2024 APA Licensing Round Now Open: Chart Successful Exploration

The Ministry of Energy has officially announced the opening of the 2024 Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) licensing round. This annual program grants production licenses for oil and gas exploration and development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Key Dates

• Application Deadline. Businesses must submit applications by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.
• Award Announcement. Norway expects to announce successful applicants during the first quarter of 2025.

Applicants are encouraged to submit in good time before the deadline.

Unveiling New Opportunities

This year’s APA round expands the NCS by offering a total of 37 new exploration blocks. Three blocks lie in the northwest of the Norwegian Sea. While the remaining 34 lie in the eastern Barents Sea.

These new areas hold immense potential for further exploration and resource development.

Complex Development Challenges

APA licensing proposals involve some of the most complex proposal writing in the world. Almost as complex as extracting the oil itself. Here’s what makes them so complex:

• Extensive Data. In-depth expertise and data requirements are vast, involving everything from geological surveys to financial capabilities and more. Compiling this extensive expertise and information is time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Detail Precision. Proposals require meticulous attention to detail. Everyone from geoscientists to legal are on the team. Keeping accurate information flowing between global experts requires significant coordination.
• Legal Compliance. Applications must comply with strict regulations set forth by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. Every detail, from well design to formatting, is strictly regulated. Keeping information compliant requires tight content control and security.
• Lengthy Journey. Deadlines are strict and proposals involve thousands of pages. But everyone, from engineers to environmental specialists, juggles conflicting priorities and shifting deadlines. Keeping everyone on track, and on deadline, requires visibility into status and progress.
• Stiff Competition. APA licensing rounds attract a high volume of applications - and undergo rigorous evaluation by various government agencies, each with their own evaluation criteria. To stand-out from the crowd takes a clear, concise, well-documented and compelling proposal.   

Streamlined Process

It takes a highly efficient internal process to meet application demands. That’s where XaitPorter comes in; the number one application co-authoring and automation software in Norway.

• Extensive Data. Master content access and control and AI-powered suggestions make compiling accurate information easier.
• Detail Precision. Real-time co-authoring makes harnessing expertise and improving content faster. 
  Legal Compliance. Granular, role-based permissions keeps teams and content in control and on-point.
• Lengthy Journey. Seamless collaboration and automated coordination keeps cross-functional experts and logistics on track, and on deadline.
• Stiff Competition. Automating set-up, layout and formatting saves significant time for investing in clear, concise content that educates and persuades.

How does this efficiency help oil and gas businesses seeking APA licenses? 100% of the APA 2022 operator licenses went to XaitPorter clients.

Applicants can access comprehensive information and application guidelines on the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s website.

Read more: Learn how Aker BP, a leading oil and gas producer on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, uses XaitPorter to create documents that require multifaceted collaboration.