Norway’s Stortinget building
Withdrawn blocks overshadow Norwegian licensing round launch
Oil and gas lobby group expresses regret over omitted Barents Sea acreage
Oil watchdog the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has fired the starting pistol on the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2022 licensing round. But while the NPD hailed a 28-block expansion compared with APA 2021 in the Arctic Barents Sea, attention was focused on three blocks not included in the round “We are disappointed that blocks will be withdrawn at the next APA,” says lobby group Norwegian Oil & Gas. “We are in the middle of an energy crisis where Europe must get rid of all Russian gas. At the same time, the EU asks Norway to supply as much gas as possible. Then it is an unfortunate signal to withdraw exploration areas on the Norwegian [continental] shelf [NCS].” “The blocks
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
