Norway’s 2026 Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) licensing round will offer 70 new blocks or parts of blocks for oil and gas exploration across the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.
The country’s energy ministry has received applications from 21 oil and gas companies seeking exploration acreage in the annual mature-areas licensing round.
Equinor, Aker BP, ConocoPhillips and TotalEnergies are among the companies that submitted applications.
Shell has also applied, returning to the APA applicant list after being absent in 2025. The total number of applicants is one higher than in last year’s round.
Norway’s energy ministry said continued exploration and new discoveries are important for the country to remain a stable supplier of oil and gas.