Orlen Upstream Norway has become a significant player in the regional oil and gas production sector and has now won additional exploration and production licenses on Norway’s continental shelf, one of the most lucrative and strategically important regions for gas and oil production in Europe. Norway has become a major oil and gas-producing nation that provides the European continent with the vast majority of its oil and gas resources.
Norway: A new oil and gas player, or a historic European energy giant?
Norway has become one of the most energy-rich nations in Europe, and has recently offered interested parties the opportunity to develop new oil and gas developments in the country’s Continental Shelf through the 2025 APA Licensing Round.
APA licensing rounds are the primary mechanism for nations to offer stakes and the right to develop new exploratory oil and gas projects. Every year, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy reveals predefined areas that have been identified as possible areas for oil and gas production, and this year’s APA round has been a great one for one particular company, Orlen Upstream Norway.
Has Norway’s Ministry of Energy opened the door to new possibilities for gas production?
Under the 2025 APA Round, the ministry has allocated the necessary licenses to 19 energy companies, and has stated that formal license awards will be finalized around March of this year. For Orlen Upstream Norway, this year is looking as good as it gets, with the company holding interests in 94 licenses in Norway alone.
“We have extensive experience in stimulation techniques in onshore settings across the ORLEN portfolio outside of Norway that could be leveraged for tight gas projects within Norway. By strengthening cooperation and knowledge sharing across the ORLEN Group, we aim to maximize the efficiency of our upstream operations globally.” – Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member for Upstream
Can Orlen unlock new opportunities for growth on the Norwegian Continental Shelf?
As part of the APA licensing round for 2025, Orlen has been offered stakes in six new exploration and production licenses by the Ministry. Continuing the previous year’s exploration ambitions, Orlen submitted applications to the ministry for shares in regions near existing operations on the Continental Shelf, reducing operational costs and investment requirements.
While the majority of the licenses were allocated for new exploration projects, Orlen is also benefiting from a previously abandoned well in the Skarv area named Victoria. In 2000, the previous operator discovered estimated gas resources of up to 140 billion cubic meters.
In December of last year, the Norwegian authority evaluated a proposal to fast-track oil and gas developments, revealing the government’s ambitions to lead the growth of the energy sector in Europe for the foreseeable future.
For Orlen, the Victoria development in the Skarv area could position the company as the go-to oil and gas developer on the Continental Shelf.
“Victoria is one of the largest undeveloped gas discoveries on the Norwegian Shelf. If the revitalized approach to Victoria of our joint venture is successful, this would enable access to other unconventional gas discoveries currently stranded on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, whose combined in-place resources are estimated at over 800 billion cubic meters of gas. Our involvement in the Victoria project will give us a strong position to pursue similar opportunities in the future,” – Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member for Upstream
Orlen has revealed its petrochemical plans outside of Norway
The company has recently revealed that it plans to expand its petrochemical footprint in Europe through a new project in Poland. Orlen is fast becoming a major player on the European energy stage and has the potential to dominate the regional oil and gas production sector, especially considering the new licenses offered as part of the 2025 APA Licensing Round in Norway.
