In the 25th licensing round, the Ministry proposes to announce nine areas that include an area of a total of 136 blocks, of which 125 in the Barents Sea (attached map). In the northern Barents Sea, from Fingerdjupet across the Hoop and Finnmark Platform, VBPR and TGS has invested in P-Cable and Seafloor Sampling data to investigate the hydrocarbon systems at highest possible resolution.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has made a petroleum professional assessment of which areas should be included in the 25th licensing round. Based on this, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has prepared a proposal for a call which is now being sent out for public consultation. After the consultation inputs have been assessed, the 25th licensing round will be announced during the autumn of 2020. The aim is for an application deadline for the new year and the expected award during the second half of 2021 (OED).