Equinor has been awarded 26 new production licences by Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in the 2020 Award in Predefined Areas (APA) - 12 licences as operator and 14 licences as partner, according to the company's release.
The 26 production licences are divided as follows: 12 in the North Sea, 10 in the Norwegian Sea og 4 in the Barents Sea.
Equinor’s ambition is to transform the NCS from an oil and gas province to a low-carbon energy province. In this transformation, oil and gas play a crucial role, both in delivering energy that is critical to society, but also through the expertise, technology and capital needed to realise the transformation.
There are several reasons why the company prioritises near-field exploration. These are mature areas on the NCS, where the geology is well known and the infrastructure is in place, thus the risk is lower.
In 2022, the company plans to take part in around 25 exploration wells, mainly near existing infrastructure. Most of the wells will be drilled in the North Sea, some in the Norwegian Sea and a few in the Barents Sea.