The Ministry of Energy has announced this year’s licensing round on the Norwegian Continental Shelf – APA 2025. As in previous years, the licensing round follows the standard procedure with a company application deadline in September, and the award of new production licences based on these applications scheduled for January 2026.

The annual licensing rounds in predefined areas (APA) provide oil companies with access to acreage in the most well-known and accessible petroleum areas on the continental shelf.

“We need to explore more, discover more, and produce more. That’s why it is important to ensure companies have stable access to exploration acreage. Never before has a larger area been announced in a licensing round. This is good for Norway and for Europe,” says Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.

The acreage included in the APA 2025 announcement represents approximately 75 percent of the area opened for petroleum activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The APA rounds are annual licensing rounds covering the most mature exploration areas. After more than 50 years of exploration, the APA scheme today encompasses most of the opened and accessible acreage on the shelf. These rounds are key in ensuring continued access to exploration acreage.

“The APA rounds are a cornerstone of the government’s petroleum policy. Continued exploration and new discoveries are essential to limit the decline in production on the continental shelf after 2030. This year’s expansion provides companies with access to significant new acreage in the Barents Sea, helping us further clarify the resource potential in the north,” Aasland says.

The announcement aligns with the proposed APA 2025 acreage that was subject to public consultation. Based on technical petroleum assessments, the APA area has been expanded this year to include a total of 76 blocks in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea.

“It is important to map the resource base in our most well-known exploration areas before existing infrastructure is phased out. I therefore urge the industry to take responsibility by identifying and applying for opportunities with significant resource potential — in addition to continuing near-infrastructure exploration,” Aasland says.

For APA 2025, the area has been expanded to include all or parts of 76 blocks — eight in the Norwegian Sea and 68 in the Barents Sea.