samples and extracting samples for studies.

• Dry well near the Troll field in the North Sea – 31/11-1 S

  07/07/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 785 S, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 31/11-1 S.

• New technology unlocks new insight from old wells

  02/07/2021 Exploring for oil and gas on the Norwegian shelf is still important – and old wells can help us discover more.

• Consent to start up Troll phase 3

  02/07/2021 Licensees in Troll Nord in the North Sea have secured consent to start up facilities and modifications associated with the Troll phase 3 project.

• Drilling permit for well 16/1-34 A in production licence 167

  01/07/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Lundin Energy Norway AS for well 16/1-34 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Relinquishment reports submitted after 1 January 2021 are now available

  01/07/2021 An amendment to Section 85 of the Petroleum Regulations became effective from the new year. This amendment entails changes in the length of the confidentiality period for status reports (also called relinquishment reports).

• Available status reports

  01/07/2021 A new regulation for status reports came into force 1 January 2021, with new associated guidelines.

• Ole Einar Hass will be the new head of the Harstad office

  25/06/2021 Ole Einar Hass (age 48) has been hired as the head of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's office in Harstad, and will start this job on 1 October.

• 7 companies offered ownership interests

  23/06/2021 Seven companies have received offers of ownership interests in a total of four production licenses on the Norwegian Shelf in the 25th licensing round.

• Subsea technology: A modern industrial adventure

  21/06/2021 "The development of subsea technology in the 1980s marked the beginning of a modern Norwegian industrial adventure which shaped us as a petroleum nation."

• Oil and gas discovery near the Balder field in the North Sea - 25/8-20 S, 25/8-20 B and 25/8-20 C

  21/06/2021 Vår Energi AS, operator of production licence 027, has concluded the drilling of wildcat wells 25/8-20 S and 25/8-20 B and appraisal well 25/8-20 C.

• Production figures May 2021

  18/06/2021 Preliminary production figures for May 2021 show an average daily production of 1 860 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for well 25/8-22 S in production licence 820 S

  16/06/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted MOL Norge AS a drilling permit for well 25/8-22 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Minor oil discovery near the Visund field in the North Sea – 34/6-5 S

  14/06/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 554, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 34/6-5 S.

• More well data becomes available

  11/06/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is releasing prognosis and result data from wildcat wells from the period between 1990 and 2000. Moving forward, such data will be regularly made available via the FactPages on npd.no.

• Dry wells near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/11-25 S and 35/11-25 A

  10/06/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 090, has concluded the drilling of wildcat wells 35/11-25 S and 35/11-25 A.

• Exceptional Ekofisk

  09/06/2021 This is the 50th anniversary of the Ekofisk field starting up, making Norway an oil-producing nation. And what an adventure it's been.

• Announcement of awards in predefined areas (APA) 2021

  09/06/2021 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced APA 2021 on 9 June 2021, encompassing the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 1/3-13 in production licence 970

  02/06/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted OMV (Norge) AS a drilling permit for well 1/3-13, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well northwest of the 7324/8-1 (Wisting) oil discovery in the Barents Sea – 7322/6-1 S

  01/06/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 722, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7322/6-1 S.

• Drilling permit for well 6407/1-9 in production licence 939

  31/05/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 6407/1-9, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/3-14 in production licence 159B

  28/05/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor ASA a drilling permit for well 6507/3-14, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for wells 7234/6-1 and 7234/6-1 A in production licence 858

  28/05/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for wells 7234/6-1 and 7234/6-1 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 16/1-34 S in production licence 167

  21/05/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Lundin Energy Norway AS for well 16/1-34 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures April 2021

  20/05/2021 Preliminary production figures for April 2021 show an average daily production of 2 008 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Gas/condensate and oil discovery near the Dvalin field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/4-2 S

  20/05/2021 Wintershall DEA Norge AS, operator of production licence 211, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6507/4-2 S.

• Dry well south of the Sleipner Øst field in the North Sea – 15/12-26

  18/05/2021 Chrysaor Norge AS, operator of production licence 973, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 15/12-26.

• Authorities and research communities shared knowledge about seepage from the seabed

  11/05/2021 Causes, risks and effects linked to seepage from the seabed were among the topics discussed at a workshop including participants from the Petroleum Safety Authority, the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and several professional and research communities.

• The petroleum industry represents jobs for the future

  07/05/2021 The low number of applicants for petroleum-oriented studies has attracted attention and sparked debate, says Director general Ingrid Sølvberg in a comment in the Norwegian newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad.

• Drilling permit for well 25/8-21 S in production licence 820 S

  06/05/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted MOL Norge AS a drilling permit for well 25/8-21 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Further emission cuts from the Troll field

  23/04/2021 Once Troll Vest in the North Sea is hooked up to receive electric power through cables from shore in 2026 (Troll B partial, Troll C complete), this will result in emission cuts of 466,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year, according to statements by operator Equinor in a new plan for development and operation (PDO), submitted Friday.

• Production figures March 2021

  20/04/2021 Preliminary production figures for March 2021 show an average daily production of 2 094 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for wells 35/11-25 S and 35/11-25 A in production licence 090

  12/04/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 35/11-25 S and 35/11-25 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of 34/4-15 S (Dugong) oil discovery in the North Sea – 34/4-16 S

  30/03/2021 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 882, has completed the drilling of appraisal well 34/4-16 S on the 34/4-15 S (Dugong) oil discovery.

• Drilling permit for wells 25/8-20 S, 25/8-20 A, 25/8-20 B and 25/8-20 C in production licence 027

  30/03/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Vår Energi AS a drilling permit for wells 25/8-20 S, 25/8-20 A, 25/8-20 B and 25/8-20 C, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Minor gas/condensate discovery southwest of the Sleipner Øst field in the North Sea - 15/12-25

  29/03/2021 Chrysaor Norge AS, operator of production licence 973, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 15/12-25.

• Drilling permit for well 7322/6-1 S in production licence 722

  29/03/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7322/6-1 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Diskos contracts signed

  26/03/2021 The contracts for Diskos 2.0, entered into with Landmark and Kadme, have been signed and implementation is under way.

• Minor oil discovery near the Solveig field in the North Sea – 16/4-13 S

  26/03/2021 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 359, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 16/4-13 S.

• Important UN post for NPD geologist Harald Brekke

  25/03/2021 Senior geologist in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Harald Brekke, has been selected to chair the board of the Legal and Technical Commission under the International Seabed Authority, ISA.

• CO2 storage on Teams

  24/03/2021 We have extensive experience with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Since 2010, we have led a forum that addresses CO2 storage, headed by Eva Halland in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

• Oil discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea – 31/2-22 S and 31/2-22 A

  24/03/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 090 I, has concluded the drilling of wildcat wells 31/2-22 S and 31/2-22 A.

• Production figures February 2021

  19/03/2021 Preliminary production figures for February 2021 show an average daily production of 2 108 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for well 6406/3-10 A in production licence 836 S

  16/03/2021 he Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Wintershall Dea Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6406/3-10 A, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• New guidelines for status reports

  15/03/2021 The new regulation relating to status reports entered into force on 1 January 2021, and the revised guidelines for the status reports are now ready.

• Oil discovery near the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea - 7220/7-4

  10/03/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 532, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7220/7-4.

• 25. licencing round on the Norwegian Continental shelf - here are the applicants

  25/02/2021 Seven companies have applied for production licenses in the 25th licensing round on the Norwegian shelf. The deadline for applications was 23 February.

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate launches new system for reporting geophysical surveys

  18/02/2021 The new system will streamline reporting of geophysical surveys. It will also contribute to better coexistence with fishery interests, and greater efficiency for the governmental agencies involved in the process.

• Plenty of oil and gas left on the Norwegian shelf

  17/02/2021 In the updated Resource Accounts, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate projects that there are 8 billion standard cubic metres of oil equivalent (Sm3 o.e.) remaining resources on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).

• Production figures January 2021

  16/02/2021 Preliminary production figures for January 2021 show an average daily production of 2 137 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for well 34/6-5 S in production licence 554

  11/02/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 34/6-5 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well at Mandal High in the southern North Sea – 2/9-6 S

  10/02/2021 MOL Norge AS, operator of production licence 617, is concluding the drilling of wildcat well 2/9-6 S.

• Drilling permit for well 7220/7-4 in production licence 532

  08/02/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7220/7-4, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/4-2 S in production licence 211

  05/02/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Wintershall Dea Norge AS for well 6507/4-2 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Troll field in the North Sea – 31/1-2 S and 31/1-2 A

  05/02/2021 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production license 923, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 31/1-2 S and appraisal well 31/1-2 A.

• Drilling permit for well 34/4-16 S in production licence 882

  04/02/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Neptune Energy AS a drilling permit for well 34/4-16 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well northwest of the 7220/11-1 (Alta) oil/gas discovery in the Barents Sea – 7219/11-1

  02/02/2021 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 533 B, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7219/11-1.

• Drilling permit for well 31/11-1 S in production licence 785 S

  29/01/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 31/11-1 S, cf. Section 13 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures December 2020

  22/01/2021 Preliminary production figures for December 2020 show an average daily production of 2 135 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• APA 2020: 30 companies offered ownership interests

  19/01/2021 30 companies have received offers of ownership interests in a total of 61 production licences on the Norwegian Shelf in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2020.

• The Shelf 2020 – high activity and significant investments

  14/01/2021 Activity on the Norwegian continental shelf last year remained at a high level, despite the ongoing pandemic. The year has been characterised by high production and significant investments in developments and projects on the fields.

• Changes to the Resource Management Regulations and new guide

  11/01/2021 Regulation No. 2004 of 13 December 2017 relating to resource management in the petroleum activities (the Resource Management Regulations) has been amended, effective from 1 January 2021: Amended Resource Management Regulations – 1 January 2021.

• Drilling permit for well 15/12-26 in production licence 973

  11/01/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Chrysaor Norge AS a drilling permit for well 15/12-26, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 15/12-25 in production licence 973

  11/01/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Chrysaor Norge AS a drilling permit for well 15/12-25, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Follow the summary of the Norwegian shelf in 2020 live

  07/01/2021 At 10.00-11.00 on Thursday, 14 January 2021, Director general Ingrid Sølvberg will present ‘The shelf in 2020’.

• Drilling permit for well 16/4-13 S in production licence 359

  05/01/2021 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Energy Norway a drilling permit for well 16/4-13 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil discovery north of the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/5-10 S

  22/12/2020 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 891, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 6507/5-10 S.

• The Shelf in 2020 – mark your calendar!

  21/12/2020 From 10.00-11.00 on Thursday, 14 January 2021, Director General Ingrid Sølvberg will present The Shelf in 2020.

• Production figures November 2020

  18/12/2020 Preliminary production figures for November 2020 show an average daily production of 2 026 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Go-ahead for Gjøa expansion

  18/12/2020 The authorities have granted consent for start-up of a subsea installation with two new wells on the Gjøa field in the North Sea.

• Award of Diskos 2.0 contracts

  16/12/2020 Landmark and Kadme are the proposed winners of the contracts for Diskos 2.0.

• Dry well near the Tordis field in the North Sea – 34/7-37 S

  08/12/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 089, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 34/7-37 S.

• Dry well in the southwestern Barents Sea – 7018/5-1

  04/12/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 960, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7018/5-1.

• Drilling permit for well 2/9-6 S in production licence 617

  04/12/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted MOL Norge AS a drilling permit for well 2/9-6 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Meet our ten new managers

  03/12/2020 Ten of the eleven level-two executives in the NPD’s new organization are now in place. Six new directors were hired earlier this year. This change in the management constellation has come about in connection with a new statute governing central government employees in Norway.

• FORCE celebrates 25 years

  26/11/2020 The FORCE cooperating forum is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Most companies in the oil and gas industry in Norway are members. As the regulatory authority, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate plays an active role as head of the Secretariate.

• Production figures October 2020

  23/11/2020 Preliminary production figures for October 2020 show an average daily production of 1 877 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for wells 31/2-22 S and 31/2-22 A in production licence 090 I

  19/11/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 31/2-22 S and 31/2-22 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Announcement of 25th licensing round

  19/11/2020 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced the 25th licensing round on 19th of November 2020, encompassing 136 blocks in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Drilling permit for wells 31/1-2 S and 31/1-2 A in production licence 923

  19/11/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 31/1-2 S and 31/1-2 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well east of the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea – 7221/4-1

  19/11/2020 Lundin Energy Norway AS, operator of production licences 609 and 1027, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7221/4-1. The well was drilled in production licence 609 as a shared well between production licences 609 and 1027.

• Green light to start up the Snorre Expansion

  14/11/2020 The expansion of the Snorre field in the North Sea consists of six subsea templates, which will be tied into Snorre A. Now the authorities have given Equinor and its partners consent to start up.

• Minor gas and oil discovery northeast of the 6607/12-2 S (Alve Nord) oil/gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea – 6607/12-4 and 6607/12-4 A

  12/11/2020 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 127 C, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6607/12-4 and appraisal well 6607/12-4 A.

• Resource report: Web version and background data ready

  11/11/2020 A new resource report for exploration was newly presented.

• Gas discovery southwest of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/4-1

  11/11/2020 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 1009, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6507/4-1.

• Minor gas discovery near the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea – 6407/1-8 S

  02/11/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 263 D, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6407/1-8 S. The well was drilled about 9 kilometres east of the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea, and about 210 kilometres north of Kristiansund.

• Production figures September 2020

  28/10/2020 Preliminary production figures for September 2020 show an average daily production of 1 772 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Minor oil discovery and delineation of the 6406/12-3 A (Bue) oil discovery near the Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea – 6406/12-G-1 H

  28/10/2020 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 586, is the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6406/12-G-1 H, which is an extension of an observation well for the 6406/12-3 A (Bue) oil discovery. The well was drilled on the Fenja field about 120 kilometres north of Kristiansund.

• Profitable exploration on the Norwegian shelf

  27/10/2020 Exploration activity on the Norwegian shelf is profitable in all areas and minor discoveries account for a significant share of value creation. There are still vast remaining resources in all areas. These are among the main conclusions in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's new resource report for exploration, which was presented on Tuesday, 27 October.

• Drilling permit for well 16/4-12 in production licence 981

  26/10/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Lundin Energy Norway AS for well 16/4-12, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 7018/5-1 in production licence 960

  23/10/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7018/5-1, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Maturing a CO2 storage site in the North Sea Basin: a story about the Johansen Formation

  21/10/2020 This year a new milestone was reached for CO2 storage in the North Sea basin. The first exploration well was drilled in the exploitation license and a development plan was submitted to the authorities.

• Dvalin ready for start-up

  21/10/2020 The authorities have issued consent for start-up of the Dvalin field in the Norwegian Sea. Operator Wintershall Dea estimates that it can recover 18 billion standard cubic metres of gas from Dvalin.

• The NPD is presenting a new resource report for exploration

  20/10/2020 Follow the presentation of the report live on npd.no on Tuesday, 27 October, at 10:00.

• The national budget – consistent good project implementation

  16/10/2020 Most projects are delivered within budget according to the NPD report “Project implementation on the Norwegian shelf”, presented earlier this year.

• Guidelines for production permit applications now updated

  13/10/2020 The revised guidelines for production permit applications are now ready for use. The update is part of the effort to simplify and streamline processes in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

• Productive mineral expedition

  09/10/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has conducted another search for seabed minerals – this time facilitated by the use of new technology, new in this context, that is.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/5-10 S in production licence 891

  08/10/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS a drilling permit for well 6507/5-10 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Important measurements that form the basis for enormous sums to the public purse

  05/10/2020 One of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s tasks is to supervise the measurement (or metering) of oil and gas produced from the Norwegian shelf. The assets we are talking about here are the Norwegian State’s ownership interests on the shelf (SDFI), the oil companies’ revenues and the CO2 tax.

• NPD to hire ten managers

  02/10/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is continuing its work to phase out the rotation scheme for managers. Ten managers will be hired in connection with this transition. They will report to the new executive management team, which was recruited before summer this year.

• Ærfugl Phase 1 ready for production

  02/10/2020 Development of the Ærfugl gas and condensate field in the Norwegian Sea is planned in two phases. The authorities have given start-up consent to the operator Aker BP to start production from Phase 1.

• Start-up consent for Tor II

  30/09/2020 The licensees in the Tor Unit in the southern North Sea have secured consent to start up the Tor II facilities.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/11-24 S, 35/11-24 A and 35/11-24 B

  29/09/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 248 C, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/11-24 S and appraisal wells 35/11-24 A and 35/11-24 B.

• Received PDO for Breidablikk

  28/09/2020 The authorities have received a plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Breidablikk oil field in the North Sea. Equinor and its partners are planning start-up in 2024.

• Production figures August 2020

  25/09/2020 Average daily liquids production in August was: 1 722 000 barrels of oil, 270 000 barrels of NGL and 26 000 barrels of condensate.

• Continued significant interest in exploration in mature areas in APA 2020

  25/09/2020 The authorities have received applications from 33 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2020. The deadline for applications was 22 September.

• Dry well north of the Gjøa field in the North Sea – 6204/11-3

  18/09/2020 Wellesley Petroleum AS, operator of production licence 829, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6204/11-3. The well was drilled about 75 kilometres north of the Gjøa field in the North Sea and 60 kilometres northwest of Florø.

• Drilling permit for well 34/7-37 S in production licence 089

  17/09/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit to Equinor Energy AS for wellbore 34/7-37 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Consultation – proposed amendment of the Resource Management Regulations

  16/09/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is hereby submitting proposed amendments to the Regulations relating to resource management in the petroleum activities (the Resource Management Regulations) with comments for a public hearing.

• Revised guidelines for production permit applications

  14/09/2020 Revised guidelines for production permit applications will be published in early October.

• Drilling permit for well 6406/12-G-1 H in production licence 586

  14/09/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has issued a drilling permit for well 6406/12-G-1 H to Neptune Energy, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Documents for the annual status report for fields in production are ready

  02/09/2020 The updated guideline for the Annual status report for fields in production (ASR) and an attachment in excel format are now available.

• Researcher Geir Evensen wins the award for improved oil recovery

  01/09/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is presentings its 16th award for improved oil recovery. This time the IOR award goes to researcher Geir Evensen at the research institute NORCE.

• Soon we announce the winner of the IOR award 2020

  25/08/2020 Who will win the award for improved oil recovery 2020? Tuesday 1 September at 12:20 pm Director general Ingrid Sølvberg will present the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s IOR award.

• Production figures July 2020

  24/08/2020 Preliminary production figures for July 2020 show an average daily production of 2 062 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Drilling permit for well 6204/11-3 in production licence 829

  10/08/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Wellesley Petroleum AS a drilling permit for well 6204/11-3, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil discovery near the Snorre field in the North Sea – 34/4-15 S and 34/4-15 A

  05/08/2020 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 882, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 34/4-15 S and appraisal well 34/4-15 A.

• Dry well near the Ivar Aasen field in the North Sea – 16/1-33 S

  05/08/2020 Spirit Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 780, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 16/1-33 S.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/4-1 in production licence 1009

  03/08/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS a drilling permit for well 6507/4-1, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea – 7219/9-3

  31/07/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 532, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7219/9-3.

• Drilling permit for well 6407/1-8 S and A in production licence 263 D

  29/07/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 6407/1-8 S & A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of gas/condensate discovery 6506/11-10 (Hades) near the Morvin field in the Norwegian Sea – 6506/11-12 S

  28/07/2020 OMV Norway AS, operator of production licence 644, is the process of concluding the drilling of appraisal well 6506/11-12 S on the 6506/11-10 (Hades) gas/condensate discovery.

• Interim report – activity rising again in the petroleum industry following turbulence in the first months of the year

  17/07/2020 In the first half of 2020, activity on the Norwegian shelf has been characterised by the corona situation with restrictions on activity, a drop in demand and a declining oil price.

• Production figures June 2020

  17/07/2020 Preliminary production figures for June 2020 show an average daily production of 1 857 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.

• Minor oil discovery near the Vigdis field in the North Sea – 34/7-E-4 AH

  14/07/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 089, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 34/7-E-4 AH just northwest of the Vigdis Vest field in the northern part of the North Sea and 160 kilometres west of Florø.

• Three finalists for IOR award 2020

  10/07/2020 Three finalists have been nominated for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s IOR award for 2020. The finalists are the licensees on the Grane field in the North Sea, researcher Geir Evensen and oil company Lundin.

• Geir Evensen

  10/07/2020 For many years, Geir Evensen has delivered invaluable efforts in the development of ensemble-based modelling methods. These methods have contributed to enormous value creation on the Norwegian Shelf.

• Lundin

  10/07/2020 Oil and gas company Lundin Energy Norway has distinguished itself through standardised use of formation and long-term testing of reservoirs before making important decisions regarding developing discoveries.

