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Firms that won licences included Equinor, Shell, Aker BP, ConocoPhillips, Total, Lundin Energy, Aker BP and Eni s Vaar Energi, among others.
OSLO: Norway awarded 61 offshore exploration blocks to 30 oil firms in its latest pre-defined areas (APA) licensing round, Energy Minister Tina Bru said on Tuesday.
Firms that won licences included Equinor, Shell, Aker BP, ConocoPhillips, Total, Lundin Energy, Aker BP and Eni s Vaar Energi, among others. These companies have shown great interest in gaining access to new exploration acreage, illustrating the industry s confidence in continued profitability from exploration on the Norwegian continental shelf, Bru said of the applicants.
OSLO Norway awarded 61 offshore exploration blocks to 30 oil firms in its latest pre-defined areas (APA) licensing round as it seeks to find more resources…
Norway wants to start a new industry of undersea mining of minerals. The country is preparing a report on possible effects of the industry. Other countries are interested also.
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Europe’s Largest Oil Producer Bets Big On Deep-Sea Mining By Felicity Bradstock - Jan 13, 2021, 3:00 PM CST
In a shift away from fossil fuels, Norway is planning to deep dive for metals as part of its plan for a greener future. Having gained most of the country’s wealth from its successful oil industry, Norway is now looking to get ahead of the curve in metals by mining copper, zinc and other metals found on the seabed.
The deep-sea mining project, expected to commence in late 2023, will see metals mined for use in electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines and solar farms.
An offshore platform in Norway - Credit:Jone Gundersen/AdobeStock
Norway s oil and gas reserves have made it one of the world s wealthiest countries but its dreams for deep-sea discovery now center on something different.
This time, Oslo is looking for a leading role in mining copper, zinc, and other metals found on the seabed and in hot demand in green technologies.
Norway could license companies for deep-sea mining as early as 2023, its oil and energy ministry told Reuters, potentially placing it among the first countries to harvest seabed metals for electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar farms.
That could also place it on the front line of a controversy over the environmental risks posed by exploiting the world s unexplored seabeds, however.