“Norway’s oil and gas industry is vital to Norway and to Europe. Today, the Government is announcing new exploration acreage in APA in order to further develop the petroleum sector, so that it can continue to create substantial value for society, provide the basis for good jobs throughout the country, safeguard our common welfare, and contribute to Europe’s energy security and safety,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) is an annual licensing round covering the most mature exploration areas on the continental shelf. Through the APA system, oil companies are given predictability regarding access to exploration acreage, which is important for a long-term industry such as petroleum activities. After more than 50 years of exploration activity, the APA system today covers most of the acreage that has been opened and is available on the Norwegian continental shelf.

“Annual licensing rounds and good, stable and predictable framework conditions are essential to achieving the objectives of Norway’s petroleum policy. This is why today’s announcement, and the related expansion of the APA area are important. It is important that the industry also seek new, larger opportunities in these areas in the time ahead. Not instead of exploration near existing infrastructure, but in addition to it,” said Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.

APA 2026 is being announced in accordance with the proposal for announcement that has been subject to public consultation. The largest change from last year’s round is that the APA area is now being expanded. Based on petroleum-related assessments, the APA area has been expanded by a total of 70 blocks. The area has been expanded in the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea. The announcement includes acreage that companies nominated for the 26th licensing round in autumn 2025. A 26th licensing round will therefore not be held in 2026. The Ministry will continue its work on the 26th licensing round.

The application deadline for companies in APA 2026 is 1 September at 12:00. The Ministry aims to award new production licences in the announced areas at the beginning of 2027.

The full announcement text, an updated map of the blocks announced, HSE, environmental and fisheries conditions, and further information are available on the Norwegian Offshore Directorate’s website.

Background on the APA system

Norway’s oil and gas industry is the country’s largest and most important industry for value creation, state revenues, exports and investments. To maintain activity over time, continuity in exploration activity is important. Exploration creates opportunities for new discoveries that can be developed and help maintain activity and production. In mature areas, new discoveries are important for achieving good utilisation of capacity in production and transport facilities and for sound management of time-critical resources.

Petroleum activities in Norway are conducted under strict requirements relating to health, safety and the environment, including protection of the external environment. Great importance is attached to ensuring good coexistence with other industries.

Awards in Predefined Areas were introduced in 2003 to facilitate timely exploration of the geologically most mature parts of the shelf. In these areas, expected discovery sizes are declining. Exploration is largely aimed at smaller discoveries that cannot justify stand-alone development, but which can be highly profitable when seen in the context of other discoveries and/or by making use of existing or planned infrastructure.

Timely exploration of these areas is therefore important. Predictability regarding which areas may be applied for in APA, together with a steady addition of new acreage, is important for achieving efficient exploration. APA rounds are therefore carried out annually.

When an APA round is announced, it is assessed whether the APA area should be expanded. The area is expanded gradually as new areas are explored. APA licensing rounds begin with a petroleum-related assessment of whether the APA area should be expanded. This petroleum-related assessment is carried out by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate. When expanding the predefined area, the authorities propose acreage that is characterised as petroleum-mature. Based on the definition of petroleum-mature and petroleum-immature areas, this has, in accordance with long-standing practice, been operationalised into the following petroleum-related criteria, where one or more are used as a basis for the proposal:

  • Acreage close to infrastructure. This includes both existing and planned infrastructure. Any resources in such acreage are considered time-critical.
  • Acreage with an exploration history. This includes acreage that has previously been awarded and relinquished, acreage with known exploration models, and acreage located between awarded and relinquished acreage.
  • Acreage bordering existing predefined areas, but which has not been applied for in numbered licensing rounds.
  • The need to maintain exploration activity and production on the continental shelf is also given weight when considering expansions of the APA area.

Based on petroleum-related assessments, the APA area for APA 2026 is being expanded by 70 blocks or parts of blocks, including 38 blocks in the Barents Sea, 10 blocks in the Norwegian Sea and 22 blocks in the North Sea. The expansion includes acreage with known exploration models and exploration history, acreage that has been relinquished, and acreage located geographically between awarded and relinquished acreage. It also includes acreage bordering existing predefined areas.

Assessment of consultation comments

Background

On 13 January 2026, the Ministry circulated a proposal for the announcement of APA 2026 for public consultation, with a consultation deadline of 24 February the same year. In keeping with established practice, comments were requested on whether any new, significant information had emerged that is relevant to the decision on where petroleum activity may take place after the most recent management plan was considered by the Storting.

The Ministry of Energy received a total of 35 consultation statements from private individuals, companies, organisations, a county authority, government agencies, the Sami Parliament and ministries.

All consultation statements have been assessed.

The consultation statements, and the Ministry’s assessments of them, have formed part of the basis for the Government’s decision to announce APA 2026.

On the consultation comments

The Ministry refers to the fact that the Government presented a white paper to the Storting, Meld. St. 21 (2023–2024) Norway’s integrated ocean management plans, with updated management plans for the sea areas on 5 April 2024, and that this was considered by the Storting on 13 June the same year through Innst. 375 S (2023–2024). In this process, new information was considered by the Government and presented to the Storting. The framework for petroleum activities in the white paper forms the basis for the announcement of APA 2026.

A majority of the consultation statements supported the proposed announcement as circulated for public consultation.

Some of the consultation statements concerned petroleum activities and climate considerations. Norwegian climate policy is based on the principles of the UN-led climate cooperation, including the Paris Agreement. Emissions to air from the sector are subject to extensive regulation. Petroleum activities are subject to a strict emissions regulatory regime endorsed by the Storting, and within these limits it is up to the companies to explore for, develop and produce the resources that are profitable. This consultation does not concern Norwegian climate policy, but any new, significant information relevant to the Storting’s decision on where petroleum activity may take place. Such statements fall outside the scope of the consultation and have been noted.

Some of the consultation comments concern the APA system as such and the implementation of APA 2026. This is not a consultation concerning changes to the APA system, and thereby petroleum policy, but rather any new, significant information relevant to the Storting’s decision on where petroleum activity may take place. Such statements fall outside the scope of the consultation and have been noted.

Some of the consultation comments argue against parts of the announcement as a result of general, well-known environmental issues, including issues related to SVO areas. These are arguments that were known and considered when the Storting established the current framework for petroleum activities. The consultation comments are not considered to contain new, significant information relevant to the Storting’s decision on where petroleum activity may take place, but would instead entail a significant change in petroleum policy. The Institute of Marine Research, which is responsible for producing much of the background information on the environmental status of Norwegian sea areas in the work on the management plans, states that no new, significant information has emerged since the most recent management plan. Such comments have been noted.

Consideration for fisheries is safeguarded through the general conditions contained in the licensing documents and through established regulations. The same applies to shipping and to consideration for shipwrecks and any cultural heritage. The relationship between offshore aquaculture and petroleum activities has been assessed in connection with the Royal Decree on areas for offshore aquaculture.

APA 2026 is being announced in line with the proposal for announcement that has been subject to public consultation.