• Licensees on the Grane field

  10/07/2020 Since its start-up in 2003, the Grane field in the central part of the North Sea has been among the fields on the Norwegian Shelf that have produced the most.

• Gas and condensate discovery near the Kvitebjørn field in the North Sea – 30/2-5 S

  08/07/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 878, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 30/2-5 S.

• Dry well north of the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea – 7321/8-2 S

  06/07/2020 Spirit Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 719, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7321/8-2 S.

• Streamlined template for Annual status report for fields in production

  02/07/2020 The template for the annual status report (ASR) for fields in production from 2019 to 2020 has been simplified. Starting from 2020, ASR for fields in production must be submitted to the NPD by 15 October.

• 25th licensing round – announcement on public consultation

  01/07/2020 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy proposes announcing nine area in the 25th licensing round. The proposal was submitted for public consultation on 24 June 2020.

• Almost half of Norwegian petroleum production will soon be run on power from shore

  26/06/2020 The companies are considering multiple electrification projects that could reduce emissions considerably.

• This is the NPD’s new senior management team

  25/06/2020 The six directors who will make up the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s senior management team along with Director General Ingrid Sølvberg have now been employed.

• Planning redevelopment of the Hod field

  24/06/2020 On behalf of the licensees, operator Aker BP has submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for a redevelopment of the Hod field in the Valhall area in the North Sea.

• Drilling permit for wells 6607/12-4 and 6607/12-4 A in production licence 127 C

  24/06/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for wells 6607/12-4 and 6607/12-4 A cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• The North Sea: New times, new methods and new opportunities

  23/06/2020 More than 50 years have passed since the first commercial discovery of oil was made in the North Sea. The gigantic Johan Sverdrup field – which started production in 2019 – will produce for the next 50 years according to plan.

• Drilling permit for well 16/1-33 S in PL 780

  22/06/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Spirit Energy Norway AS a drilling permit for well 16/1-33 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures May 2020

  19/06/2020 Preliminary production figures for May 2020 show an average daily production of 2 029 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 78 000 barrels per day compared to April.

• Announcement of awards in predefined areas (APA) 2020

  19/06/2020 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced APA 2020 on 19 June 2020, encompassing the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea

• Drilling permit for wells 35/11-24 S and A in production licence 248 C

  17/06/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Equinor Energy a drilling permit for wells 35/11-24 S and A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for wells 34/4-15 S and 34/4-15 A in production licence 882

  12/06/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS a drilling permit for wells 34/4-15 S and 34/4-15 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Can machine learning help highlight missed pay?

  03/06/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has since 2018 contributed to a machine learning project with the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) in the UK.

• New podcast: Critical resources in times of crisis

  29/05/2020 Norwegian podcast translated into written English. In this podcast, we will be speaking with Kalmar Ildstad, director of development and operations in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate about critical resources in times of crisis. What is the actual status on the Norwegian shelf?

• Minerals from the deep

  28/05/2020 We have been where no one has gone before. 3000 metres below sea level, on a subsea ridge, where warm, enriched water from the depths of the earth seeps out.

• Drilling permit for well 6506/11-12 S in production licence 644

  27/05/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted OMV Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6506/11-12 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Production figures April 2020

  20/05/2020 Preliminary production figures for April 2020 show an average daily production of 2 117 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 60 000 barrels per day compared to March.

• Dry well near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/10-6

  18/05/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 827 S, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 35/10-6.

• Historic: Northern Lights has submitted a plan for development and operation (PDO) for the first CO2 storage project on the Norwegian shelf

  15/05/2020 The Northern Lights Alliance, with operator Equinor and partners Shell and Total, has submitted a plan for an important part of the Norwegian full-scale project for transport and storage of CO2 on the shelf.

• Drilling permit for well 7321/8-2 S in production licence 719

  12/05/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Spirit Energy Norway AS a drilling permit for well 7321/8-2 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well in 7219/11-1 in production licence 533 B

  12/05/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Energy Norway AS a drilling permit for well 7219/11-1 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 30/2-5 S in production licence 878

  11/05/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 30/2-5 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Podcast with the Director General

  08/05/2020 Norwegian podcast translated into written English.

• Cutting oil production

  30/04/2020 The Norwegian authorities’ decision to cut oil production starting in June is being made in an effort to contribute toward more rapid stabilisation of the oil market than the market mechanism alone could ensure.

• Dry well near the Oseberg field in the North Sea – 30/6-31 S

  30/04/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 053, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 30/6-31 S.

• More than 6.5 kilometres of high-quality geology published on FactPages

  24/04/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has recently published high resolution core images of 94 so-called shallow wellbores in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Dry well near the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/8-10 S

  24/04/2020 Neptune Energy Norge AS, operator of production licence 889, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6507/8-10 S. The well was drilled about 10 kilometres east of the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea and 215 kilometres west of Brønnøysund.

• Green light for Ærfugl well

  22/04/2020 Operator Aker BP is starting production from the second development stage (phase two) on the Ærfugl field in the Norwegian Sea. This will take place from the existing subsea template on the nearby Skarv field.

• New issue - Norwegian Continental Shelf

  22/04/2020 The new issue of the Norwegian Continental Shelf magazine is now available in a digital version with plenty of interesting reading. The articles in the magazine were written before the corona crisis.

• Ten more years for Troll B

  20/04/2020 The authorities have granted consent to operator Equinor and the other licensees for a 10-year lifetime extension for the Troll B facility in the North Sea.

• NPD uses video to share oil and climate info with lower secondary school in Oslo

  17/04/2020 It all started with a phone call to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) from Hedda Greni, a teacher at Skullerud lower secondary school in Oslo. And ended up with a geologist and a chartered engineer from the NPD taking part in a two-period-long video conference to talk to the students in classes 9a and 9b about oil and the climate.

• Production figures March 2020

  17/04/2020 Preliminary production figures for March 2020 show an average daily production of 2 038 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 64 000 barrels per day compared to February.

• Reduced exploration activity; production is maintained for now

  08/04/2020 Exploration activity on the shelf has been reduced, and production will be maintained for the time being, in spite of the corona outbreak and the decline in oil price. At the same time, the companies have announced and initiated several measures that could have long-term consequences for production and overall resource extraction.

• Oil discovery near the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea – 6406/3-10

  07/04/2020 Wintershall Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence 836 S, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6406/3-10. The well was drilled about 8 kilometres west of the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea and 200 kilometres north of Kristiansund.

• Minor gas discovery southwest of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6506/5-1 S

  06/04/2020 Aker BP, operator of production licence 1008, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6506/5-1 S. The well was drilled about 50 kilometres southwest of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea and 210 kilometres west of Brønnøysund.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Balder field in the North Sea - 25/8-19 S and 25/8-19 A

  18/03/2020 MOL Norge AS, operator of production licence 820 S, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/8-19 S and appraisal well 25/8-19 A.

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate handles day-to-day business from home offices

  16/03/2020 Employees at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate currently handle day-to-day business from home offices. This does not impact the daily operation of the Directorate. All types of applications will be processed as usual.

• Drilling permit for well 35/8-7S in production licence 880

  16/03/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Capricorn Norge AS a drilling permit for well 35/8-7S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 34/7-E-4 AH in production licence 089

  13/03/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wellbore 34/7-E-4 AH, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Improved execution of development projects

  13/03/2020 A review of 66 projects on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) in 2007-18 reveals that most have kept their cost within the estimates given in their plan for development and operation (PDO).

• Production figures February 2020

  12/03/2020 Preliminary production figures for February 2020 show an average daily production of 2 106 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is an increase of 129 000 barrels per day compared to January.

• Restrictions on visits in connection with spread of coronavirus

  11/03/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has introduced restrictions with regard to presence in the Directorate’s offices for persons who have been in areas with prolonged spread of coronavirus.

• Drilling permit for well 35/10-5 in production licence 827 S

  10/03/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 35/10-5, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Cook and Johansen Formations are good candidates for CO2 storage – 31/5-7

  05/03/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of exploitation licence 001, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 31/5-7.

• Awards in APA 2019

  03/03/2020 On 14 February 2020, the King-in-Council awarded ownership interests in the APA 2019 licencing round (Awards in Predefined Areas).

• Small oil discovery near the Gudrun field in the North Sea – 15/3-12 S and 15/3-12 A

  02/03/2020 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 025, has concluded the drilling of wildcat wells 15/3-12 S and 15/3-12 A in the central part of the North Sea.

• Dry appraisal well on the 6604/5-1 (Balderbrå) gas discovery in the northern Norwegian Sea - 6604/5-2 S

  26/02/2020 Wintershall Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence PL 894, is in the process of concluding the drilling of appraisal well 6604/5-2 S.

• Green light for Skogul

  24/02/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for start-up of the Skogul field in the North Sea.

• The resource accounts for 2019 are now available

  20/02/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's estimate of total proven and unproven petroleum resources on the Norwegian continental shelf is about 15.7 billion standard cubic metres of oil equivalents.

• Production figures January 2020

  19/02/2020 Preliminary production figures for January 2020 show an average daily production of 1 963 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 111 000 barrels per day compared to December 2019.

• Drilling permit for well 7221/4-1 in production licence 609

  18/02/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway AS a drilling permit for well 7221/4-1 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Balder field in the North Sea – 25/7- 9 S

  12/02/2020 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 917, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/7-9 S.

• Most of the amount swindled from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is back where it belongs

  11/02/2020 In November of last year, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) was the target of a payment fraud amounting to 17.6 million kroner. Most of these funds, around NOK 17 million, have now been returned to the Directorate.

• Who deserves improved recovery award 2020?

  03/02/2020 Every other year we present the IOR award at ONS. Do you know of anyone who deserves the award? Nominate your candidate for the IOR award 2020 by 1 March 2020.

• Developments on the shelf – what have we learned?

  31/01/2020 To what extent are development projects on the Norwegian shelf affected by delays and cost overruns? The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has examined the development from 2007 to 2018 and will present its findings on 7 February.

• Dialogue is the key to good coexistence on the sea

  17/01/2020 Cooperation is a key word for good coexistence between industries at sea. The value of dialogue and good communication between the industries was the topic when the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate recently hosted the very first joint regulatory authority meeting for the seismic industry.

• Production figures December 2019

  17/01/2020 Preliminary production figures for December 2019 show an average daily production of 2 082 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is an increase of 95 000 barrels per day compared to November.

• APA 2019: Licence shares offered to 28 companies

  14/01/2020 28 companies have been offered ownership interests in a total of 69 production licences on the Norwegian Shelf in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2019.

• Minor oil and gas discovery near the Balder field in the North Sea – 25/7-8 S

  14/01/2020 ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, operator of production licence 917, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/7-8 S.

• Basis for increased gas transport from the Barents Sea South

  13/01/2020 Today, Gassco presented a new report regarding the transport of gas from the southern Barents Sea. The report shows that it could be socio-economically profitable to increase the transport capacity for gas, thereby further increasing value creation in the Barents Sea.

• The Shelf in 2019 – a good year overall

  09/01/2020 Activity on the shelf was high last year. There are considerable resources in fields and discoveries, and more yet to be discovered in all sea areas. A record number of fields are producing.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/8-10 S in production licence 889

  08/01/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Neptune Energy Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6507/8-10 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 25/2-22 S in production licence 442

  08/01/2020 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 25/2-22 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea – 6604/6-1

  08/01/2020 Wintershall Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence 894, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6604/6-1.

• The Shelf 2019: A summary

  03/01/2020 Thursday, 9 January Ingrid Sølvberg, our new director general, summarized the past year on the Norwegian shelf. She also presented investment and production forecasts for the next five years.

• Drilling permit for well 6604/5-2 S in production licence 894

  23/12/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Wintershall Dea Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6604/5-2 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 30/6-31 S in production licence 053

  23/12/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 30/6-31 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Increasing recovery from the Balder field

  20/12/2019 On Tuesday 17 December, Vår Energi submitted an amended Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Balder field and the associated Ringhorne deposit in the North Sea. The development will contribute to increase recovery from Balder.

• Drilling permit for well 7219/9-3 in production licence 532

  19/12/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7219/9-3, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6506/5-1 S in production licence 1008

  18/12/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 6506/5-1 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• The Shelf 2019 is approaching – registration is open

  13/12/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate publishes The Shelf in January of every year. The publication is a summary of the past year; results from exploration and production, as well as investment and production forecasts for the next five years.

• Minor oil and gas discovery near the Heidrun field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/7-16 S

  13/12/2019 DNO North Sea (Norge) AS, operator of production licence 888, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6507/7-16 S.

• Production figures November 2019

  12/12/2019 Preliminary production figures for November 2019 show an average daily production of 2 016 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is an increase of 235 000 barrels per day compared to October.

• Dry appraisal well on the 35/11-23 oil and gas discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/11-23 A

  09/12/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 090, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 35/11-23 A.

• Drilling permit for well 25/7-9 S in production licence 917

  08/12/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS a drilling permit for well 25/7-9 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 31/5-7 in exploitation licence 001

  29/11/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 31/5-7, cf. Section 15 of the documentation relating to storage of CO2 on the shelf.

• Hoping for a dry well near Troll

  28/11/2019 For the first time, an exploration well is being drilled where the objective is not to find oil or gas.

• Drilling permit for well 6604/6-1 in production licence 894

  26/11/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Wintershall Dea Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6604/6-1, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for wells 15/3-12 S and 15/3-12 A in production licence 025

  26/11/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 15/3-12 S and 15/3-12 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Minor oil discovery in the Norwegian Sea - 6611/1-1

  26/11/2019 Wintershall Dea Norge AS, operator of production licence 896, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6611/1-1.

• Production figures October 2019

  19/11/2019 Preliminary production figures for October 2019 show an average daily production of 1 828 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate,which is an increase of 264 000 barrels per day compared to September.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Balder field in the North Sea – 25/7-7

  12/11/2019 ConocoPhillips Scandinavia AS, operator of production licence 782 S, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 25/7-7.

• Delineation of the Draugen field in the Norwegian Sea - 6407/9-12

  12/11/2019 OKEA ASA, operator of production licence 093 D, has now completed drilling of appraisal well 6407/9-12 on the Draugen field, toward the east.

• Minor oil discovery south of the Gyda field in the North Sea – 2/1-17 S

  08/11/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 019 C, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 2/1-17 S.

• Oil and gas discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea – 35/11-23

  06/11/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 090, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 35/11-23. The well has been drilled about 3 kilometres southwest of the Fram field in the northern part of the North Sea, and 120 kilometres northwest of Bergen.

• More technology to create value

  31/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate wants to contribute to the industry developing and using even more technology to create value on the Norwegian shelf. A task force has presented nine proposed measures to achieve this.

• Reminder: Register for popular course

  29/10/2019 We would like to remind you of "Course for the industry" (Kurs for næringen) which will be held on 14 November in our offices in Stavanger.

• Dry well near the Troll field in the North Sea – well 32/4-3 S

  29/10/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 921, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 32/4-3 S.

• Delineation of gas/condensate discovery 6506/11-10 near the Morvin field in the Norwegian Sea – well 6506/11-11 S

  24/10/2019 OMV Norge AS, operator of production licence 644, is in the process of completing the drilling of appraisal well 6506/11-11 S on the 6506/11-10 (Iris) gas/condensate discovery.

• Drilling permit for well 25/7-8 S in production licence 917

  21/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS a drilling permit for well 25/7-8 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Busy Norwegian Sea

  18/10/2019 A lot is going on in the Norwegian Sea! In this sea area, which is twice the size of the North Sea, there are 19 fields in production, numerous discoveries are being developed and around 350 exploration wells have been drilled over the past 40 years.

• Production figures September 2019

  15/10/2019 Preliminary production figures for September 2019 show an average daily production of 1 574 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 86 000 barrels per day compared to August.

• Small oil and gas discovery southeast of the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/5-9 S and 6507/5-9 A

  15/10/2019 PGNiG Upstream Norway AS, operator of production licence 838, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6507/5-9 S and appraisal well 6507/5-9 A.

• Dry well near the Yme field in the North Sea – 9/2-12

  15/10/2019 Repsol Norge AS, operator of production licence 910, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 9/2-12. The well is being drilled about six kilometres northeast of the Yme field centre in the North Sea.

• Ingrid Sølvberg to become new director general

  14/10/2019 Ingrid Sølvberg will take over the post of director general of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, following Bente Nyland.

• Together for 50 years on the Norwegian shelf

  14/10/2019 50 years have passed since the first commercial discovery of oil on the Norwegian shelf. To mark the occasion, the cooperating forum Force is arranging a two-day seminar which will focus on telling the story and highlighting the lessons we have learned that can be passed on to younger generations.

• Drilling permit for 25/8-19 S i utvinningsløyve 820 S

  14/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted MOL Norge AS a drilling permit for well 25/8-19 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 35/11-23 in production licence 090

  14/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 35/11-23, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/7-16 S in production licence 888

  09/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted DNO North Sea (Norge) a drilling permit for well 6507/7-16, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Suggest candidate for improved recovery award

  07/10/2019 Who's the best at improved recovery? Suggest who you think should win the IOR award 2020. The deadline is 1 March 2020.

• Oil production has started

  05/10/2019 Nine years after the field was proven, production commenced on Saturday from the North Sea giant, Johan Sverdrup. 24/7, for the next 40 years, oil from this field will secure substantial revenues for Norway.

• Go-ahead for new facility on Valhall

  02/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent to start up the Valhall West Flank facility in the North Sea. Start-up will take place this autumn.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/5-9 A in production licence 838

  02/10/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted PGNiG Upstream Norway AS a drilling permit for well 6507/5-9 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Continued high activity on the Norwegian shelf

  27/09/2019 Even after more than 50 years, the Norwegian shelf still holds vast opportunities.

• Reminder: Presentation of the new resource report

  25/09/2019 Have you already registered? Or do you plan to follow online? On Friday 27 September at 10 am we will present the new resource report on fields and discoveries.

• Production figures August 2019

  24/09/2019 Preliminary production figures for August 2019 show an average daily production of 1 647 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 67 000 barrels per day compared to July.

• Gas discovery south of the Marulk field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/2-5 S

  17/09/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 942, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6507/2-5 S.

• Registration open for popular course

  13/09/2019 You can now register for “Course for the industry" (Kurs for næringen) which will be held on 14 November in our offices in Stavanger. The registration deadline is 8 November.

• Tordis and Vigdis facilities to remain in production

  12/09/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor consent to use the facilities on the Tordis and Vigdis fields beyond the approved lifetime.

• Drilling permit for well 6611/1-1 in production licence 896

  12/09/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted DEA Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6611/1-1, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Presentation of the new resource report

  12/09/2019 On Friday, 27 September, director of development and operations Ingrid Sølvberg will present the new resource report on fields and discoveries.

• Dry well near the Mikkel field in the Norwegian Sea - 6407/3-2 S

  10/09/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licences 796 and 796 B, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6407/3-2 S.

• Successful exploration for seabed minerals

  09/09/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has just completed a successful data acquisition expedition on the Mohns Ridge in the north-western Norwegian Sea, using the Seabed Constructor vessel.

• The Guidelines to the annual status report for fields in production have been updated

  06/09/2019 The Guidelines to the annual status report (ASR) have been updated, to ASR2019. The Guidelines are unchanged from last year’s Guidelines (ASR2018), with the exception of Chapter 3.2, “Reserves and resources – status”.

• Continued significant interest in exploration in mature areas in APA 2019

  04/09/2019 The authorities have received applications from 33 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2019.

• Drilling permit for well 9/2-12 in production licence 910

  04/09/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Repsol Norge AS a drilling permit for well 9/2-12, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well south of the Oseberg field in the North Sea – 30/12-2

  04/09/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 986, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 30/12-2.

• Green light for giant field

  02/09/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted its consent for start-up of the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea. The field is expected to produce oil for the next 40 years.

• Drilling permit for well 32/4-2 in production licence 921

  22/08/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 32/4-2, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil discovery north of the 7324/8-1 (Wisting) oil discovery in the Barents Sea – 7324/6-1

  20/08/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 855, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 7324/6-1.

• Dry well northeast of the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea – 6608/6-1

  20/08/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 762, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6608/6-1.

• Small oil discovery south of the Edvard Grieg field - 16/5-8 S

  19/08/2019 Lundin Norway AS, operator of production licence 815, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 16/5-8 S.

• New search for minerals

  16/08/2019 For the next month, colleague Jan Stenløkk will trade his office in Stavanger for the vessel "M/V Seabed Constructor" in the Norwegian Sea.

• Production figures July 2019

  16/08/2019 Preliminary production figures for July 2019 show an average daily production of 1 713 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is an increase of 316 000 barrels per day compared to June.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/5-9 S in production licence 838

  16/08/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted PGNiG Upstream Norway AS a drilling permit for well 6507/5-9 S cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Start-up consent for the Utgard field

  14/08/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted its consent to start-up of the Utgard field in the North Sea.

