About us
One of our offices is located at Ullandhaug in Stavanger.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate's principal objective is to contribute toward the greatest possible value for society from the oil and gas activities on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The Directorate will accomplish this through efficient and prudent resource management, where factors such as health, safety, the environment and other users of the sea are taken into consideration.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate was established in 1972 and is a state-level specialist directorate and public administrative body reporting to the Ministry of Energy. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) changed its name to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate on 1 January 2024. The name change reflects the fact that the Directorate has been given administrative responsibility for the storage potential for CO2 and seabed minerals on the NCS. The Directorate is also tasked with advising the Ministry on matters concerning subsurface and seabed conditions associated with the placement of offshore wind installations.
The Petroleum Act stipulates that the Norwegian State has the proprietary right to subsea petroleum deposits and the exclusive right to resource management. Resource management of petroleum resources shall be carried out in a long-term perspective for the benefit of the Norwegian society as a whole.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate also has a role to play within new areas of administrative management on the NCS. This concerns administration of both the storage potential for CO2 and seabed mineral resources.
About 200 people work for the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, which has offices in Stavanger and Harstad.
In the best interests of society
One of the authorities' primary responsibilities is to establish and maintain a framework for the activities which helps ensure that the companies have a self-interest in utilising the resources on the shelf in a manner that is also in society's best interests.
When it comes to exploration for and production of oil and gas, the interests of companies' and society are not always in alignment. The companies carry out commercial assessments, while the authorities are the resource owner and are concerned with the costs and benefits for current and future generations.
These sometimes divergent interests could lead to, among other things, insufficient exploration, insufficient development of discoveries and insufficient investment in improved recovery. You can read more about this in the Resource Report 2024.
The regulation of petroleum activities is designed to result in the best possible alignment of both the companies' and the authorities' interests.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate's different roles
The Storting (Norwegian parliament) has given the Norwegian Offshore Directorate various different roles in order to help effectively ensure that the overall goal of the petroleum industry is achieved and to counteract market failure.
Adviser
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is a specialist agency tasked with managing petroleum resources on the NCS and an advisory agency for the Ministry. We provide technical advice in connection with assessment, surveys and production of the petroleum resources, as well as for the new industries.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate exercises administrative authority in connection with awarding acreage, exploration for and production of petroleum deposits on the NCS. The Directorate acts as an adviser for the Ministry of Energy as regards further development of rules and frameworks for resource management on the NCS. In certain areas, we have the authority to stipulate regulations and make decisions in accordance with the regulations in force for petroleum activities.
Driving force
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is tasked with being an active driving force to realise as much as possible of the resource potential on the NCS, thereby generating the greatest possible values for the broader society. The Directorate must contribute to prudent production of Norwegian petroleum resources.
Overview and communicator role
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has a national responsibility for data from the NCS and has an overview and communicator role for data, analyses and bases for decision-making.
Acreage management
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate provides the Ministry with technical input on prudent use of acreage on the NCS and must contribute to good coexistence between various users of the sea.
Developer and facilitator for new industries
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate also has a role to play within new areas of administrative management on the NCS. This concerns administration of both the storage potential for CO2 and seabed mineral resources.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is a specialist agency for managing seabed minerals and plays an important expert role in mapping, assessing and communicating knowledge about the resource potential for seabed minerals.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate must also assist, advise and facilitate surveys and extraction of mineral deposits on the NCS. The Directorate must assist and advise the Ministry in connection with developing the licensing regime.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate provides the Ministry with technical advice concerning storage of CO2 and, among other things, provides input to the Ministry in connection with applications for permits pursuant to the CO2 Storage Regulations and plans for development and operation of subsea reservoirs for injection and storage of CO2.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is also tasked with advising the Ministry on matters concerning subsurface and seabed conditions associated with the location of offshore wind installations.
Read more:
- Allocation letters, annual reports and instructions – Ministry of Energy (Norwegian only)
- NOD Annual Report 2023 (Norwegian only)
Updated: 26/09/2024