• Small gas discovery near the Bøyla field in the North Sea - 24/9-13 and 24/9-13 A

  07/08/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 869, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 24/9-13 and appraisal well 24/9-13 A.

• Drilling permit for well 30/12-2 in production licence 986

  05/08/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 30/12-2, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea – 6608/11-9

  05/08/2019 Capricorn Norge AS, operator of production licence 842, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6608/11-9.

• Drilling permit for well 2/1-17 S in production licence 019 C

  01/08/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 2/1-17 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 25/7-7 in production licence 782 S

  31/07/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS a drilling permit for well 25/7-7 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management regulations.

• Delineation of the 16/1-29 S oil discovery in the North Sea - 16/1-30 S and A

  26/07/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 167, has completed drilling appraisal wells 16/1-30 S and 16/1-30 A.

• Oil discovery northeast of the Alvheim field in the North Sea – 25/2-21

  23/07/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 442, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 25/2-21 (Liatårnet).

• Dry well west of the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea - 16/5-7

  16/07/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 502, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 16/5-7.

• High activity in the first six months

  13/07/2019 Production on the Norwegian shelf is holding steady at a high level. Many projects are in the development or planning phases.

• Production figures June 2019

  12/07/2019 Preliminary production figures for June 2019 show an average daily production of 1 409 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 184 000 barrels per day compared to May.

• Dry well southeast of the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea – 6508/1-3

  10/07/2019 Capricorn Norge AS, operator of production licence 758, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6508/1-3.

• Search for new Director General

  02/07/2019 After twelve years as Director General, Bente Nyland will complete her term at the end of 2019. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has started a search for her successor.

• Plans to re-develop Tor

  01/07/2019 On behalf of the licensees, operator Conoco Phillips has submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for a re-development of the Tor field in the Greater Ekofisk area in the North Sea.

• Minor oil discovery and delineation of the 24/9-12 S (Frosk) oil discovery in the North Sea – 24/9-15 S and 24/9-15 A

  01/07/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 340, has finalised the results after drilling wildcat well 24/9-15 S (Froskelår Nordøst) and appraisal well 24/9-15 A.

• Dry well north of the Gina Krog field in the North Sea – 15/6-16 S

  27/06/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 777, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 15/6-16 S. The well was drilled about 10 kilometres north of the Gina Krog field and 220 kilometres west of Stavanger in the central part of the North Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 6608/11-9 in production licence 842

  26/06/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Capricorn Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6608/11-9 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6508/1-3 in production licence 758

  20/06/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Capricorn Norge AS a drilling permit for well 6508/1-3 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6608/6-1 in production licence 762

  20/06/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 6608/6-1 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Delineation of the Edvard Grieg field in the North Sea – 16/1-31 S and 16/1-31 A

  20/06/2019 Lundin Norway AS, operator of production licence 338, has completed the drilling of exploration wells 16/1-31 S and 16/1-31 A.

• Production figures for May 2019

  20/06/2019 Preliminary production figures for May 2019 show an average daily production of 1 599 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 120 000 barrels per day compared to April.

• Drilling permit for well 6507/2-5 S in production licence 942

  19/06/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 6507/2-5 S cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Learn more about resource management, save the date now

  18/06/2019 This autumn, for the fourth straight year, we will be holding a course on our roles and tasks, and what this entails for your working day in the oil and gas industry.

• Drilling permit for well 25/2-20 in production licence 442

  17/06/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 25/2-20, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oil and gas discovery southwest of the Norne field in the Norwegian Sea – 6507/3-13

  17/06/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 159 B, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 6507/3-13.

• Dry well near the 7435/12-1 (Korpfjell) gas discovery in the Barents Sea – 7335/3-1

  17/06/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 859, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 7335/3-1.

• Analysis reveals extensive seabed minerals

  07/06/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s chemical analyses of sulphides and manganese crusts from the Norwegian shelf reveal that the sulphides contain a high content of copper, zinc and cobalt.

• Dry well in the North Sea – 15/6-15

  04/06/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 814, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 15/6-15.

• Announcement of awards in predefined areas (APA) 2019

  29/05/2019 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced APA 2019 on 29 May 2019, encompassing the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 16/5-7 in production licence 502

  27/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 16/5-7, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well near the Trym field in the southern part of the North Sea - 3/7-11 S

  24/05/2019 MOL Norge AS, operator of production licence 539, is in the process of completing the drilling of wildcat well 3/7-11 S.

• Production figures for April 2019

  22/05/2019 Preliminary production figures for April 2019 show an average daily production of 1 729 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 24 000 barrels per day compared to March.

• Drilling permit for well 7324/6-1 in production licence 855

  20/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7324/6-1, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 6506/11-11 S in production licence 644

  15/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted OMV (Norge) AS a drilling permit for well 6506/11-11 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 16/1-31 A in production licence 338

  14/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway AS a drilling permit for well 16/1-31 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Ready for start-up on Trestakk

  13/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for start-up of the Trestakk field in the Norwegian Sea. Operator Equinor plans start-up during second quarter of 2019.

• Dry well south of the Grane field - 25/11-29 S

  10/05/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 916, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 25/11-29 S.

• Drilling permit for wells 16/1-30 S and 16/1-30 A in production licence 167

  09/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 16/1-30 S and 16/1-30 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• The future is in the north

  08/05/2019 Our estimates indicate that more than half of the oil and gas that has not yet been discovered is located in the Barents Sea. The rest is distributed between the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. The opportunities are greatest in the Barents Sea, where vast areas have not yet been explored.

• Drilling permit for well 15/6-16 S in production licence 777

  08/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 15/6-16 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 15/6-15 in production licence 814

  08/05/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 15/6-15 cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Dry well northeast of the Jotun field in the North Sea – 25/6-6 S

  26/04/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 870, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 25/6-6 S. The well was drilled in the Stord Basin northeast of the Utsira High, about 35 kilometres northeast of the Jotun field and 170 kilometres northwest of Stavanger in the central part of the North Sea.

• Hourly rate for supervision increased

  25/04/2019 Pursuant to a decision from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the rate for regulatory supervision of resource management has increased from NOK 850 to NOK 1 150 from and including 1 September 2018.

• Drilling permit for well 7335/3-1 in production licence 859

  24/04/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 7335/3-1, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 25/11-29 S in production licence 916

  16/04/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 25/11-29 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for wells 6507/3-13 and 6507/3-13 A in production licence 159 B

  15/04/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for wells 6507/3-13 and 6507/3-13 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Continental shelf’s extent outside Bouvet Island clarified

  12/04/2019 Bouvet Island is a Norwegian island situated in the southernmost part of the Atlantic Ocean.

• Production figures March 2019

  12/04/2019 Preliminary production figures for March 2019 show an average daily production of 1 765 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is an increase of 19 000 barrels per day compared to February.

• Dry well near the 35/3-2 (Agat) gas discovery in the northern North Sea – 36/1-3/1-3

  03/04/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 885, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 36/1-3. The well was drilled about 15 kilometres east of the 35/3-2 (Agat) gas discovery and 55 kilometres northwest of Florø, in the northern part of the North Sea.

• New report on petroleum activity in the High North

  02/04/2019 Today the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will present the report Petroleum Activity in the High North. The report places the petroleum activity in the High North into a historical, international and technological framework.

• Dry well in the southeastern Barents Sea – 7132/2-2

  02/04/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 857, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7132/2-2. The well was drilled about 175 kilometres north of Vardø, to the southeast in the Barents Sea.

• Delineation of the Hod field and dry well near the Hod field in the North Sea – 2/11-12 S and 2/11-12 A

  28/03/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 033, has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 2/11-12 S and wildcat well 2/11-12 A

• Development plan for Solveig submitted

  27/03/2019 The authorities have received the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Solveig oil discovery in the North Sea.

• Drilling permit for well 3/7-11 S in production licence 539

  26/03/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted MOL Norge AS a drilling permit for well 3/7-11 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Drilling permit for well 16/5-8 S in production licence 815

  26/03/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway AS a drilling permit for well 16/5-8 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Oda field starts production

  19/03/2019 The Oda field started to produce oil and gas on 16 March. The field, which is located 13 kilometres east of Ula in the North Sea, is operated by Spirit Energy.

• Gas and oil discovery northwest of the Bøyla field in the North Sea - 24/9-14 S and 24/9-14 A

  19/03/2019 Aker BP ASA, operator of production licence 869, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 24/9-14 S and a horizontal appraisal well, 24/9-14 A.

• Production figures for February 2019

  15/03/2019 Preliminary production figures for February 2019 show an average daily production of 1 745 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 75 000 barrels per day compared to January.

• Diskos Vendor Conference

  14/03/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and the Diskos Management wants to invite potential Diskos vendors to a “Diskos Vendor Conference” Thursday 21st of March 2019.

• Gullfaks C can be used until 2036

  14/03/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate gives the go ahead for using the C platform on the Gullfaks field in the North Sea until 30 June 2036. This corresponds to the entire period of the production licence.

• Welcome to our new website!

  14/03/2019 We have upgraded our website. The content is largely the same as before, but we have made an effort to improve, streamline and update to give you a better user experience.

• Video

  14/03/2019 Here is a selection of our videos.

• Dry well north of the Vilje field in the North Sea – 25/1-13

  12/03/2019 Wellesley Petroleum AS, operator of production licence 871, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 25/1-13.

• Minor oil discovery near the Visund field in the North Sea - 34/8-18 S

  04/03/2019 Equinor Energy  AS, operator of production licence 120, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 34/8-18 S.

• Dry well north of the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea - 7121/1-2 S

  25/02/2019 Lundin Norway AS, operator of production licence 767, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 7121/1-2 S.

• 25/6-6 S

  21/02/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS a drilling permit for well 25/6-6 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Submitted development plan for Duva

  21/02/2019 On Thursday, the licensees, led by operator Neptune Energy, submitted the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Duva field in the North Sea.

• Delineation of the 31/7-1 (Brasse) oil and gas discovery near the Brage field in the North Sea - 31/7-3 S og 31/7-3 A

  19/02/2019 Faroe Petroleum Norge AS, operator of production licence 740, has concluded the drilling of appraisal wells 31/7-3 S and 31/7-3 A.

• January 2019

  19/02/2019 Preliminary production figures for January 2019 show an average daily production of 1 822 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 30 000 barrels per day compared to December.

• Dry well near the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea - 6706/6-2 S

  18/02/2019 Wintershall Norge A/S, operator of production licence 847, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6706/6-2 S.

• Minor oil discovery near the Fram field in the North Sea - 35/11-22 S

  15/02/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 248 C, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 35/11-22 S.

• Dry well near the 35/2-1 (Peon) gas discovery in the North Sea - 35/4-2

  15/02/2019 Wellesley Petroleum AS, operator of production licence 931, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 35/4-2.

• Dry well in the southeastern Barents Sea - 7132/2-1

  12/02/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 857, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 7132/2-1.

• 24/9-14 A

  08/02/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for well 24/9-14 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• 24/9-15 S and 24/9-15 A

  06/02/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Aker BP ASA a drilling permit for wells 24/9-15 S and 24/9-15 A, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Extended lifetime for Norne FPSO

  04/02/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted consent for continuation of production on Norne FPSO with associated facilities for the Norne, Urd and Skuld fields in the Norwegian Sea.

• 16/1-31 S

  29/01/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway AS a drilling permit for well 16/1-31 S, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Åsgard A will produce longer

  28/01/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has approved operator Equinor’s application for extended technical lifetime for the Åsgard A facility in the Norwegian Sea until 2027. That means production twelve years longer than the original plan.

• Minor gas discovery and appraisal well southeast of the Kristin field in the Norwegian Sea – 6406/6-6 S and 6406/6-6 A

  25/01/2019 Total E&P Norge AS, operator of production licence 255 B, has concluded the drilling of wildcat well 6406/6-6 S and appraisal well 6406/6-6 A.

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  17/01/2019 We are now obtaining consent from you who wish to receive our newsletter. Because of this, you need to subscribe to our newsletter again if you wish to continue receiving it.

• 25/1-13

  16/01/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Wellesley Petroleum AS a drilling permit for well 25/1-13, cf. Section 15 of the Resource Management Regulations.

• Minor gas/condensate discovery near the Kristin field in the Norwegian Sea - 6406/2-9 S

  16/01/2019 Equinor Energy AS, operator of production licence 199, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 6406/2-9 S.

• New plan will increase recovery from Gullfaks

  15/01/2019 A new, amended Plan for development and operation (PDO) describes the next phase in production from limestone rocks over the Gullfaks field in the North Sea. The increased reserves are estimated at 2.8 million standard cubic metres (nearly 18 million bbls) of oil equivalents.

• Record licence awards in APA 2018

  15/01/2019 Today, 15 January, 33 companies have been offered ownership interests in a total of 83 production licences on the Norwegian Shelf in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2018. This is the largest number ever awarded in one licensing round.

• Award of exploitation permit for CO2 storage

  15/01/2019 The authorities have granted Equinor a permit to exploit an area for CO2 storage on the Norwegian Shelf.

• New edition of Norwegian Continental Shelf

  14/01/2019 In an interview, Kristin Færøvik, chair of the board in the industry organisation Norwegian Oil and gas, emphasises the importance of the authorities ensuring that we also have stable framework conditions on the Norwegian Shelf in the future. And she urges companies to continue to explore for oil and gas.

• The Shelf in 2018

  10/01/2019 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s forecasts show that, after a minor decline in 2019, oil and gas production will increase from 2020 and up to 2023. Overall production will then approach the record year of 2004.

• Dry well at Mandal High in the southern part of the North Sea - 2/6-6 S

  09/01/2019 MOL Norge AS, operator of production licence 860, is in the process of concluding the drilling of wildcat well 2/6-6 S.

• Dry well north of the Oda field in the North Sea - 8/10-7 S

  09/01/2019 Spirit Energy Norway AS, operator of production licence 405, has completed the drilling of wildcat well 8/10-7 S.

• Ready for Oda start-up

  07/01/2019 The authorities have approved the application for start-up of the Oda field in the North Sea. Operator Spirit Energy expects start-up in February/March.  

• Delineation of the Goliat field in the Barents Sea - 7122/7-7 S

  03/01/2019 Vår Energi AS, operator of production licence 229, is in the process of completing the drilling of appraisal well 7122/7-7 S on the Goliat oil field.

• RSS

  31/12/2018 Here you can subscribe to RSS feeds within various topics.

• Presentation of the shelf in 2018

  17/12/2018 On 10 January, Director General Bente Nyland will present the results of exploration and production in 2018, as well as investment and production forecasts for the next five years.

• Area fee rates to be adjusted

  13/12/2018 The area fee rates in Section 39 (1) of the Petroleum Regulations will be adjusted effective 1 January 2019.

• From Core Store to Geobank

  06/12/2018 «Geobank» is the new name of our core viewing room, which contains much more than just rock samples. The name provides a better description of all the types of geological data we have available.

• Welcome to NPD's Exploration Technology Seminar

  22/11/2018 The NPD invites to an Exploration Technology Seminar on December 5, 10-12 am. The seminar will take place in the Valhall auditorium at the NPD and lunch will be served after the seminar.

• Extended life for Snorre

  10/10/2018 Equinor has received consent to continue use of the Snorre A and Snorre B facilities through 2040.

• New deep sea mineral deposits

  11/09/2018 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate just concluded a successful three-week data acquisition expedition on the Mohn’s ridge in the western part of the Norwegian Sea.

• Northern Lights applies for permission to inject and store CO2 on the Norwegian Shelf

  10/09/2018 On Friday, Equinor along with its partners Shell and Total, submitted an application for an exploitation permit for a subsea reservoir for injection and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).

• 38 companies have applied for acreage in APA 2018

  07/09/2018 The authorities have received applications from 38 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2018. The application deadline expired on 4 September.

• Fast IOR project on Visund

  05/09/2018 Operator Equinor has started production on Visund Nord in the North Sea. The project was completed in 21 months.

• Updated guidelines for 2018 annual status report for producing fields

  03/09/2018 The guidelines for the 2018 annual status report (ASR) have now been updated. Some adjustments have been made from the 2017 reporting.

• Start-up of Aasta Hansteen

  31/08/2018 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for start-up of the Aasta Hansteen facility in the Norwegian Sea. Operator Equinor plans to start production during the course of autumn 2018.

• Doubled reserves – won IOR prize

  28/08/2018 The licensees for the Alvheim field in the North Sea have been awarded the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s improved oil recovery (IOR) prize because of their willingness to accept risk.

• ONS Distinguished Service Award to Bente Nyland

  27/08/2018 Director General Bente Nyland has received the ONS Distinguished Service Award 2018 for her significant efforts to develop the Norwegian oil and gas industry.

• Go-ahead for Oseberg H

  24/08/2018 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for the Oseberg H facility to start production in September.

• IOR seminar at ONS

  17/08/2018 The NPD’s IOR prize is awarded at ONS. The prize, which is awarded every other year at ONS, goes to production licences, companies, projects or individuals who are expected to create added value on the Norwegian Continental Shelf through innovative work linked to improved recovery of oil and gas.  

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate maps deep sea mineral deposits

  09/08/2018 After the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy assumed administrative responsibility for mineral deposits on the continental shelf, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has been assigned the task of mapping potential deposits.

• New issue of the magazine

  18/07/2018 Installation of the Aasta Hansteen facility opens a new province and a new chapter for gas deliveries from Norway. And global use of gas increases from where it is today.

• 20 development projects

  16/07/2018

• Many developments and high exploration activity

  16/07/2018 An impressive 20 development projects are currently under way on the Norwegian Shelf, and 13 exploration wells in the first half of 2018 have yielded 6 discoveries. Production has been somewhat lower in the first six months of the year as compared with the same period last year.

• Developing Troll phase three

  03/07/2018 Operator Equinor and partners have submitted their Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the third development stage of the Troll field in the North Sea.

• Still plenty of discoveries to be made on the Norwegian shelf

  21/06/2018 Today, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will be publishing the 2018 Resource Report for Exploration.

• 12 Production Licences Offered to 11 Companies in the 24th Licensing Round

  18/06/2018 Today, 18 June, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy offers 12 new production licences to 11 companies in the 24th licensing round.

• Ready for more water injection

  14/06/2018 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has consented to the start on the Conoco Phillips-operated installation Ekofisk 2/4 VC in the North Sea.

• Three IOR prize finalists

  04/06/2018 The jury has arrived at three finalists for this years IOR prize. The winner will be announced at the ONS oil conference and exhibition in Stavanger 28 August.  

• Welcome to the presentation

  31/05/2018 The report presents an updated estimate for undiscovered resources on the Norwegian shelf and an analysis of the profitability of exploration, among other things.

• Extended lifetime for Oseberg Øst

  25/05/2018 Equinor has been granted consent for continued use of the Oseberg Øst facility until 31 March 2031.

• Submitted development plan for Nova

  16/05/2018 On Wednesday, the licensees, led by operator Wintershall, submitted a plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Nova oil field (previously “Skarfjell”) in the North Sea. Development costs are estimated at NOK 9.9 billion.

• Course for the industry – what does NPD do?

  11/04/2018 This spring, the NPD will organise a one-day course for the oil companies on the NPD`s responsibilities and roles. The course will be held in norwegian on 12 of June.

• Changes in the PDO/PIO guidelines

  05/04/2018 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has changed the guidelines for preparing plans for development and operation of petroleum deposits (PDOs) and plans for installation and operation of facilities for transport and for exploitation of petroleum (PIOs).

• 75 new production licences in APA 2017

  16/01/2018 Today, 16 January, 34 companies will be offered a total of 75 new production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Who deserves the IOR prize?

  16/01/2018 Do you know of anyone who deserves the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's prize for improved recovery – the IOR prize for 2018?

• 1. Increasing oil and gas production for the next five‐year period

  11/01/2018 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s production forecast up to 2022 shows an increase from 2020, when Johan Sverdrup has come on stream. Total production of oil and gas in 2022 is estimated to be close to the record‐breaking year 2004. Gas will then account for about one‐half of the production.

• 2. Investment and cost forecasts

  11/01/2018 The petroleum industry has made a considerable effort to reduce its cost level, which has resulted in substantial savings. The cost level for field developments has declined and there has also been a substantial reduction in both operating and exploration costs.

• 3. Development and operations

  11/01/2018

• 4. Exploration

  11/01/2018

• The Shelf 2017

  11/01/2018 Never before has so much gas been sold from the Norwegian shelf as was the case in 2017. Oil production was down slightly; nevertheless, overall production rose for the fourth straight year.

• Press conference – The shelf in 2017

  09/01/2018 On 11 January, Director General Bente Nyland will present exploration and production results for 2017, as well as investment and production forecasts for the next five years.

• Successful seismic acquisition on Gardarbank High

  09/01/2018 During the autumn of 2017, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has acquired about 4,500 kilometres of 2D seismic on the Gardarbank High, east/northeast of Bjørnøya and south of Hopen.

• Comprehensive Snorre plan submitted

  21/12/2017 On Thursday, the authorities received an amended Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Snorre expansion project.

• Submitted new plan for Yme development

  19/12/2017 On Tuesday, operator Repsol submitted a new Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Yme field in the North Sea. More eight billion kroner will be invested in the development. The planned start-up is 2020.

• Development plan submitted for Fenja

  19/12/2017 On Tuesday, the licensees, led by operator VNG, submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Fenja in the Norwegian Sea. Investments are expected to total approx. NOK 10 billion.

• Submitted three development plans

  15/12/2017 Today, Aker BP submitted Plans for Development and Operation (PDOs) for three projects. The total investments will amount to approximately NOK 15.5 billion.

• Solid applicants want to explore in the 24th round

  05/12/2017 Eleven companies have applied for production licenses in the 24th licensing round on the Norwegian shelf. The deadline for applications was 30 November.

• A milestone for the Barents Sea

  05/12/2017 The licensees in the Johan Castberg discovery in the Barents Sea submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) to the authorities today.

• Previous award winners

  30/11/2017

• Ready for start-up of the Maria field

  16/11/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for start-up of production from the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea.

• New standards for transport and storage of CO2

  01/11/2017 Two international standards for storage and transport of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be launched today. The standards were developed by experts from 16 countries.

• New edition of the continental shelf map

  12/10/2017 You can now download or order the new edition of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s shelf map.

• Course for the industry

  04/10/2017 This autumn, the NPD will organise a one-day course for the oil companies on the NPD’s responsibilities and roles. The course will be held in Norwegian on 14 November and in English on 15 November.

• Contributing to report on safety in the petroleum activities

  29/09/2017 Today, a multipartite work group is submitting its report on safety in the petroleum industry to Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Anniken Hauglie. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is one of the contributors.

• Launching standards for CO2 capture and storage (CCS)

  28/09/2017 New international standards for storage (CCS) and transport of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be presented at a seminar at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) in Stavanger on 1 November.

• Seismic data storage

  27/09/2017 One central element in exploration is the ability to successfully manage and provide access to high quality seismic data.

• SMIL

  15/09/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has launched a new and extended version of the SMIL portal.

• Opening of the southeastern Barents Sea is based on correct figures

  13/09/2017 There has been significant attention devoted to the underlying figures for opening the southeastern Barents Sea for petroleum activities.

• Updated guidelines for annual status reports for producing fields

  07/09/2017 The Guidelines for Annual Status Reports (ASRs) have now been updated. While significant changes were made in the autumn of 2016, only minor adjustments have been made for 2017.

• New exploration director

  01/09/2017 Torgeir Stordal has been hired as the exploration director in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. He will start today, 1 September.

• 2017 Resource report

  25/08/2017 The significant remaining resources in discoveries and fields make it possible to create values for the Norwegian society for many decades to come, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s new report.

• Byrding on stream

  28/07/2017 The Statoil-operated Byrding field, situated to the north of the Troll field in the North Sea, started production on 15 July.

• Summary – first six months of 2017

  13/07/2017 The activity level on the Norwegian shelf is high. During the first six months of the year, six discoveries were made, six development plans have been approved and three new fields have started producing.

• Revised PDO and PIO Guidelines

  03/07/2017 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs have revised the guidelines for preparation of plans for development and operation of petroleum deposits (PDOs) and plans for installation and operation of facilities for transport and utilisation of petroleum (PIOs).

• Gina Krog on stream

  03/07/2017 The Statoil-operated field Gina Krog in the North Sea started producing 30 June.

• NCS No. 1-2017

  28/06/2017 Just over two years have passed since work began on the Johan Sverdrup field. Constructing the platforms for the largest Norwegian offshore development in many years has come halfway.

• Revised guideline

  26/06/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has prepared a revised guideline for Section 30a of the Petroleum Regulations relating to commencement and continuation.

• 24th licensing round

  23/06/2017 Today, 21 June 2017, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) announced the 24th licensing round. In this round, 102 blocks/parts of blocks will be announced, divided among 9 in the Norwegian Sea and 93 in the Barents Sea.

• The Barents Sea north report is now available

  06/06/2017 The report, which contains the new resource estimates for the eastern parts of the Barents Sea north, is now available online and in hard copy.

• Start-up of Gina Krog

  24/05/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for start-up of production from the Gina Krog field in the North Sea.

• Taking more initiative

  19/05/2017 To ensure sufficient capacity to be an even better champion for developing new fields and improving recovery from producing fields, the NPD has awarded framework agreements to eleven supplier firms representing various technology areas.

• Ministry of Petroleum and Energy responsible for mineral deposits on the shelf

  12/05/2017 From 1 April, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy took over management responsibility for exploration and recovery of mineral deposits on the continental shelf.

• APA 2017 - announcement

  02/05/2017 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has 2 May 2017 announced the APA 2017, comprising predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Doubling the resource estimate for the Barents Sea

  25/04/2017 According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s new calculations, the undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Barents Sea are twice as large as previously assumed.

• Expecting exploration record in the Barents Sea

  25/04/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is expecting a new record in the number of exploration wells in the Barents Sea this year.

• International data forum meeting at the NPD

  18/04/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is hosting an international conference on storage and use of petroleum data from 6 to 8 June. There is still time to register for those who are interested.

• 6000 wells on the Norwegian shelf

  04/04/2017 Well number 6000 was registered as completed in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's Fact Pages in late March. This was production well 31/2-Y-21 AY2H on the Troll field in the North Sea.

• Start-up of the Flyndre field

  31/03/2017 The Maersk-operated Flyndre field in the North Sea started production on 26 March.

• Good feedback from users

  31/03/2017 A user survey taken by public and private players in the petroleum sector shows that the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NDP) enjoys a high level of trust and exercises its role with confidence.

• Increasing reserves on Goliat

  30/03/2017 Two wells will be drilled from Goliat in the Barents Sea in order to start production from the Snadd formation. This will increase oil reserves on Goliat by 1.2 million standard cubic metres (7.5 million barrels).

• Received two development plans

  27/03/2017 The licensees for the Njord field and the nearby Bauge discovery in the Norwegian Sea submitted two PDOs (Plans for development and operation) to the authorities today.

• Extending lifetime on Sigyn

  23/03/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for continued use of the subsea facilities on the Sigyn field in the North Sea from the end of 2017 until the end of 2022.

• Increased gas production from Ormen Lange

  10/02/2017 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted consent for start-up of the expansion of the gas plant at Nyhamna in Møre og Romsdal County.

• 4 Field developments

  12/01/2017

• 3 Exploration

  12/01/2017

• 2 Petroleum production

  12/01/2017 Oil production increased for the third consecutive year, and the start-up of Goliat means that the Barents Sea is contributing to oil production for the first time. Gas sales from the Norwegian shelf maintain the same record-high level as in 2015. Production is expected to remain at a relatively stable level over the next few years.

• 1 Investment and cost forecasts

  12/01/2017 The petroleum industry’s effort to reduce costs, along with falling supplier prices, have resulted in a considerably lower cost level. This is reflected both in lower investments in new projects, reduced costs for new production wells on fields in operation, as well as reduced operating and exploration costs.

• The Shelf in 2016

  12/01/2017 Oil and gas production on the Norwegian shelf is high. The adjustment process has been extensive, but the cost reductions implemented by the industry will lay the foundation for profitable activity for many years to come.

• Press conference – The shelf in 2016

  12/01/2017

• Press conference – The shelf in 2016

  01/01/2017 Director general Bente Nyland will on January 12 present exploration and production results from 2016, and investment and production prognoses for the next five years.

• NCS No. 2-2016

  19/12/2016 Expanding oil activities in the far north mean that Svalbard is playing an increasingly important role in understanding the regional geology.

• The NPD teaches the industry - about the NPD

  15/12/2016 Around 150 employees from the petroleum industry participated at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) first course on the NPD on Tuesday, 13 December.

• Processing development plan for the Oda discovery

  30/11/2016 The operator Centrica submitted the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) of the Oda discovery in the North Sea to the authorities today.

• Teaching the industry about NPD roles and responsibilities

  17/11/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is organising courses for oil company staff who want to learn more about the authorities’ roles and responsibilities in the petroleum industry.

• NPD to conduct user survey

  16/11/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) wants to know what important players in our society think about the work we do, and therefore conducts a user survey every three years.

• Submitted PDO for Trestakk discovery

  01/11/2016 The licensees in the Trestakk discovery in the Norwegian Sea submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) to the authorities today. Expected investments are NOK 5.5 billion.

• Russia and Norway to exchange seismic data from the Barents Sea

  26/10/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and Russian petroleum authorities (Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency, Rosnedra) have entered into an agreement to exchange seismic data from the areas around the demarcation line in the Barents Sea.

• Green light for Ivar Aasen start-up

  24/10/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted consent for production start-up on the Ivar Aasen field in the North Sea. The operator AkerBP has scheduled start-up for December.

• What you need to know about the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD)

  10/10/2016 The NPD is inviting oil companies to a course. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, 13 December.

• Received Dvalin development plan

  04/10/2016 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) have received the plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Dvalin discovery in production licence 435 in the Norwegian Sea.

• Five billion barrels of oil and gas from the Statfjord field

  03/10/2016 Production from the field, which was discovered in 1974, started in 1979. The original plan was to shut down the field in the late 1990s. Now, the plan is to produce at least until the mid-2020s.

• Still significant interest in exploration in mature areas – APA 2016

  21/09/2016 When the application deadline for awards in pre-defined areas (APA) 2016 expired on 6 September, the authorities had received applications from 33 companies.

• Nomination of blocks for the 24th licensing round

  20/09/2016 In press releases dated 29 August 2016 and 8 September 2016, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy invited oil companies to nominate blocks for the 24th licensing round.

• New edition of the continental shelf map

  01/09/2016 You can now download or order the new edition of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s shelf map.

• Best stand at ONS 2016

  01/09/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) and Ministry of Petroleum and Energy’s (MPE’s) stand was voted best stand over 50 square metres at ONS 2016.

• New guidelines for Annual Status Report for fields in production

  31/08/2016 The form for Annual Status Report for fields in production has been changed from autumn 2016.

• IOR prize awarded to Åsgard licensees

  30/08/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has awarded its improved oil recovery (IOR) prize for 2016 to the licensees of the Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea for their subsea wet gas compressor.

• Development costs cut by nearly half

  29/08/2016 The price tag for developing a field on the Norwegian shelf has declined by an average of more than 40 per cent since the autumn of 2014, according to the NPD's analysis of eight planned developments that are approaching start-up.

• New guidelines for shredding

  26/08/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate frequently receives inquiries from companies regarding how and to what scope data should be shredded or destroyed. The NPD has prepared guidelines that can help clarify the proper procedure in these cases.

• Consent for lifetime extension - Gullfaks B

  25/08/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has given the go-ahead for using the B platform on the Gullfaks field in the North Sea until 1 January 2036, which corresponds to the length of the production licence.

• An update of the NPD’s resource classification system

  24/08/2016 The NPD’s Resource Classification System from 2001 has been updated. The new system has only minor changes compared to the previous one as all “boxes” are the same.

• Looking for framework agreements on technology

  23/08/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has announced a tender competition to supplement its technological expertise and capacity, with the intention of becoming even more of a driving force in the development of discoveries and improved recovery measures from producing fields.

• Consent to remove the Yme facility

  23/08/2016 The NPD has granted its consent for the licensees in production licences PL 316 and PL 316B to remove the production facility on Yme. The field is operated by Repsol.

• The NPD at ONS

  22/08/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will be present at the oil and gas exhibition ONS in Stavanger from 29 August to 1 September.

• Development plan for the Byrding discovery

  19/08/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has received a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Byrding discovery in the North Sea. The discovery was previously known as “Astero”.

• Processing the development plan for the Utgard discovery

  11/08/2016 On 9 August, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) received the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Utgard discovery in the North Sea.

• Applicant seminar for DEMO 2000

  08/08/2016 The DEMO 2000 technology programme has announced funding of NOK 125 million for development of new technology for use on the Norwegian shelf, with an application deadline on 12 October 2016.

• ROV expedition in deep water in the Norwegian Sea

  14/07/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has carried out 4 successful ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) dives and has acquired depth data (bathymetry) near the Vøring Spur in the western Norwegian Sea.

• NPD to sell 3D seismic data

  12/07/2016 The 3D seismic data covers Block 31/5 (as well as a small part of Block 31/4).

• Consent for start-up of subsea facility on the Balder field

  11/07/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ExxonMobil, operator and sole licensee in production licence 001, consent to start-up a subsea facility for production well 25/11-E-29 AH on the Balder field.

• Consent for extended lifetime for the Tambar facility

  08/07/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is giving the green light to use the facility on the Tambar field in the North Sea until 1 January 2022. This coincides with the expiry of production licence 065.

• New issue of the magazine

  24/06/2016 Norsk sokkel is publishing a new issue and distribution of the printed magazine starts on Friday.

• New development concept on Oseberg

  15/06/2016 When Oseberg Vestflanken 2 starts producing in 2018, it will represent a new concept on the Norwegian shelf. Unmanned wellhead platforms may be relevant for future developments.

• Consent granted for Rutil start-up

  13/06/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted the licensees in Gullfaks (production licence 050) consent to start-up the facilities on the Rutil deposit on Gullfaks South, and to start producing.

• Mapping of the deep sea will continue

  08/06/2016 This summer, the NPD will continue to acquire geological samples and deep-sea minerals in the Norwegian Sea.

• Status of emissions from the petroleum sector

  30/05/2016 In 2015, the petroleum activities generated 13.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. This is an increase of 400,000 tonnes (3 per cent) compared with the previous year.

• Studying cores from the northeastern Barents Sea

  25/05/2016 In the autumn of 2015, the NPD had seven shallow wells drilled in the northeastern Barents Sea.

• Thirteen companies are offered ten production licences in the 23rd licensing round

  18/05/2016 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has today issued an offer of new production licences in the 23rd licensing round on the Norwegian continental shelf. All ten production licences are located in the Barents Sea.

• The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s confidence in the Norwegian shelf remains high

  14/04/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) updated estimate for undiscovered resources shows that the total remaining resources on the Norwegian shelf can provide a basis for oil and gas production for decades to come.

• Presentation of new resource report

  07/04/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will present its new resource report on 14 April.

• New report positive to unmanned wellhead platforms

  06/04/2016 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) takes a positive view of unmanned wellhead platforms as an alternative development concept to subsea developments.

• APA 2016 - announcement

  17/03/2016 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has 17th March 2016 announced the APA 2016, comprising the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• New and improved version of NorwegianPetroleum.no

  16/03/2016 The website’s content about Norwegian petroleum activities is updated. The website is also improved to give a better user experience and overview of contents, especially on mobile phones.

• Field and discovery information updated

  02/03/2016 All information about fields and discoveries on the Norwegian continental shelf has been revised and updated on the NPD’s Fact Pages on npd.no, and on the NPD and the Norwegian Ministry for Petroleum and Energy's joint website norskpetroleum.no.

• Slight increase in the resource base on the Norwegian shelf

  25/02/2016 The NPD's estimate of total discovered and undiscovered petroleum resources on the Norwegian shelf has increased with 0.1 billion standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm3 o.e.) from the previous year to about 14.2 billion Sm3 o.e.

• Joining forces in Stavanger

  02/02/2016 The Force forum aims to strengthen cooperation in research and development projects (R&D) at a two-day seminar hosted by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. The Joining Forces seminar starts today.

• Who deserves the IOR prize?

  01/02/2016 Do you know someone who deserves the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s prize for improved oil recovery – the 2016 IOR prize?

• Offers for ownership interests in APA 2015

  19/01/2016 Today, 19 January, offers will be sent to 36 companies for 56 new production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Investment and cost forecasts

  14/01/2016 From a historically high activity level in 2013 and 2014, the falling oil price has caused substantial challenges for the petroleum industry, and projects on operating fields and new developments are being postponed.

• Exploration

  14/01/2016 Exploration activity on the Norwegian shelf remains at a high level, though it declined somewhat at the end of the year. Seventeen discoveries were made, 11 in the North Sea and six in the Norwegian Sea. The discoveries are all minor and close to other fields.

• Field developments

  14/01/2016 In 2015, four new fields started production on the Norwegian continental shelf, all in the North Sea. The authorities approved four Plans for Development and Operation (PDOs), compared to just one in 2014.

• The Shelf in 2015

  14/01/2016 Low oil prices have given rise to considerable challenges for the petroleum industry. Significant remaining resources, combined with cost reductions and improved efficiency, can ensure continued high activity and future profitability.

• Petroleum production

  14/01/2016 Oil production increased for the second consecutive year, and a new record was set for gas sales. Production is expected to remain at a stable level over the next few years.

• Press conference – The Shelf in 2015

  06/01/2016 Director general Bente Nyland will present investment and production prognoses, and results from exploration and production in 2015.  

• Oseberg West Flank to be developed

  18/12/2015 Today, December 18, Statoil and its partners has submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Oseberg Vestflanken 2 in the North Sea.

• 26 companies want to explore in the north

  04/12/2015 The application deadline for production licences in the 23rd licensing round expired on 2 December. Twenty-six companies had applied for exploration acreage by the end of the deadline.

• New issue of Norwegian Continental Shelf

  01/12/2015 The special report in this issue, as in the previous one, focus on the 50th anniversary of the first licensing round on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).

• Edvard Grieg on stream

  30/11/2015 A new field started producing in the North Sea on Saturday 28. November. Edvard Grieg is operating company Lundin's first major development project on the Norwegian shelf.

• Plugging of wells can prevent value creation

  23/11/2015 Re-using wells on the Norwegian shelf can be good business. This is why the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is sceptical of the proposal to plug wells as a measure to keep drilling rigs in activity.

• Force – still going strong after 20 years

  20/11/2015 For 20 years, oil companies and authorities have met on excursions, for lunch meetings and seminars to discuss how to increase oil recovery and streamline exploration.

• Green light for production start-up on Edvard Grieg

  16/11/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted consent to start production on the Lundin Norway-operated Edvard Grieg field in production licence 338 in the North Sea.

• Start-up consent for two pipelines

  06/11/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted start-up consents for the Edvard Grieg oil pipeline and the Utsira High gas pipeline.

• New study on unmanned wellhead platforms

  23/10/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate wants unmanned wellhead platforms to be considered more often as an alternative to subsea tie-back in connection with development decisions.

• CO2 storage on the agenda in Stavanger

  21/10/2015 For two days, representatives from the authorities, research institutions, and industry will discuss and learn more about projects involving storage of CO2 in the subsurface.

• More oil from Gullfaks

  23/09/2015 One of the major cash cows on the Norwegian shelf, the Gullfaks field, which has been producing for nearly 30 years, is facing further investments to boost production and extend the field’s lifetime.

• Development plan for Maria approved

  11/09/2015 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has approved the development plan for the oil discovery Maria on the Halten Bank in the Norwegian Sea.

• Great interest in APA 2015

  09/09/2015 At the application deadline for awards in predefined areas (APA) 2015 on the Norwegian continental shelf, the authorities had received applications from 43 companies.

• Consent for start-up of Goliat

  09/09/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted the licensees of the Goliat oil field (production licence 229) consent for start-up of their field facilities and production.

• Sharing petroleum data through Diskos for 20 years

  03/09/2015 This year is the 20th anniversary since the joint database Diskos was created. The base has been and continues to play an important role for the companies on the shelf for access to seismic, well and production data.

• Polar researchers return after one year on ice floes in the Arctic Ocean

  27/08/2015 On 22 August, Yngve Kristoffersen and Audun Tholfsen returned to Longyearbyen after completing a feat no one has done since Nansen and Johansen - spending the winter alone in the central Arctic Ocean.

• Consent for use of equipment for improved recovery on Gullfaks

  25/08/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted the licensees of Gullfaks Sør consent for start-up and operation of new subsea wet gas compressor and umbilical on the Gullfaks field in production licence 050.

• New edition of the continental shelf map

  25/08/2015 You can now download or order the new edition of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s shelf map.

• Processing amended plan for development and operation of Gullfaks

  01/07/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has received an amended plan for development and operation (PDO) of the Gullfaks field in the North Sea.

• SMIL

  08/06/2015 As of 9 June, the production licences can submit applications for extension of deadlines in the exploration period (the initial period) to the authorities through the online portal SMIL instead of sending normal application letters.

• More oil than ten years ago

  27/05/2015 The current recoverable volume of oil in fields and discoveries exceeds the estimated figure in 2005, and it is also presumed that more oil remains to be discovered.

• New issue of Norwegian Continental Shelf

  21/05/2015 The main theme is this year’s 50th anniversary of the first licensing round on the NCS.

• Plan for new development - 6406/3-8

  06/05/2015 Yesterday, 5 May, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) received a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Maria oil discovery.

• Want to secure the resources on Johan Sverdrup

  28/04/2015 On Friday, the Government submitted a proposition to the Storting for the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the first development phase step on the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea.

• APA 2015 - announcement

  21/04/2015 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has 21 April 2015 announced the APA 2015, comprising the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Web site replaces printed Facts

  20/04/2015 Up until 2014, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate published a booklet containing factual information about the Norwegian petroleum activities.

• Valemon officially opened

  17/04/2015 Yesterday, the Minister of Petroleum and Energy marked the official opening of the Statoil-operated Valemon field in the North Sea.

• 50th anniversary of the first licensing round

  09/04/2015 50 years ago today, on 9 April 1965, the first licensing rules for the Norwegian shelf were laid down by royal decree.

• Resource accounts 2014

  02/03/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's resource accounts estimate the total recoverable petroleum resources to be 14.1 billion standard cubic meters (Sm3) of oil equivalents (o.e.).

• Johan Sverdrup development plan submitted

  13/02/2015 Today, 13 February, the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Johan Sverdrup field was submitted to Minister of Petroleum and Energy Tord Lien.

• Johan Sverdrup - in the company of giants

  13/02/2015 Johan Sverdrup was proven in two stages, but it was clear from the start that this was actually one gigantic oil discovery. Ranked by size, it is number five on the Norwegian ranking list.

• Interactive maps of potential CO2 storage sites

  12/02/2015 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has produced two interactive versions of the atlas of potential CO2 storage sites in the sea areas off the Norwegian coast.

• Fifty years since it all started

  02/02/2015 This year marks 50 years since petroleum activities began in Norway. The boundaries of the shelf were laid out, and the first – and largest – licensing round was announced.

• 23rd licensing round - announcement

  20/01/2015 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has announced the 23rd licensing round today, 20 January 2015. Fifty-seven blocks/parts of blocks are being announced in this round, of which three are in the Norwegian Sea and 54 in the Barents Sea.

• Offers for ownership interests in APA 2014

  20/01/2015 Today, 20 January, offers will be issued to 43 companies for 54 new production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Field developments

  15/01/2015 In 2014, the authorities received one Plan for Development and Operation (PDO), for a minor gas discovery near the Statoil-operated Gullfaks Rimfaksdalen in the North Sea. The 34/10-53 S discovery will be developed with a seabed template tied in to Gullfaks A.

• Exploration

  15/01/2015 Exploration activity is still high on the Norwegian shelf. Last year, 56 exploration wells were spudded and 59 were terminated. This amounts to three fewer spudded exploration wells than in 2013, but is the third highest total ever. Of these, 41 were wildcat wells and 15 were appraisal wells.

• Petroleum production

  15/01/2015 216.7 million saleable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) were produced in 2014. This is 47.4 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record-setting year 2004, and 1.4 per cent more than in 2013. This minor increase was slightly larger than expected in the forecasts made for 2014. Oil production increased from 2013, after a steady decline since 2001.

• Investment and cost forecasts

  15/01/2015 The high cost level in the petroleum industry has gradually become a major challenge. The decline in oil and gas prices in recent months has further emphasised the sector’s profitability challenges.

• The shelf in 2014

  15/01/2015 In the opinion of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, high costs and weaker oil prices could drive necessary readjustments that will strengthen the petroleum industry over the long-term.

• Press conference – The shelf in 2014

  14/01/2015

• Technical difficulties with our website

  13/01/2015 We are in the process of upgrading npd.no’s publication system. We are experiencing some technical difficulties with our website as a result of this.

• 2015 Brøgger Prize

  12/01/2015 Fridtjof Riis (b. 1954) has been awarded the Brøgger Prize for 2015. Riis received the prize for his cutting-edge technical contributions to Norwegian geology, and geoscience in general.

• Pioneering work on Barents Sea geology

  12/01/2015 Investigations conducted by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) have thrown new light on the geology of Svalbard and the northern Barents Sea.

• New additions to management in the NPD

  17/11/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s new management group comes into force today, 17 November.

• Proposed national budget 2015

  14/10/2014 In its proposed national budget for 2015, the Government advocates allocating a total of NOK 413.5 million to operating expenses, procurement of equipment and maintenance in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.

• New head of the Harstad office

  13/10/2014 Stig-Morten Knutsen (49) has been appointed as head of the NPD’s Harstad office.

• Easier to apply for geological samples

  22/09/2014 It is now possible to use an electronic form to apply for a permit to take samples from cores, drill cuttings or fluids from exploration and production wells on the Norwegian shelf.

• Record number of applications in APA 2014

  11/09/2014 At the end of the application deadline for awards in predefined areas (APA) 2014 on the Norwegian shelf, the authorities have received applications from 47 companies.

• Updated and new descriptions of plays

  27/08/2014 New and updated descriptions of plays for the Norwegian shelf, including contour maps and shape files, can now be found at www.npd.no.

• New continental shelf map

  27/08/2014 You can now download or order paper versions of the NPD’s new continental shelf map.

• Martin Landrø receives the IOR award in 2014

  26/08/2014 Martin Landrø has been given the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) IOR award for his work on developing 4D seismic for mapping, production management and monitoring of reservoirs.

• Core values

  25/08/2014 The authority stand at this year’s ONS features a selection of core samples from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s core storage. This collection contains samples from around 1600 exploration and production wells on the Norwegian shelf.

• Meet the NPD’s managers at ONS

  22/08/2014 Members of the NPD’s management team will be present at the ONS conference. Meet them at our stand no. 630 in Hall F, at these times:

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate at ONS

  21/08/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will have a stand at the ONS oil exhibition in Stavanger from 25-28 August. The NPD will share a stand with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE).

• This year’s seismic acquisition complete

  21/08/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has had a successful seismic season, which wound up 19 August.

• High exploration activity in the first six months

  30/06/2014 Exploration activity on the Norwegian shelf remains vigorous. Thirteen new discoveries have been made this year, the largest of these in the Norwegian Sea.

• Drilling in Norwegian Sea completed

  13/06/2014 On 9 June, The NPD completed the drilling of shallow boreholes in the western Norwegian Sea. Three holes were drilled on the Mørerand High, 293 kilometres northwest of Kristiansund.

• Presentations from the conference on project implementation on the Norwegian shelf

  03/06/2014 On 8 April, the NPD held a conference on measures to improve project implementation on the shelf. Presentations from the conference are now available online.

• System for permanent reservoir monitoring installed on the Snorre and Grane fields

  30/05/2014 Work will continue this summer and autumn on installing a seismic streamer on Snorre. A dedicated system with a seismic streamer will also be installed on Grane.

• New compiled atlas

  20/05/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is completing the mapping of potential CO2 stores on the Norwegian shelf by publishing a compiled, revised edition of the previously published atlases.

• Oil Facts app on all mobile platforms

  12/05/2014 If you need quick access to facts about Norwegian oil fields, production, companies or wells, the Oil Facts app is your answer.

• New fact booklet

  05/05/2014 The fact booklet, Facts 2014, is now available on paper and online.

• Exploring unknown acreage in the Norwegian Sea

  02/05/2014 This summer, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will map the subsurface on the Mørerand High and Gjallar Ridge South in the Norwegian Sea, which is in the western part of the continental shelf. The objective is to acquire knowledge about unexplored acreage.

• CO2 storage on the docket in Stavanger

  29/04/2014 Last week, 100 participants from 15 countries took part in a workshop in Stavanger to discuss issues regarding safe handling and storage of CO2.

• Conference

  07/04/2014 On 8 April, the NPD will hold a conference on measures to improve project execution on the Norwegian shelf for about 100 oil industry executives.

• APA 2014 - announcement

  03/04/2014 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has 3 April 2014 announced the APA 2014, comprising the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Substantial assets remain on the Norwegian shelf

  03/04/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) believes that oil reserves could grow by 1200 million standard cubic metres (Sm3) over the next ten years. 

• Good feedback from users

  17/03/2014 Agenda Kaupang carried out a user survey for the NPD. The purpose is to learn what key players in the outside world think about how the NPD works and solves its tasks.

• High scores for App

  05/03/2014 The Oil facts app received a sterling review in the annual Farmand awards.

• Previous award winners

  03/03/2014    

• Who deserves the NPD’s IOR prize?

  03/03/2014 Do you know someone who deserves the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s prize for improved oil recovery for 2014 – the IOR prize?

• Resource accounts 2013

  03/03/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's resource accounts show that the total recoverable petroleum resources are estimated at 14.2 billion standard cubic metres (Sm3) of oil equivalents (o.e.).

• Nominations for the 23rd licensing round

  22/01/2014 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received proposals from 40 companies regarding which blocks they believe should be included in the 23rd licensing round on the Norwegian shelf.

• Correction to The shelf in 2013

  16/01/2014 In the printed version of the summary press release handed out at yesterday’s press conference, there is an error in the eighth paragraph, referring to petroleum production.

• Investment and cost forecasts

  15/01/2014 The high activity level in the petroleum sector is expected to continue, but without further growth. Robust activity in the next few years is mainly due to significant exploration activity and development of several discoveries – of which Johan Sverdrup and Johan Castberg are the largest – as well as a number of major and minor projects planned on fields in operation.

• Field developments

  15/01/2014 Four plans for development and operation (PDOs) have been approved in 2013: three in the North Sea and one in the Norwegian Sea.

• Petroleum production

  15/01/2014 A total of 213.7 million saleable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) was produced in 2013. This is 49.8 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004, and 4.9 per cent less than in 2012. The decline was as expected after the record high gas sales level in 2012. Oil production continued to decline.

• Exploration

  15/01/2014 The level of activity on the Norwegian Shelf was high in 2013, and 20 new discoveries were made, seven more than in 2012. Seven of the discoveries were made in the North Sea, eight in the Norwegian Sea and five in the Barents Sea.

• The shelf in 2013 - Press release

  15/01/2014 A record number of fields are in operation on the Norwegian shelf. Discoveries in 2013 offset roughly half of what was produced in the same year.

• Surprises on ROV expedition in the Norwegian Sea

  10/01/2014 Watch the video and read the story of the expedition in August 2013.

• Press conference – The shelf in 2013

  08/01/2014 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) invites you to a press conference on The shelf in 2013 on Wednesday, 15 January at 10:00.

• CO2 storage atlas of the southern Barents Sea

  18/12/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has completed the mapping of possible CO2 storage sites on the Norwegian shelf, and will publish an atlas of the southern part of the Barents Sea today.

• Selling seismic from the Icelandic sea areas off Jan Mayen

  13/12/2013 In 2011 and 2012, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) acquired 2D seismic offshore Jan Mayen on the Norwegian and Icelandic shelves.

• Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy topics at Force seminar

  05/12/2013 Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy are the topics at the Force seminar "Advances in sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy with applications to the Norwegian shelf" in Stavanger on 10 and 11 December.

• Director General Bente Nyland to continue for six more years

  30/11/2013 Director General Bente Nyland will continue as head of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate for another six-year term, effective 1 January 2014.

• New bulletin to be published

  18/11/2013 NPD Bulletin 10 is a manuscript about stratigraphic surveys of intermediate to upper geological strata across the entire Norwegian shelf, on land in Denmark, on Svalbard and the continental shelf east of Greenland.

• PRM system installed on the Snorre field

  15/11/2013 Seismic streamers were installed on the Snorre field this past summer. When the streamers are lying exposed on the seabed, before they are covered, they are extremely vulnerable to trawling activity and other outside influences.

• Diskos contracts to CGG

  15/11/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the oil companies in the Diskos group have awarded contracts for software and operation of the Diskos databases to CGG.

• Force to promote increased EOR efforts

  05/11/2013 At a Force seminar on 6 and 7 November, petroleum engineers will have the opportunity to exchange experiences from EOR projects on the fields, and to share ideas and new knowledge.

• Acquisition of seismic data in Barents Sea completed

  22/10/2013 On 17 October, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) completed its acquisition of 2D seismic in the new Norwegian maritime zone northeast in the Barents Sea.

• Proposed national budget 2014

  16/10/2013 In the proposed national budget for 2014, the government calls for allocating a total of NOK 456.2 million to operating expenses, equipment procurement and maintenance in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

• NPD report reveals causes of cost overruns for field developments on the Norwegian shelf

  14/10/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), on assignment from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has reviewed five field developments on the Norwegian shelf to uncover why some developments finish in line with their estimated cost target, while others are much more expensive than planned.

• Sølvberg is new director for the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea

  09/10/2013 Ingrid Sølvberg (43) joined the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s management team on 1 October, as director for the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.

• Area fees – Stipulation of new rates

  01/10/2013 Pursuant to Section 39 (5) of the Petroleum Regulations, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has stipulated new area fee rates to apply as of 1 January 2014.

• Continue mapping of the Barents Sea

  18/09/2013 So far, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has acquired 8800 km of seismic in the new Norwegian sea area in the northeastern part of the Barents Sea. According to the plan, the acquisition activity will continue until mid-October.

• IEA discusses enhanced oil recovery in Stavanger

  09/09/2013 From 9 to 11 September, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will host the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) workshop and symposium on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in Stavanger.

• NPD to conduct user survey

  22/08/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) wants to know more about what important players in our field think about the work we do, and therefore plans to conduct a user survey.

• Fifteen companies have purchased seismic data

  21/08/2013 As of 19 August, 15 oil companies have purchased the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s seismic data package from the southeastern part of the Barents Sea and the ocean areas off Jan Mayen.

• New continental shelf map

  05/08/2013 You can now download or order paper versions of the NPD’s new continental shelf map.

• NPD maps northeastern Barents Sea

  30/07/2013 The mapping of the new Norwegian sea area in the eastern Barents Sea which started in 2012 will now be continued.

• Stable NOx emissions on the Norwegian shelf

  10/07/2013 The total nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions on the Norwegian shelf have remained relatively stable since the turn of the century.

• Publishing new resource report

  02/07/2013 The biggest change in the petroleum industry since 2011 is that optimism on the Norwegian shelf is greater than it has been in quite some time.

• Seven companies have purchased seismic data

  01/07/2013 As of 28 June, seven oil companies have purchased the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s seismic data package from the southeastern part of the Barents Sea and the ocean areas off Jan Mayen.

• High exploration activity

  28/06/2013 As of 28 June, 28 exploration wells have been spudded on the Norwegian shelf. Of these, 19 were wildcat wells and nine were appraisal wells.

• Processing plan for development of Oseberg Delta phase 2

  25/06/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has received the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Oseberg Delta phase 2.

• New version of the Oil facts app

  21/06/2013 A new version of the Oil facts app for Windows Phone 8 is now available.

• Selling seismic data

  21/06/2013 In 2011 and 2012, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) acquired 2D seismic data in the southeastern Barents Sea and off Jan Mayen.

• Continuing cooperation with Russian Rosnedra

  20/06/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will continue its cooperation with the Directorate for Mineral Resources in Russia (Rosnedra).

• Monitoring

  19/06/2013 From 20 June to 20 October, a seismic streamer will be installed on the Snorre field in the North Sea. Trawling activity in the area should be avoided during this period.

• Offers for ownership interests in the 22nd licensing round

  17/06/2013 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has send out offers for new production licences in the 22nd licensing round on the Norwegian shelf. 29 companies received offers for participation in 24 new production licences.

• Geological names finally in Norwegian

  02/05/2013 The names used in the geological time scale have been translated into Norwegian, and are now available in an official, internationally recognised edition.

• FORCE joining forces in Stavanger

  30/04/2013 Communication and cooperation between the petroleum industry and academic institutions in Norway and Denmark is the topic of the Joining Forces seminar in Stavanger in May.

• Facts 2013 ready for release

  26/04/2013 Facts 2013 on the Norwegian petroleum activities is now ready for release. It will be published both on the internet and in hard copy.

• The APA 2013 announcement has been updated

  22/03/2013 The APA 2013 announcement has been updated with application guidelines, application letter and company information, in addition to excel forms and other information.

• The petroleum resource account as of 2012

  01/03/2013 The resource account shows that the total recoverable petroleum resources are estimated at 13.6 billion standard cubic meters of oil equivalents (scm o.e.).

• New resource figures for the southeastern Barents Sea and Jan Mayen

  27/02/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) mapping of the southeastern Barents Sea and the area surrounding Jan Mayen will result in an approximate increase of 15 per cent in the estimates of undiscovered resources on the Norwegian shelf.

• Resource figures for the southeastern Barents Sea and Jan Mayen

  26/02/2013 For the very first time, Director General Bente Nyland of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will present estimates of oil and gas resources in the southeastern Barents Sea and in the waters off Jan Mayen. This will take place in Alta on 27 February at 15:00 hours.

• Ownership interest awards APA 2012

  25/02/2013 New production licences in APA 2012 were finally awarded on 8 February 2013. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s fact pages, fact map and shapefiles have been updated to reflect the new production licences.

• APA 2013 - announcement

  15/02/2013 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has 15 February 2013 announced the APA 2013, comprising the predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• NPD employee defending dissertation

  13/02/2013 The trial lecture and disputation will take place at the geological institute in Oslo on Friday, 15 February. This will make Van Thi Hai Pham the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) first employee with a doctorate in CO2 injection.

• Taking over ownership of stratigraphic cores from Sintef

  08/02/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is taking over a collection of 6.6 kilometres of shallow rock cores from the Norwegian continental shelf from SINTEF.

• Six viewpoints on Force

  04/02/2013 150 geologists participated in the "Norway - East Greenland conjugate margins" conference held on 30 and 31 January. The feedback on the event was positive.

• The Petroleum Register on the NPD’s Fact Pages

  01/02/2013 Now you can gain access to and print out parts of the Petroleum Register via the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s Fact Pages.

• Wait lists for Force conference

  28/01/2013 There are long wait lists for the Force conference "Norway- East Greenland conjugate margins", which will be held at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s offices on 30 and 31 January.

• Increase in the CO2 tax for 2013

  18/01/2013 The Storting (Norwegian Parliament) has determined the CO2 tax for 2013 to be 96 cents per standard cubic metre of gas and 96 cents per litre of oil or condensate.

• Processing plan for development of Dagny - 15/5-1

  14/01/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has received a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) of the Dagny oil and gas discovery in the North Sea. Statoil is the operator of the development.

• Correction to The Shelf in 2012

  11/01/2013 In today’s press release there is an error in the paragraph referring to investments.

• Investments and costs

  11/01/2013    

• Undiscovered resources

  11/01/2013 The undiscovered oil and gas resources on the Norwegian shelf are greater than previously assumed. This is a positive development for the future of the oil and gas activity on the NCS.

• Field developments

  11/01/2013 A considerable number of plans for development and operation (PDOs) have been submitted in 2012: six in the North Sea and two in the Norwegian Sea. Of these, the authorities approved four in the North Sea and two in the Norwegian Sea before the end of the year.

• Petroleum production

  11/01/2013 A total of 224 million saleable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) was produced in 2012. This is 39.5 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004, but two per cent more than in 2011. The increase can be attributed to record-breaking gas production. Oil production continued to decline.

• Exploration

  11/01/2013 Thirteen new discoveries were made on the Norwegian shelf in 2012; nine fewer than in 2011. Five of the discoveries were made in the North Sea, five in the Norwegian Sea and three in the Barents Sea.

• The Shelf in 2012 – press releases

  11/01/2013 Norwegian gas achieved record sales in 2012, while oil production declined more than expected. However, new profitable discoveries and a record number of developments in recent years form a basis for long-term value creation.

• Processing development plans for Aasta Hansteen

  10/01/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has received a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Aasta Hansteen gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea and a Plan for Installation and Operation (PIO) for the Polarled gas transport system.

• Press conference - The shelf in 2012

  07/01/2013 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) invites you to a press conference on The shelf in 2012 on Friday, 11 January at 10:00.

• Twelve discoveries on the Norwegian shelf in 2012

  18/12/2012 So far this year, 12 discoveries have been made on the Norwegian shelf. Six of these were made in the North Sea, and three in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea respectively.

• Many applicants in the 22nd licencing round

  05/12/2012 When the application deadline for the 22nd licencing round on the Norwegian shelf expired on 4 December, a total of 36 companies had submitted applications.

• Maintenance of the FactMaps

  21/11/2012 Due to maintenance, the FactMaps will be unstable until 5 p.m. today.

• Commercially available data in connection with exploration activities

  09/11/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has distributed a letter to all licensees on the Norwegian Shelf concerning the application of the regulations relating to commercially available data in connection with exploration activities.

• Opening process for Jan Mayen – Impact assessment submitted for consultation

  18/10/2012 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has submitted the impact assessment for petroleum activity around Jan Mayen for consultation.

• Opening process for the Barents Sea – Impact assessment submitted for consultation

  18/10/2012 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has submitted the impact assessment for petroleum activity in the south-eastern part of the Barents Sea for consultation.

• Proposed Norwegian State budget 2013

  09/10/2012 In the State budget for 2013, the Government proposes allocating a total of NOK 446.6 million for operating expenses, special operating expenses and procurements/maintenance in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

• Farouk Al-Kasim honoured at Ledaal

  02/10/2012 Yesterday, 1 October, former NPD director of petroleum resource management Farouk Al- Kasim received the decoration Knight first class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his efforts for Norwegian oil activities.

• The King honours former NPD resource director

  25/09/2012 His Royal Majesty the King has conferred the Order of Knighthood on Farouk Al-Kasim, making him Knight of the First Order of St. Olav for his efforts in the Norwegian oil activities.

• Quiz winner

  24/09/2012 She doesn’t know much about the petroleum industry, but she had some pretty good helpers in the quiz at the Authorities’ stand at ONS in late August.

• Popular shelf map

  03/09/2012 Over the course of the ONS week, the NPD distributed a total of 9600 copies of the Norwegian continental shelf map.

• CO2 and IOR on the agenda at ONS

  30/08/2012 Eva Halland is holding a lecture on CO2 storage at the seminar ”Bringing it down to earth” at ONS today. She will also present an NPD study on use of CO2 for improved oil recovery and the NPD’s CO2 atlas.

• Praising good work on Oseberg

  29/08/2012 “Decision-makers on producing fields should have had exploration experience,” said Director General Bente Nyland during the breakfast organised by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) at ONS the day after awarding the IOR prize to Statoil’s subsurface environment on the Oseberg field.

• ROV expedition on the Jan Mayen Ridge

  29/08/2012 Using a remotely operated underwater vehicle with an installed saw (!), researchers have acquired geological samples from the Jan Mayen Ridge this summer. The method is new – and the results provide new and useful knowledge.

• Quiz at the authorities’ ONS stand

  28/08/2012 Visitors to the authorities’ ONS stand can test their knowledge in a quiz. The quiz consists of 12 questions relating to petroleum policy, resources and safety on the shelf.

• IOR prize 2012

  28/08/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s prize for improved recovery for 2012 is awarded to the subsurface environment on the Oseberg field.

• New continental shelf map

  27/08/2012 You can now download or order paper versions of the NPD’s new continental shelf map.

• Assessment of electrification of the Utsira High

  24/08/2012 Power from land could be a competitive alternative to use of local gas power on the Utsira High. This is indicated by a study carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate at ONS

  23/08/2012    

• Welcome!

  23/08/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will also be present at this year’s ONS oil exhibition. The petroleum authorities will be united under the Coat of arms of Norway at a shared stand.

• Joining forces to test technology

  21/08/2012 A new agreement will make it easier to test new methods to recover more oil from the fields on the Norwegian shelf.

• Seismic acquisition around Jan Mayen has been concluded

  16/08/2012 In the early morning hours of 10 August, the vessel Nordic Explorer concluded the acquisition of 2D seismic around Jan Mayen. The operation has been underway since 5 June.

• Continuing seismic acquisition in the northeastern Barents Sea

  16/08/2012 The vessel Artemis Atlantic has resumed acquisition of 2D seismic data as planned in the north-eastern part of the Barents Sea.

• IOR and breakfast

  16/08/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is pleased to invite you to an IOR breakfast at ONS on Wednesday, 29 August.

• Concluding acquisition of seismic data

  07/08/2012 Artemis Atlantic concludes the acquisition of seismic data in Nordland IV and V on Tuesday 7 August.

• Seismic data acquisition in the third area of Nordland IV and V

  02/08/2012 Artemis Atlantic has completed seismic data acquisition in the two northernmost parts of Nordland IV and V (areas 1 and 2, see map). The vessel has started collecting in area 3.

• Hovercraft expedition

  27/07/2012 The Sabvabaa hovercraft has set sail on a research mission from Svalbard to the North Pole. The Fram 2012 expedition is the first – and northernmost – polar expedition ever undertaken with such a vessel.

• Completed seismic acquisition in the northernmost area

  23/07/2012 Artemis Atlantic has completed seismic data acquisition in the northernmost part of Nordland IV and V (“Area 1”, see map). The vessel has now started acquisition in “Area 2”.

• Acquiring seismic in Nordland IV and V

  09/07/2012 On 10 July, at 06.00 hours, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will start acquiring seismic in the Nordland IV and V areas. The work is planned to last for one month.

• On the scene in South Sudan

  05/07/2012 This summer, the petroleum authorities in South Sudan are moving into new offices in Juba, the capital.

• Seven new discoveries so far this year

  04/07/2012 As of 30 June, 19 exploration wells have been spudded on the Norwegian shelf. Of these, 13 are wildcat wells and six are appraisal wells. Seven new discoveries have been made. Four of these were made in the North Sea, two in the Norwegian Sea and one in the Barents Sea.

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate at the museum

  26/06/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has become part of the permanent exhibition at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger. The exhibition was opened on the NPD’s 40th anniversary on 14 June.

• Acquiring seismic data in the Barents Sea

  20/06/2012 In the early hours of 16 June, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate began acquiring two-dimensional (2D) seismic data in the northeast part of the Barents Sea.

• NPD is processing development plan for Svalin - 25/11-16

  15/06/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has received plan for development and operation (PDO) of 25/11-16 Svalin in the North Sea.

• Huldra dressed to the nines

  15/06/2012 In the Huldra conference room in the NPD building at Ullandhaug there are major changes in progress. A long white wall is in the process of becoming inspiring art – literally – under the direction of Elin Melberg.

• 40 years of managing the nation’s oil and gas resources

  14/06/2012 Today the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate celebrates its 40th anniversary. We are a 40-year old that enjoys job satisfaction, and we believe we do an important job.

• Plays updated

  12/06/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's plays have now been updated, including changes in design, user friendliness and content.

• Collecting seismic data off Jan Mayen

  05/06/2012 Starting today, 5 June, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will collect 2D seismic data off Jan Mayen.

• NPD processes development plan for Bøyla – 24/9-9 S

  05/06/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has received a plan for development and operation for the oil and gas discovery 24/9-9 S Bøyla in the North Sea. Production start is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2014.

• Striking NPD employees return to work

  04/06/2012 Industri Energi’s union members in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), who were on strike in connection with the wage settlement in the state sector, can now return to work.

• Hit by strike action

  30/05/2012 The current labour dispute between the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the civil service is also affecting the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. This applies primarily to the handling of post and updating of the fact pages - including seismic surveys and maps - on the NPD website. Bills will not be paid either.

• Pioneering expedition in the Arctic Ocean

  22/05/2012 This summer, a hovercraft will embark upon a research voyage from Svalbard to the North Pole. This will be the first and the northernmost polar expedition undertaken with such a vessel.

• FactPages to be upgraded

  16/05/2012 The FactPages are scheduled to be upgraded on Tuesday 22 May. As a result, the pages can at times be out of service between 16:00 and 23:00 hours.

• The NPD is contributing in the work on the comprehensive management plan for the North Sea and Skagerrak

  11/05/2012 Today, the expert group for the North Sea and Skagerrak is submitting six assessments and one final report on the environmental condition of the sea area and the area’s significance for society and value creation.

• 22nd licensing round – Nominated blocks for announcement on public consultation

  02/05/2012 On 30 March 2012 the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy sent blocks nominated for announcement on a public consultation process.

• 23 new fishery experts

  02/05/2012 23 people have been certified as fishery experts on seismic vessels after completing the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and Directorate of Fisheries’ course in mid-March.

• Seismic acquisition underway

  27/04/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) started acquiring seismic in the southern part of the Barents Sea yesterday, 26 April, at 17:28 hours.

• Acquiring seismic in the southeastern Barents Sea

  23/04/2012 Starting 26 April, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will acquire 2D seismic in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea.

• Taking affirmative action to recruit employees with immigrant background

  16/04/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and twelve other state entities are participating in a pilot scheme involving moderate affirmative action to recruit employees with an immigrant background.

• New fact sheet

  12/04/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate together with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy are publishing Facts 2012 about the Norwegian petroleum sector.

• Who deserves the IOR prize?

  29/03/2012 Do you know of someone who deserves the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s prize for improved oil recovery for 2011 – the IOR prize?

• Disposal of concrete facilities

  21/03/2012 Some of the concrete facilities resting on the seabed on the Norwegian shelf are nearing the end of their lifetimes. In the coming years, the authorities need to address how to dispose of these.

• New type of rig can provide important contributions to improved recovery

  15/03/2012 The NPD encourages licensees in Statoil-operated production licences to support Statoil’s plans for using a new type of rig that is specially adapted for maintenance of subsea wells.

• Record gas sales in January

  14/03/2012 In January, 11.2 billion standard cubic metres of gas was sold from the Norwegian shelf. The figure is the highest of all time.

• Aasoldsen new director of North Sea South

  01/03/2012 Today, Kjetil Aasoldsen (36) becomes a member of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s management team as director of North Sea South.

• IOR prize will be awarded at ONS

  27/02/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s 2011 prize for improved recovery will be awarded on the opening day of ONS in August.

• The NPD will acquire seismic in the northeastern sector of the Barents Sea

  21/02/2012 The Government has decided that the NPD will map the geology in the northeastern part of Norway’s new sea area in the Barents Sea.

• Waiting list for fishery liaison course

  21/02/2012 Twenty-five people have signed up for the fishery liaison course being organised in Bergen in mid-March. The course is fully booked, and several people are on the waiting list.

• Hjelmelandsprisen 2011 awarded to NPD geologist

  01/02/2012 Geologist Fridtjof Riis in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has been awarded Hjelmelandsprisen 2011.

• NPD assessing development plan for Hild - 30/7-6

  24/01/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has received the plan for development and operation (PDO) for the oil and gas discovery 30/7-6 Hild in the North Sea. Total is the operator for the development.

• NPD assessing development plan for “Luno” (16/1-8)

  24/01/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has received the plan for development and operation (PDO) for the oil and gas discovery 16/1-8 “Luno” in the North Sea. Lundin is the operator for the development.

• Nine companies have purchased seismic

  23/01/2012 Nine oil companies had purchased the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s seismic data package from Lofoten and Vesterålen by 23 january.

• Seismic data acquisition contracts signed

  23/01/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has entered into contracts with Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) and Dolphin Geophysical for the acquisition of seismic data.

• Nominations for the 22nd licensing round

  23/01/2012 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received nominations from 37 companies for blocks the companies believe should be included in the 22nd licensing round on the Norwegian shelf.

• Offers for ownership interests in APA 2011

  17/01/2012 Today, January 17th, offers were sent to 42 companies for 60 new production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• The year of surprises

  16/01/2012 Last year was a year of surprises for the oil industry, and can best be characterised as an “annus hurrahbilis”. This was confirmed by Bente Nyland during today’s press conference.

• Exploration activity

  16/01/2012 During the course of 2011, 22 new discoveries were made on the Norwegian continental shelf, six more than in 2010. 16 of the discoveries were made in the North Sea, three in the Norwegian Sea and three in the Barents Sea.

• Cost development

  16/01/2012 The Norwegian petroleum activities are experiencing a period of strong growth in activities and high investment levels. This is positive; however, such a development also poses challenges as regards capacity and the companies’ ability to implement planned projects.

• Planned field developments

  16/01/2012 The oil companies have reported that they are planning to submit between 15 and 20 PDOs (plans for development and operation) over the next two years. All developments will take place in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea.

• Petroleum production

  16/01/2012 In total, 218.7 million saleable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) were produced in 2011. This is 44.8 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004, and down five per cent from 2010.

• Seismic data aquisition

  16/01/2012 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) acquired 11 500 kilometres of two-dimensional (2D) seismic in the new Norwegian waters in the southeastern Barents Sea in the summer of 2011. In addition, 3061 kilometres of 2D-seismic were acquired around Jan Mayen and 230 kilometres on the Mørerand High in the Norwegian Sea.

• The shelf in 2011 - press releases

  16/01/2012 The oil industry continued to contribute significantly to Norway’s good economy in 2011. Last year’s investment and activity level was high, and it will remain at a high level in the next five years.

• The shelf in 2011 - New time

  11/01/2012 The NPD’s annual press conference about the petroleum activities on the Norwegian continental shelf has been rescheduled to 10.00 on Monday, 16 January.

• Great interest in seismic data from Lofoten and Vesterålen

  10/01/2012 Seven oil companies have purchased the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s seismic data package from Lofoten and Vesterålen, and several more have indicated their interest.

• The shelf in 2011

  10/01/2012 Monday, 16 January 2012 at 10.00, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will hold its annual press conference about the petroleum activities on the Norwegian shelf.

• Well concluded east of the Ula field

  10/01/2012 Due to technical problems, Centrica has concluded the drilling of appraisal well 8/10-4 B.

• Director General joins expert group for improved rig capacity

  09/01/2012 Director General Bente Nyland is part of an expert group that will identify factors that limit the rig capacity on the Norwegian shelf. The group will also propose measures that can improve the flow of drilling facilities.

• Nominating for the 22nd licensing round

  02/01/2012    

• Great potential for North Sea CO2 storage

  13/12/2011 An atlas describing possible subsurface storage locations for carbon dioxide in the Norwegian part of the North Sea will be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy today.

• Launching atlas for CO2 storage in the Norwegian part of the North Sea

  09/12/2011 Upon request from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has prepared an atlas for CO2 storage in the Norwegian part of the North Sea.

• Seismic on film

  06/12/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has acquired seismic data in the southeastern part of the Barents Sea and in the waters off Jan Mayen. See the film from the survey.

• Bente Nyland is one of the speakers at WPC 2011

  05/12/2011 Director general Bente Nyland’s speech at the WPC 2011 will address exploration in new areas on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Exciting knowledge about the subsurface at Jan Mayen

  23/11/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the University of Bergen have acquired geological material from steep parts of the seabed on the Jan Mayen Ridge.

• Nomination of blocks for the 22nd licensing round

  02/11/2011 On 2 November, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) invited the oil companies to nominate blocks and/or combinations of blocks they believe should be included in the 22nd licensing round on the Norwegian shelf.

• New version of the fact pages

  27/10/2011 Today, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will launch a new version of its fact pages. Fact pages v.2 will have improved functionality and contain more information than the old pages.

• Nominate areas for CO2 storage

  17/10/2011 Five areas on the Norwegian shelf have been nominated as suitable for exploration for reservoirs for storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). Several companies have reported their interest to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

• Continuing cooperation on chalk fields

  17/10/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), the Danish Energy Agency and ten oil companies will cooperate on research and development and share experience to improve recovery from chalk fields on the Norwegian and Danish shelves.

• New Resource Report from the NPD

  12/10/2011 Today, 12 October, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will publish its report Petroleum Resources on the Norwegian continental shelf 2011.

• The 2011 Resource Report will be published on 12 October

  10/10/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) Resource Report will be published on Wednesday, 12 October at 09:30.

• NPD seismic off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja

  07/10/2011 From 2007 to 2009, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has acquired 2D and 3D seismic data off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja (Nordland VII and Troms II).

• NOK 260 million for knowledge acquisition in the north

  07/10/2011 The 2012 fiscal budget plans for broad efforts in further developing the oil and gas activities in the north.

• Human impact and environmental consequences in the North Sea and Skagerrak

  19/09/2011 The expert group for the North Sea and Skagerrak has prepared six studies on human impact and environmental consequences.

• Great interest in mature areas following exciting discoveries

  15/09/2011 A preliminary count reveals that 43 companies have applied for acreage in the 2011 Awards in Predefined Areas (APA 2011).

• Seismic acquisition in the Barents Sea east is completed

  14/09/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) seismic acquisition in the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea was completed around midnight on 14 September.

• Optimism following major discovery

  23/08/2011 Together, 16/2-8 ”Aldous” and 16/2-6 ”Avaldsnes”, could be the largest oil discovery made on the Norwegian shelf since the 1980s, and the world’s largest offshore discovery this year.

• Seismic acquisition start-up in the Barents Sea East – 8 July

  07/07/2011 Just after midnight on 8 July, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) started acquisition of seismic data in Norway’s new maritime zone in the Barents Sea.

• Facts 2011

  04/07/2011 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) are issuing a new facts publication on the Norwegian petroleum activities – Facts 2011.

• Nomination of areas for storage of CO2

  24/06/2011 Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has invited the industry to nominate areas in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea that might be suited for exploration of reservoirs for storage of carbon dioxide (CO2).

• Oil and gas industry emissions and discharges 2010

  16/06/2011 Emissions of CO2 and NOx from petroleum activities are relatively stable. Discharges to the sea of produced water and oil have not changed much in the last few years either.

• 40th anniversary for Ekofisk

  15/06/2011 It is now 40 years since the Ekofisk field in the North Sea came on stream.

• Seismic activity in the Barents Sea East from 7 July

  09/06/2011 It has now been determined that there will be seismic acquisition in the eastern part of the Barents Sea from 7 July.

• Researchers honoured with IOR prize

  08/06/2011 Professor Tor Austad of the University of Stavanger and the Corec research centre have been honoured with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's IOR prize for their work on recovering more oil from chalk reservoirs.

• Subsea wells produce most

  07/06/2011 Far more oil and gas is now being produced from subsea wells on the Norwegian continental shelf than from platform wells.

• Tor Austad and Corec share the NPD’s 2010 IOR prize

  07/06/2011 Professor Tor Austad (University of Stavanger) and the Corec research centre at IRIS have been awarded the NPD’s 2010 IOR prize. Austad and Corec have been honoured for the very important research that has been carried out to improve oil recovery from chalk fields.

• Corec, International centre for improved oil recovery

  07/06/2011 The centre is a collaborative project between the University of Stavanger (UiS), the IRIS research foundation, and ConocoPhillips as the operator of Ekofisk, Eldfisk and Tor (production licence 018).

• Tor Austad

  07/06/2011 Professor Tor Austad has worked with chemical processes for EOR (enhanced oil recovery) since the first national programme for improved oil recovery, the NPD administered SPOR, started in 1985.

• The IOR award for 2010 will be presented on 7 June

  30/05/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2010 award for improved oil recovery – the IOR award – will be presented on 7 June.

• New issue of Norwegian Continental Shelf

  05/05/2011 In an interview, Knut Åm, chair of the government-appointed expert committee on improved oil recovery (IOR), says that the choices made by politicians in the imminent White Paper on petroleum policy will be crucial for the future of the Norwegian welfare state.

• Seismic acquisition around Jan Mayen this summer

  27/04/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will carry out acquisition of 2D seismic data in the waters around Jan Mayen this summer. The acquisition activity will start around 10 June and will last up to three months.

• Breakfast meeting for young employees

  05/04/2011 On Wednesday, 13 April, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is inviting young employees to breakfast and a lecture on resource management on the Norwegian shelf.

• Minor adjustments in organisation and management

  17/03/2011 Minor adjustments have been implemented in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s (NPD’s) organisation and management structure.

• IOR deadline extended

  16/03/2011 The deadline for nominating candidates to the NPD’s 2010 award for improved oil recovery is extended to 25 March.

• APA 2011 announced

  11/03/2011 The Ministry of petroleum and energy has 11 March 2011 announced the APA 2011, comprising predefined areas in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Monitors movements in the earth’s crust

  22/02/2011 A new seismometer has received prominent placement in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s new building.

• Triassic ichthyosaurus on Svalbard

  22/02/2011 During geological field work for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate in the summer of 2007, geologists found a well-preserved skeleton of a small ichthyosaurus on a plateau near Muenfjellet, on the western coast of Edgeøya in Svalbard. Even though remnants of ichthyosaurs are not uncommon on Svalbard, it is very rare for the head to be preserved – which was the case with this discovery.

• Updated seahorse

  22/02/2011 The NPD (Norwegian Petroleum Directorate) is proud of its logo, a seahorse under a royal crown. The NPD’s board decided on a logo on 6 August 1975, which was then approved by the Ministry of Industry on 27 November 1975.

• Geological time - a colourful story

  22/02/2011    

• NPD in a new building

  22/02/2011 Today, 22 February, Stavanger mayor Leif Johan Sevland opened the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s new building in Stavanger. When he congratulated the NPD on the new building, he emphasised how important it is that the NPD and its employees have suitable working conditions, so they can do the best job possible job as resource managers on the Norwegian shelf.

• Removal requires thorough preparations

  15/02/2011 It is technically feasible to remove concrete installations resting on the seabed. But this is comprehensive work that requires thorough planning and risk management.

• 2010 IOR award

  04/02/2011 Do you know someone who deserves to receive the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2010 award for improved oil recovery – the IOR award?

• Offers for ownership interests in APA 2010

  18/01/2011 Today, 18 January, offers were sent to 39 companies for 50 new production licences on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Agreement signed with Greenland

  14/01/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has signed a framework agreement with the Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP) for the exchange of information regarding resource management in the two countries.

• The shelf 2010 – Petroleum production

  13/01/2011 In total, 229.5 million saleable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) were produced in 2010. This is 34.6 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004, and a decline of four per cent from 2009.

• The shelf 2010 – Undiscovered resources

  13/01/2011 The volume of estimated, undiscovered resources on the Norwegian continental shelf has been reduced from 3.3 to 2.6 billion standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm3 o.e.). The largest reduction can be explained by discoveries totalling 400 million Sm3 o.e. since 2006. In addition, estimates have been written down following disappointing exploration results in several important play models, and following new surveys off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja.

• The shelf in 2010 – Exploration activities

  13/01/2011 Sixteen new discoveries were made on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2010, 12 fewer than in 2009. A total of 41 exploration wells were completed during the course of the year.

• The shelf 2010 – Developments

  13/01/2011 During 2010, the authorities approved plans for development and operation (PDOs) for three fields in the North Sea and one in the Norwegian Sea. Many new production platforms are planned, and the activity level in the North Sea will be high.

• The shelf in 2010 – Investments

  13/01/2011 The petroleum sector experienced a temporary decrease in investments in 2010. It is expected that investments in 2011 will be slightly over the peak year 2009 – approx. NOK 150 billion.

• The shelf in 2010 – Press releases

  13/01/2011 The activity level on the Norwegian shelf is high, with investments expected to rise in the next few years. In spite of this, we see that more than 50 per cent of the oil remains in the fields. This is a source of concern for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), which is now calling for tougher measures from the companies to secure these assets.

• What were the highlights last year – and what are the prospects?

  10/01/2011 On 13 January, NPD Director General Bente Nyland will present facts and key figures from the shelf in 2010. She will also talk about the challenges facing the Norwegian shelf in the next few years.

• Downtime for NPD’s databases

  06/01/2011 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s data systems will be shut down for maintenance from 16:00 to 18:00 hrs on Friday 7 January.

• Exploration forecast confirmed

  30/12/2010 During 2010, 45 exploration wells were spudded, and 40 were completed.  Also, two wells have been put on hold, and it is not yet clarified whether they will be spudded before the New Year.

• Petroleum geology on the agenda

  16/12/2010 There will be a special focus on petroleum geology at the Geological Society of Norway’s (NGF’s) Winter Conference, which will be held in Stavanger on 11-13 January.

• Maintenance of version 2 of the FactPages

  13/12/2010 On 17 September, version 2 of the FactPages will be updated with new information on wells, e.g. cores and reports.

• Great interest in the 21st licensing round

  04/11/2010 When the application deadline for the 21st licensing round on the Norwegian shelf expired on 3 November, 37 companies had submitted applications.

• Honoured for chalk effort

  02/11/2010 On behalf of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and the Danish Energy Agency, Director General Bente Nyland gave special recognition to ConocoPhillips for administering the research programme Joint Chalk Research (JCR) over the last 14 years.

• Good basis for location of wind farms

  18/10/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate believes that it should be possible to find solutions which take into account both the establishment of wind farms and the petroleum activities' needs on the continental shelf.

• New topic at the NPD web page

  21/09/2010 Many of the nearly 500 facilities on the Norwegian shelf are approaching the end of their lifetime. In the years to come, several of these will be shut down and removed in a responsible matter.

• Many companies interested in exploring in mature areas

  16/09/2010 A preliminary count reveals that 41 companies have applied for acreage in the 2010 Awards in Predefined Areas (APA 2010).

• Gulf of Mexico as compared with the Barents Sea and Lofoten

  15/09/2010 It is highly unlikely that a potential blowout off Lofoten could have a comparable blowout rate as the blowout on the Macondo prospect in the Gulf of Mexico.

• Geo-data reporting - new deadline for comments

  09/09/2010 On 4 June 2010, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) submitted proposed new provisions regarding geo-data reporting and the duty of confidentiality for reported data.

• Major activity and new field developments in the Sleipner area

  27/08/2010 The Sleipner area in the North Sea is a good example of a mature area on the Norwegian shelf where the APA (Awards in Predefined Areas) system and the introduction of new companies have been a success.

• Q and A - The Movie

  24/08/2010 The movie Q&A, which has been made especially for the occasion, will be screened in the theatre to the back of the stand three times every hour. The movie has interviews of the NPD’s director general Bente Nyland, Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen and the PSA’s director general Magne Ognedal.

• The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate at ONS

  19/08/2010 As always, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is present at the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) conference, (exhibition and festival) in Stavanger, and as usual, the petroleum authorities can be found sharing a stand under the national coat of arms.

• High exploration activity on the Norwegian shelf

  26/07/2010 At the end of the first half of 2010 (as of 24 June) 25 exploration wells on the Norwegian shelf had been completed. During the same period last year, 33 exploration wells were drilled.

• Facts 2010

  29/06/2010 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) are issuing a new facts publication on the Norwegian petroleum activities – Facts 2010.

• Emissions and discharges from the oil and gas industry in 2009

  17/06/2010 Emissions to air from the petroleum industry declined in 2009. This applies to carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and volatile hydrocarbons, according to the operating companies’ annual emissions reporting. These reports are made in parallel to the Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif), the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) in EnvironmentWeb – a joint database for the authorities and the oil and gas industry.

• First exploration licence for CO2 on the Norwegian shelf

  14/06/2010 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has issued Gassnova SF a licence to acquire seismic data with the aim of identifying suitable storage locations for permanent storage of CO2. This is the first time an exploration licence for CO2 has been granted on the Norwegian shelf.

• Cooperating on CO2 storage

  14/06/2010 In a joint effort, Norwegian and British authorities have investigated the possibility of using the North Sea to store carbon dioxide. The report was submitted on 9 June.    

• Reporting geo data – hearing

  08/06/2010 In consultation with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has prepared a proposal for new regulations for reporting geo data and confidentiality as regards the data reported.

• Award presented for seabed technology

  02/06/2010 Today, 2 June, FMC Technologies received the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s 2009 IOR award for outstanding technology development of seabed production systems.

• The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s 2009 IOR award to FMC Technologies

  02/06/2010 FMC Technologies is the winner of the NPD’s award for improved oil recovery for 2009. The company receives the award for having demonstrated the courage and determination to invest in technology which increases production from seabed wells.

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate to present IOR award

  31/05/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s improved oil recovery award for 2009 will be presented during the Norwegian Petroleum Society’s conference in Stavanger on 2 June.

• New version of the fact pages

  31/05/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has upgraded its fact pages from version 2.0 to version 2.1 beta.

• Reports – seismic acquisition in the north

  18/05/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has today, 18 May, published 2 comprehensive reports covering the geology, resources and the value of the resources in the waters off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja.

• The core store and core viewing room to be closed

  30/04/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s core store and core viewing room in Stavanger will be closed from 7 June until 30 September 2010 due to reconstruction work.

• Looking into power from land to facilities in the North Sea

  20/04/2010 The possibility of coordinating the power supply to the facilities in the Ekofisk area and the Ula field in the North Sea is being studied.   The result of the process is expected to be available by the end of the year.

• Petroleum resources off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja

  16/04/2010 On assignment from the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has acquired seismic data in the areas off Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja (Nordland VII and Troms II). On Friday, 16 April, the NPD will present its report to Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis -Johansen.

• Seismic report to be presented on 16 April

  14/04/2010 Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen will receive the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s report from the geological mapping of the Barents Sea – Lofoten area on Friday, 16 April.

• Amendment proposed to the Resource Management Regulations - consultation

  08/04/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is proposing amendments to the Regulations relating to resource management in the petroleum activities (the Resource Management Regulations).

• IO conference at the NPD

  23/03/2010 Intelligent fields and integrated operations will be the topics for the Norwegian Petroleum Society’s conference at the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate on 11 and 12 May.

• 2009 IOR award

  10/03/2010 Do you know someone who deserves to receive the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2009 award for improved oil recovery – the IOR award?

• Seismic surveys both increased and reduced fish catches

  02/03/2010 Sound waves from seismic data acquisition resulted in increased catches for some species and smaller catches for others. It appears that pollack may, to some extent, have withdrawn from the area, while other species seem to remain. These are the main results from the research commissioned by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and carried out by the Institute of Marine Research during the summer of 2009 on the effects of seismic surveys off Vesterålen.

• New Guidance Notes for border fields

  01/03/2010 The Norwegian and British authorities have prepared new Guidance Notes with the intention of helping companies through the process of seeking Government approval for the development of trans-boundary fields.

• APA 2010 - announcement

  19/02/2010 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has today, 19 February, announced the APA 2010. APA 2010  consists of predefined areas with blocks in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea.

• Climate Cure 2020

  17/02/2010 Climate Cure 2020 has studied measures for the Norwegian petroleum industry which in total could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents.

• Better processes on the Norwegian shelf

  16/02/2010 The Government is focused on facilitating good development projects on the Norwegian shelf. These are projects which safeguard environmental considerations and provide good regional ripple effects.

• 2009 IOR award

  15/02/2010 Do you know someone who deserves to receive the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2009 award for improved oil recovery – the IOR award?

• Enthusiast honoured

  29/01/2010 Principal engineer Leif Hinderaker of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is honoured with the NCS Honor award for his long-standing efforts to promote improved recovery.

• Carbon storage sites to be identified on the Norwegian shelf

  15/01/2010 Over the next three years, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will identify suitable storage sites for carbon dioxide (CO2) on the Norwegian shelf.

• The shelf in 2009 - Environment

  15/01/2010 To a large degree, emissions and discharges from petroleum activities are a result of the production. Increased emissions and discharges result from longer distances to the market and extended lifetime for the fields.

• The shelf in 2009 - Development

  15/01/2010 In 2009, the authorities approved the plans for the development and operation (PDO) of the Goliat oil field in the Barents Sea and the Oselvar oil and gas field in the North Sea. In 2010, as many as seven new development plans may be submitted for approval.

• The shelf in 2009 - Investments

  15/01/2010 In a year where the financial crisis resulted substantial reductions in incoming orders in several industries, the investments in the petroleum sector remained at a historically high level. In that regard, the petroleum sector was an important buffer for the Norwegian economy in a troubled year for the international economy.

• The shelf in 2009 – The resource accounts

  15/01/2010 There are no significant changes in the total estimate for the petroleum resources on the Norwegian shelf as of 31 December 2009. The estimate is 13 billion standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm3 o.e.) The accounts show an increase in gross oil reserves of 64 million Sm3.

• The shelf in 2009 - Petroleum production

  15/01/2010 In total, 238.6 million saleable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) were produced in 2009. This is 24.6 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004. The figure represents a one per cent decline from 2008, but exceeds the production forecast for 2009.

• The shelf in 2009 - Exploration

  15/01/2010 Exploration in 2009 – Record activity level

• The shelf in 2009 - Press releases

  15/01/2010 Oil production continues to fall. Making a determined effort to recover the oil resources from the large fields has become an urgent matter. If the licensees do not make the necessary decisions, profitable resources could be lost.

• The Norwegian shelf in the fourth quarter of 2009

  15/01/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's report for the fourth quarter of 2009 provides an overview of the oil and gas production, drilling activity, new discoveries and seismic acquisition during the year.

• The shelf in 2009

  11/01/2010 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate hereby invites you to a press conference about the shelf in 2009 on Friday, 15 January at 0930 hours.

• Amendments to the petroleum regulations

  31/12/2009 The handling fee for applications relating to production licences, applications relating to exploration licenses and seismic surveys carried out under the aforementioned licenses is amended effective 1 January 2010.

• Amendments to the Regulations relating to refunding of expenses in connection with regulatory supervision of resource management

  31/12/2009 The Regulations relating to refunding of expenses in connection with regulatory supervision of resource management have been amended, cf. the Amendment Regulations of 14 December 2009 No. 1514.

• Increase in the CO2 tax for 2010

  31/12/2009 The CO2 tax for 2010 wil be increased from NOK 0.46 to NOK 0.47 per standard cubic metre of gas and from NOK 0.46 to NOK 0.47 per litre oil or condensate. This was resolved by the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) on 27 November 2009.

• Faulty geology scuppers pioneering project

  17/11/2009 Stratigraphic studies by the NPD in the wake of an oil leak on Tordis in 2008 have shown that the Utsira formation is not present where an injection well was drilled for this North Sea field.

• New agreement with the NGU

  05/11/2009 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Geological Society of Norway (NGU) have entered into a joint venture agreement. Both parties agree to develop the collaboration and joint ventures.

• Variable startle effects of seismic acquisition on fish

  26/10/2009 In a new report presenting analyses of catch data from Lofoten and Vesterålen in the summer of 2008, the Institute of Marine Research concludes that, with the exception of gillnet fishing for saithe and haddock, there are no documented negative effects from seismic acquisition.

• Norwegian shelf, 3rd quarter 2009

  20/10/2009 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's report for the third quarter of 2009 provides an overview of oil and gas production, new discoveries, new development plans and drilling activity.

• Common hunt for suitable CO2 storage

  12/10/2009 Norwegian and British authorities are working together to identify suitable formations under the North Sea where carbon dioxide (CO2) can be stored.

• Preparing for opening around Jan Mayen

  30/09/2009 The Government has decided to initiate an opening process for petroleum activities around Jan Mayen, with the intention of awarding production licences.

• ”Victoria” smaller than assumed

  17/09/2009 6506/6-1 (Victoria) in the Norwegian Sea contains less gas than previously assumed.

• NPD issues the Resource report 2009 in English

  10/09/2009 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's (NPD) resource report is issued every other year. The Resource Report 2009 provides an up-to-date overview of the resources and activities on the Norwegian continental shelf, and highlights important challenges for the Norwegian petroleum activities.

• New website

  31/08/2009 Welcome to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's new, more user-friendly website, which contains improved fact pages and maps.

• Status for the research project on the consequences of startle behaviour in fish

  26/08/2009 Representatives of the Institute of Marine Research and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate met in Stavanger on Tuesday, 25 August for a briefing about the progress of the consequential research project Startle behaviour in fish, in connection with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's seismic data collection in Vesterålen in the summer of 2009.

• NPD seismic in Troms II completed Sunday, 2 August

  03/08/2009 Press release 50/2009: On Sunday, 2 August, the seismic data acquisition by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) in Troms II, northwest of Senja, was completed. Acquisition will continue for a few more days in Nordland VII in Vesterålen.

• Norwegian shelf, 2nd quarter 2009

  21/07/2009 Press Release 47/2009: The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's (NPD's) report for the second quarter of 2009 provides an overview of oil and gas production, new discoveries, new development plans and drilling activity. A total of 21 new production licences were awarded in the 20th licensing round on the Norwegian shelf.

• Seismic survey started

  01/07/2009 Press release 43/2009: The seismic survey vessel Ocean Explorer started acquisition of seismic data north of Senja, on Troms II, at 2230 hours last night. There is little fishery activity in the area and the survey activity is proceeding as planned. Acquisition of seismic data in Vesterålen started two days ago, and is also going as planned so far. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has commissioned the acquisition of seismic data on behalf of the Storting (Norwegian Parliament).

• The NPD's seismic acquisition activity will start on 29 June

  25/06/2009 Press release 41/2009: Acquisition of 3D seismic data will start in Vesterålen (Nordland VII) with the vessel Geo Pacific. The acquisition activities in Troms II, to be carried out by the Ocean Explorer, will be delayed by a couple of days.

• Improved notification system for seismic acquisition

  19/06/2009 A new notification system for seismic acquisition activity was put into operation on 19 June 2009.

• The NPD will not award its IOR Prize for improved oil recovery for 2008

  17/06/2009 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) did not identify any candidates worthy of receiving the IOR prize for 2008. The IOR prize is awarded to fields, companies or individuals that exhibit the courage, willingness and ability to improve oil recovery beyond the statutory expectations.

• NPD's Fact-pages and Factmaps - new releases June 2009

  15/06/2009 Version 2 of the Fact-pages are now available in Beta version. The Factmaps are also updated with more information.

• Emissions/discharges from the oil and gas industry in 2008

  10/06/2009 Press release 32/2009: There was a reduction in the petroleum industry's discharges of environmentally harmful chemicals to sea in 2008. Emissions of volatile hydrocarbons were also reduced, while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were somewhat higher. This is primarily due to a new calculation model for emissions from flaring. The number of acute spills has stabilized at a level that is still too high.

• Norwegian shelf - 1st quarter 2009

  28/05/2009 Press Release 31/2009The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's report for the first quarter of 2009 provides an overview of oil and gas production, new discoveries, new development plans and drilling activity.

• Regulatory seminar on seismic

  29/04/2009 On Wednesday, 20 May, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is inviting representatives of licensees and seismic companies to attend a seminar on regulations, procedures and good coexistence in connection with seismic data acquisition on the Norwegian continental shelf.

• Historic course starts

  23/02/2009 23 february marks the beginning of the first course for fishery experts used in connection with acquisition of seismic data on the Norwegian shelf. This makes the 26 participants at the first course being held in Bergen a little part of history themselves.

• The IOR award – nominate candidates by 1 March

  19/02/2009 The final deadline for nominating candidates for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2008 award for improved oil recovery is 1 March.

• New courses for fishery experts on seismic vessels

  09/02/2009 The response to the course offered for fishery experts on seismic vessels has been overwhelming and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Directorate of Fisheries are scheduling more courses than originally planned.

• Norwegian Petroleum Directorate positive to APA

  29/01/2009 In a consultation submission to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) concludes that the system of awards in predefined areas (APA) should continue.

• Jan Mayen on the exploration map

  22/01/2009 On 22 January 2009, the authorities in Iceland will announce their first licensing round for oil and gas activities on the Jan Mayen Ridge, which lies between Norway and Iceland.

• New course popular with fishery experts

  16/01/2009 There has been a huge response to first course for fishery experts on seismic survey vessels. The course is organised by the NPD and the Directorate of Fisheries. 117 fishery experts have registered for the course.

• Candidates for the 2008 IOR award

  14/01/2009 Do you know someone who deserves to receive the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2008 award for improved oil recovery – the IOR award?

• The shelf in 2008 - Petroleum production

  09/01/2009 A total of 242.2 million marketable standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.) were produced in 2008. This is 21.8 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004 and a small increase from 2007.

• The shelf in 2008

  08/01/2009 Press release 1/2009

• The shelf in 2008 - Seismic acquisition in Nordland VII and Troms II

  08/01/2009 In 2008, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) acquired approximately 12 000 kilometres of 2D seismic data and 700 square kilometres of 3D seismic data in the Nordland VII and Troms II areas. The acquisition of seismic data started in the summer of 2007 and will be concluded in the summer of 2009. This activity is carried out on assignment from the Norwegian Government.

• The shelf in 2008 - Environment

  08/01/2009 Emissions and discharges from the petroleum activities largely follow production volumes. Increased emissions and discharges occur as a consequence of longer distances to the market, tail production and extended field lifetime.

• The shelf in 2008 - Coexistence

  08/01/2009 During the last couple of years we have seen a growing level of conflict between seismic acquisition activities and the fishery industry. This is largely due to an increase in seismic data acquisition as a consequence of a generally higher level of petroleum activity.

• The shelf in 2008 - New players

  08/01/2009 Eight new companies were pre-qualified as licensees or operators on the Norwegian shelf in 2008. An additional 15 companies are currently being evaluated.

• The shelf in 2008 - Developments

  08/01/2009 During 2008, the authorities approved plans for development and operation (PDOs) for Yttergryta and Morvin in the Norwegian Sea. In 2009, as many as ten new development plans may be submitted to the authorities for approval.

• The shelf in 2008 - Investments

  08/01/2009 The high price of oil in 2008 led to a considerable increase in both activity and cost levels on the Norwegian shelf. Investments, including investments in exploration activities, showed a continued growth in relation to previous years. The NPD’s preliminary estimate is in excess of 130 bill. NOK.

• The shelf in 2008 - exploration activity

  08/01/2009 56 exploration wells were spudded on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2008. This is a record high, and an increase of 24 exploration wells compared with 2007. 25 new discoveries were made in 2008. Of the 56 exploration wells, 42 were wildcat wells and 14 were appraisal wells. 49 exploration wells were completed.

• The shelf in 2008 - Resource accounts

  08/01/2009 There is no significant change in the in the overall estimate for petroleum resources on the Norwegian shelf as of 31 December 2008. The estimate is 13 billion standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm³ o.e.).

• Press conference - the shelf in 2008

  06/01/2009 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will hold a press conference on the shelf in 2008 at 09.00 hours on 8 January 2009. The press conference will take place in the NPD's offices in Stavanger.

• Specialist in conflict resolution

  12/12/2008 Seismic survey ships and fishing vessels may operate in the same waters but have no need to create a lot of racket for that reason, says Bjørn Nornes. He is the most experienced fishery expert on the NCS.

• NPD to participate in the Climate Cure

  05/12/2008 The NPD (Norwegian Petroleum Directorate) is participating in Climate Cure 2020 (Klimakur 2020) – a process aimed at showing what Norway can do to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15-17 million tonnes by 2020.

• Working on the management plan for the Norwegian Sea

  03/12/2008 A comprehensive management plan will be a good tool for sustainable management of the Norwegian Sea in the future. The Ministry of the Environment plans to submit a White Paper on this topic in the spring of 2009.

• IEA (International Energy Agency) releases its annual perspective survey, World Energy Outlook 2008

  18/11/2008 One of the conclusions is that falling oil production from the world's large oil fields is accelerating because of a lack of adequate measures.

• More focus on improved oil recovery

  12/11/2008 Oil production from the Norwegian shelf is declining – while demand continues to grow in global oil markets. We must extract more oil from the fields in operation to offset this trend.

• Spring Energy wants to go exploring

  07/11/2008 Bente Flakstad Vold, Vegard Gunleiksrud and their colleagues in Spring Energy have been working intensively to complete their applications for the 20th licensing round.

• Acquisition of 3D seismic data in the summer of 2009

  09/10/2008 The Government has proposed an allocation of NOK 200 million for the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's geological mapping activities in Nordland VII and Troms II in 2009. The conclusion of the three-year mapping program will provide new information about the resources in the area, and improve the decision basis for the updated comprehensive management plan in 2010.

• Seismic acquisition on the Norwegian shelf – the NPD's role in the process

  06/10/2008 Permission to carry out surveys on the Norwegian continental shelf can be granted in accordance with an exploration permit or within a production licence, cf. Sections 2-1 and 3-3 of the Petroleum Act.

• The NPD's acquisition of seismic data completed on 14 September

  15/09/2008 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate's 2008 acquisition of seismic data outside Lofoten, Vesterålen and Troms has now been completed.  The 2D seismic acquisition, which got underway on 25 May, was completed at midnight on 14 September, while the 3D seismic acquisition was carried out during the period from 3-31 July.

• Seismic survey of potential carbondioxide storage site

  05/09/2008 Press release 48/2008: A seismic survey of the subsurface has been initiated at the Troll field in the North Sea to determine whether the site is suitable for storage of large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) from carbon capture facilities at the industrial plants at Mongstad and Kårstø.

• Recovering from a problem

  29/08/2008 Plans to build a gas-fired power station at the Mongstad refinery in western Norway were given the go-ahead in October. This scheme includes the world’s first full-scale carbon dioxide capture plant, due to be fully opera­tional by 2014 with partial government funding. Although no decision has yet been taken, the captured carbon dioxide could help to improve offshore oil recovery.

• The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate adheres to the law

  29/08/2008 This summer, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has acquired seismic data in the areas outside of Lofoten and Vesterålen. This acquisition of seismic data is in line with the regulations and takes place in accordance with a resolution by the Storting (Norwegian Parliament).

• Signing of Russo-Norwegian cooperation agreement

  11/08/2008 At Wednesday 6 August the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Russian Federal Agency of Mineral Resources (Rosnedra), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

• Acquisition of 3D seismic data completed

  01/08/2008 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s acquisition of 3D seismic data in the Troms II area was completed on 31 July as planned.

• Acquisition of 3D seismic data underway

  03/07/2008 The seismic vessel Atlantic Explorer has started the acquisition of 3D seismic data in Troms II.  The preparation of the equipment was quickly completed and the vessel therefore got started at midnight, a few hours earlier ahead of schedule. The acquisition program will last until 31 July.

• NPD's 3D seismic to start at the beginning of July and conclude on 31 July

  27/06/2008 The NPD's acquisition of 3D seismic in Troms II will start at the beginning of July. The seismic data acquisition in the area was originally scheduled to start on 24 June, but was postponed due to a fire in the engine room on board the seismic vessel Atlantic Explorer, which was to carry out the acquisition of seismic data.

• Seismic data acquisition postponed for a few days

  20/05/2008 The NPD's seismic data acquisition has been postponed for at least a few days due to technical problems with the seismic equipment. An engineer will be taken to the BOS Atlantic to examine the equipment.

• New members of NPD management

  06/05/2008 Three new directors have joined Bente Nyland in the NPD’s management. At the same time five directors have rotated out of management.

• Lack of rigs a bottleneck

  28/04/2008 A tight rig market curbs increased activities on the Norwegian shelf beyond the 14 exploration wells spudded this year. The result is six small or medium-sized discoveries.

• Information meetings on this summer's seismic survey activity

  10/04/2008 During the course of this week and next week, representatives from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will hold information meetings in Vesterålen, Lofoten and on Senja regarding this summer's seismic data acquisition off Lofoten and Vesterålen.

• NPD seismic survey activity – summer 2008

  03/04/2008 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will commence acquisition of 2D seismic data in Nordland VII and in Troms II outside of Lofoten and Vesterålen around 15 May.

• The Shelf in 2007

  14/01/2008 Press release 5/2008: Gas production has increased in 2007.  As expected, oil production is somewhat lower than in the previous year.  32 exploration wells were spudded in 2007, up from 26 in 2006. Twelve new discoveries were made, most of which appear to be fairly small.  The shelf is characterized by vigorous activity and continued growth in total investment costs. The Shelf in 2007 contains facts from the past year as well as forecasts for the upcoming five-year period.

• The shelf in 2007 – Environment

  14/01/2008 Emissions and discharges from the petroleum activities largely follow production volumes. Increased emissions and discharges occur as a consequence of longer distances to the market, tail production and extended field lifetime.

• The shelf in 2007 – Seismic

  14/01/2008 In 2007, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate collected 2617 kilometres of seismic data in the Nordland VII and Troms II areas. Data acquisition will continue in the summer of 2008.

• The shelf in 2007 - The resource accounts (preliminary figures as of 31 December 2007)

  14/01/2008 There is no significant change in the overall estimate for petroleum resources on the Norwegian shelf as of 31 December 2007. The estimate is 13 billion Sm3 o.e. The accounts show relatively good growth from exploration activity and an increase in gross reserves.

• The shelf in 2007 - Exploration

  14/01/2008 32 exploration wells were spudded in 2007, of which 20 were wildcat wells and 12 were appraisal wells. 33 exploration wells have been completed. In 2006 the NPD expected around 30 exploration wells to be spudded. The NPD believes that the high exploration activity will continue in 2008.

• The shelf in 2007 - New players

  14/01/2008 A total of 13 new companies were pre-qualified as licensees or operators on the Norwegian shelf in 2007.  14 companies are currently being considered.

• The shelf in 2007 - Developments

  14/01/2008 During the course of 2007, 8 plans for development and operation (PDO) were approved for 9 new deposits.  Around 10 PDOs are expected to be submitted to the authorities in 2008.

• The shelf in 2007 – Investments

  14/01/2008 The activity level on the Norwegian shelf is high.  Higher oil prices have led to significant increases in both activity and cost levels.  Continued growth in total investment costs is expected.

• The shelf in 2007 - Petroleum production

  14/01/2008 A total of 237.8 million standard cubic metres (Sm³) marketable oil equivalents (o.e.) were produced in 2007.  This is 26.2 million Sm³ o.e. less than in the record year 2004.

• Weak rocks demand strong solutions

  08/01/2008 Personnel from three North Sea fields were flown ashore this autumn following forecasts of high waves and hurricane winds. That reflects fears aroused by seabed subsidence in the wake of oil and gas production.

• Area of concern

  06/01/2008 The NPD is keeping a close eye on the process of choosing a solution for Goliat. As the first Barents Sea oil project, the field could set a standard for further development in these waters.

• Bente Nyland named new director general

  21/12/2007 Today, the King in Council confirmed that acting director general Bente Nyland will be the new director general of the NPD. With Nyland, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will have a geologist at the helm.

• Action needed to stem decline

  20/12/2007 Producing fields on the Norwegian continental shelf will remain very important for value creation by the petroleum industry for many years to come. But maintaining output is not a matter of course.

• In foreign hands

  20/12/2007 Norway’s domestic labour force is too small, but fabricator Aker Kvaerner Egersund south of Stavanger has solved the problem by going abroad for more workers.

• Searching for better times

  20/12/2007 Analyses by the NPD show that the amount spent by the oil industry to drill 23 exploration wells on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2006 bought 50 such operations a decade earlier, in 1997.

• Dependent on labour from abroad

  20/12/2007 Norway’s petroleum business could not have managed without immigrant labour, maintains Knut Aaneland, head of the oil and gas section at the Federation of Norwegian Industries.

• Piaf in brief

  20/12/2007

• Bit of a problem

  20/12/2007 Drilling efficiency on the Norwegian continental shelf has fallen sharply in recent years. The industry has failed to take adequate account of greater well complexity and risk, claims Morten Mauritzen at ExxonMobil.

• Get talking

  17/12/2007 Public discussion of the oil industry in Norway is far too limited, believes Åslaug Haga. In her first three months as petroleum and energy minister, she has done her best to liven up the debate.

• Taking a long view

  17/12/2007 China is set to become the world’s largest energy consumer over the next five years, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Chinese and Indian growth will make a strong contribution to boosting demand by about 50 per cent up to 2030.

• Licence to assess

  17/12/2007 Expectations are high ahead of the imminent conclusion to the awards in predefined areas (APA) process for 2007. For the NPD, three considerations are crucial in allocating licence interests among a record number of applicants: quality, quality and quality.

• Assistance with learning

  14/12/2007 Participants in the Petroleum Administration (Petrad) foundation's eight-week courses in Stavanger this autumn have taken new expertise home with them. We talked to three of the students.

• Exploration activity on the rise in 2007

  07/12/2007 At the end of November, 31 exploration wells had been spudded on the Norwegian shelf.  In comparison, only 26 exploration wells were spudded in all of 2006.  The explanation for this increase lies in better access to exploration rigs.

• Cooperating with the USGS

  06/12/2007 This week, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has been visited by geologists from the US Geological Survey (USGS) for the purpose of discussing methods to calculate petroleum resources in the Arctic Zone.

• Probing the secrets of the northern deeps

  11/11/2007 Learning more about the geology of the far north could help to solve the big question being asked in both Norway and Russia - how much oil and gas might lie beneath the vast Arctic seas.

• Haga opened seminar on challenges on producing fields

  02/11/2007 On Thursday, 1 November, Minister of Petroleum and Energy Åslaug Haga opened the industry seminar "Challenges on producing fields" in Oslo.

• New measuring method for oil introduced

  01/11/2007 EU has introduced a new directive for measuring instruments. The new directive will be important  for measurement of fluids in the petroleum industry.

• Problem-solving with profit

  30/10/2007 A project which began by looking at methods for carbon storage could also yield a simple answer to recovering methane from the ice-like substances known as hydrates.

• Carbon containment in the spotlight

  29/10/2007 The Norwegian continental shelf offers opportunities for storing carbon dioxide, according to a report for the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) by Gassnova, Gassco and the NPD.

• Storing up benefits

  26/10/2007 Carbon storage could help to solve the world’s climate problems. But establishing this industry is a matter of urgency, believes Danish scientist Niels Peter Christensen.

• Stability carries a cost

  25/10/2007 If every greenhouse gas emitter in the world paid a price for such emissions equivalent to the carbon tax levied on the Norwegian continental shelf, the climate challenge would have been considerably smaller.

• Taking a long view in the far north

  22/10/2007 The Arctic will become increasingly important, not least because of oil and gas, believes Norwegian foreign minister Johan Gahr Støre. But Norway will not be planting a flag at the North Pole.

• Calculating future oil and gas

  19/10/2007 A key job for the NPD is to assess how much petroleum remains to be found on the Norwegian continental shelf. This estimate has been unchanged since 2003, despite discoveries made since then.

• Troll Further Development stopped

  19/10/2007 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy will not approve the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Troll Further Development (TFD). This is stated in a letter from the Ministry to the Troll licensees dated 18 October 2007.

• Full speed ahead

  17/10/2007 The level of activity is high, exploration acreage is plentiful, many discoveries are made and environmental considerations impose few constraints.

• Techno lab

  17/10/2007 The supply of new exploration acreage is good. Oil and gas prices are high, which sustains exploration activity and production.

• Sorry, we’re closed

  17/10/2007 Activity is low. Norway adopts its own stringent environmental measures because no international agreement has been reached on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Blood, sweat and tears

  17/10/2007 Oil prices are high in this scenario. That creates great activity and good availability of acreage. But exploration results are disappointing.

• Drivers

  17/10/2007 Drivers are the building blocks for these scenarios.

• Telling tales about tomorrow

  17/10/2007 More than 40 years have passed since the first well was drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf, and the question is whether Norway will remain an oil and gas nation four decades from now. Scenarios can help to raise awareness about factors influencing developments on the NCS.

• Petrad-course - 44 participants from 36 countries

  17/10/2007 The opening of the Petrad foundation course “Petroleum Policy and Resource Management” took place at the premises of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) in Stavanger on Monday, 15. October.

• Cooperation agreement between the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and the Institute of Marine Research

  11/10/2007 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and the Institute of Marine Research (HI) are working on public tasks within related disciplines as regards international aid efforts. The cooperation agreement aims to contribute to develop joint projects for the benefit of the recipients.

• The NPD strengthened in connection with merger

  05/10/2007 The Government has proposed an increase in the allocation to the petroleum authorities of approx. NOK 50 million in 2008. This is to ensure that the authorities possess the necessary competence and capacity to follow up the activities on the Norwegian shelf.

• Maintain oil and gas estimates

  24/09/2007 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate believes there are between 1.6 and 5.8 billion standard cubic meters (Sm3) oil equivalents (o.e.) oil, gas, condensate and NGL (Natural Gas Liquids) left to find on the Norwegian shelf.

• Helping Nigeria to reduce gas flaring

  17/09/2007 Flaring gas results in significant emissions of carbon dioxide. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is advising the oil authorities in Nigeria on how to reduce gas burning.

• New study of pressure development around Troll

  13/09/2007 A study initiated by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) shows that production on the Troll field has consequences for the areas surrounding the field.

• NPD receives positive feedback in user survey

  23/08/2007 Statskonsult has, on assignment from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), conducted a survey to find out what important players in the NPD's sphere actually think about the NPD.

• New study of power from land

  09/07/2007 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is to lead the work to study the possibility of supplying the petroleum facilities on the shelf with power from land.

• Geologist to lead the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

  27/06/2007 With Bente Nyland the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will have a geologist as its leader.  For a number of years, Nyland has been responsible for undiscovered resources, exploration of new areas, new players on the Norwegian shelf and the work on licensing rounds.

• NPD employee elected to the Continental Shelf Commission in New York

  20/06/2007 Senior geologist Harald Brekke in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has been re-elected to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.

• From top to bottom

  15/06/2007 Work on the environment is an important part of the NPD’s duties. Now its database is being used to help improve know-how about Norwegian coastal and sea areas.

• Drinking deep in east Africa

  15/06/2007 Petroleum geologists from the NPD have helped to find potable water at a depth of 600 metres in Tanzania. The seismic data suggest that large volumes are available.

• Start-up of seismic data acquisition

  15/06/2007 The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will start acquiring 2D seismic data in Nordland VII and Troms II outside of Lofoten and Vesterålen around 29 June 2007.

• NPD receives positive mention in Norad report

  05/06/2007 A comprehensive evaluation of Norwegian oil assistance gives positive mention to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).  The report also provides suggestions for improvements.

• First oil from Enoch

  01/06/2007 On 31 May, production commenced from Enoch, a border field in the North Sea.  This is the first field to be developed after the framework agreement regarding cross-border petroleum cooperation was signed by the British and Norwegian authorities in 2005.

• Norway to provide assistance to Madagascar

  29/05/2007 Over the next five years, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) will be assisting Madagascar in establishing a reliable petroleum management. For Turid Øygard this means that she will soon be moving from Stavanger to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.

• New brooms sweep cleaner

  07/05/2007 A growing number of incomers on the NCS aim to improve the recovery of its oil and gas resources. After securing major licence awards in recent years, several of these companies are poised to spud exploration wells.

• Verification of oil metering

  07/05/2007 All petroleum that is produced and exported from the Norwegian shelf is metered in connection with purchase, sale and calculation of taxes and fees.  The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate supervises this metering.  This summer, the accuracy of water content analyses of the oil will be checked and verified.

• Gunnar Berge: Electrification of the Shelf

  02/05/2007 As a solution for reducing Norway's CO2 emissions, removing power plants from the shelf and replacing them with energy from land is neither simple nor cheap, writes director general Gunnar Berge.

• Commitment at home and abroad

  30/04/2007 Merging Statoil and Hydro’s petroleum business will benefit the international involvement of the new company, since size is significant in this business. But any reduction in activity on the NCS would be a very poor socio-economic outcome for Norway.

• A good layer of oil

  10/04/2007 It was lost when the gas was produced at the Frigg field, it has become a goldmine at Troll and a decision is eagerly awaited at Snøhvit. Thin oil zones have become a challenge.

• Oil of development

  06/04/2007 The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has joined the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and the Environment to help developing countries with petroleum administration and good governance. This Oil for Development commitment involves financial support in the shape an additional annual appropriation of NOK 50 million for five years from 2006. Strengthening bilateral assistance to countries which want Norwegian oil and gas expertise is supplemented by an emphasis on good governance and transparency in petroleum administration. With a wide scope, the programme covers such issues as resource and revenues management, environmental considerations and business development. Specialist and administrative bodies with relevant expertise and experience, such as the NPD, Petrad and Intsok, will be brought into the work. Coordination rests with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).

• Allies in the Arctic

  09/03/2007 The continental shelf around Norway and northern Russia is unique in the world, with favourable conditions for studying the development and motion of the geological plates.

• Oil veterans look back

  02/03/2007 Forty years have passed since the first well was drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf. Four key pioneers from the industry ministry's oil office - forerunner of today's petroleum and energy ministry - got together recently to celebrate the anniversary.

• Slipping into the lead

  23/02/2007 The chance of more landslides around the Ormen Lange gas field in the Norwegian Sea has been extensively studied, giving researchers in Norway world-class expertise in this area.

• 15 million metres of wellbore drilled

  26/01/2007 From 1966 up to and including 2006, 15 million metres of wellbore (exploration and production wells) have been drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf, according to new statistics from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate

• Oil lubricates northern progress

  25/01/2007 Petroleum activities could be the engine for economic development in northern Norway, argues Jarle Aarbakke. He heads the Norwegian government's committee of experts on the far north.

• The NPD's IOR prize 2006 goes to Baker Hughes and Halliburton

  23/01/2007 This year, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is acknowledging the commitment made by the Norwegian supplier industry towards increased value creation on the Norwegian shelf, not least in research and development.  The IOR prize 2006 is awarded to both Baker Hughes and Halliburton for progressive development and application of advanced drilling and well solutions.

• Offshore oracles

  08/01/2007 The recipe for good forecasting is straightforward enough. Enter qualitycontrolled data in simple but well-defined reporting systems. Use advanced technical aids, and blend with a portion of historical understanding and another portion of the ability to predict possible futures. Mix well in a big portfolio assessment and test the results. And learn from your mistakes.

• The Shelf in 2006 - Continued commitment to integrated operations/e-operations

  05/01/2007 The petroleum industry is well underway in the implementation of integrated operations.  The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will continue its commitment to the e-driftforum (Integrated Operations Forum) and be a driving force in those areas where there the activity is insufficient.

• The Shelf in 2006 - New boundaries for the Norwegian shelf

  05/01/2007 The UN to establish new outer boundaries for the Norwegian continental shelf in 2007.

• The Shelf in 2006 - Data acquisition in Nordland VII and Troms II

  05/01/2007 In 2007, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate will spend NOK 70 million on acquring data in the waters off Lofoten and in the Barents Sea.

• The shelf in 2006 - Resource accounts (preliminary figures as of 31 December 2006)

  05/01/2007 There has been no significant change in the overall estimate of petroleum resources on the Norwegian continental shelf as of 31 December 2006.  The estimate is 13 GSm3 o.e. The accounts show a limited addition of new resources from exploration and zero growth as regards gross reserves; in fact, there has been a small downward adjustment of gross oil reserves (-16 Msm3).  On the more positive side, a number of projects have matured, and new projects have been initiated on fields.