Stordal to continue as Director General

4/14/2023 Today, Torgeir Stordal was appointed as Director General of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) in the Council of State.

Stordal has been filling this role since June of last year, and has now been appointed for a term of six years as Director General with an extension option.

"I'm very pleased that Torgeir Stordal will be heading up the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. Torgeir is a knowledgeable and experienced leader who is well-poised to further develop the Directorate. He is intimately familiar with the industry and we're getting an agency head who can contribute to further value creation on the Norwegian shelf moving forward," says Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland (Labour Party).

Stordal has a cand.scient. (equivalent to a master's) degree in geophysics from the University of Bergen. He was hired by the NPD in 2017 as director of exploration, and in 2020, he was given primary responsibility for technology, analyses and coexistence.

Before he started working for the NPD, Stordal worked as a geophysicist and has experience from a number of management positions, including as exploration manager for Norske Shell in 2009-2013 and a global role in resource evaluation at Shell's headquarters in the Netherlands in 2013-2017. Stordal has also held positions of trust in the Norwegian Petroleum Society and Norwegian Oil and Gas (now Offshore Norge).

"The energy industry is undergoing a major transition, and the authorities will be playing a role in this transition. I'm looking forward to continuing this work alongside our skilled leaders and employees," says Director General Torgeir Stordal.

Read the press release from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy here (In Norwegian only)

Contact

Ola Anders Skauby

Director Communication, public affairs and emergency response

Tel: +47 905 98 519

Updated: 4/14/2023

Latest news

Appraisal well in the North Sea increases projection (16/1-EA-4 H)
9/25/2026 Aker BP and its partners Equinor and DNO have drilled an appraisal well on the "Verdandi" and "Lillefix" discoveries in the North Sea. This well increases the projected discovery size.
Production figures August 2026
9/22/2026 Preliminary production figures for August 2026 show an average daily production of 2 073 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate.
Aker BP has made a gas discovery in the North Sea (36/4-2 and 36/4-2 A)
9/16/2026 Preliminary calculations show that the size is between 0.15 and 2.4 million standard cubic metres of recoverable oil equivalent (Sm3 of o.e.), which corresponds to 1-15 million barrels.
Drilling permit for wellbore 25/9-5 S
9/15/2026 The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor Energy AS drilling permit for wellbore 25/9-5 S in production licence 1042.
Growing exploration interest
9/11/2026 The authorities have received applications from 21 companies in the Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2025. The deadline for applications was 1 September.
New NCS map 2026
9/8/2026 You can now download or order a printed version of the Directorate's most recent map of the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Resource report 2026 in English
9/8/2026 The Resource report is now also available in English.
New director at the Norwegian Offshore Directorate
9/7/2026 Siv Fagerland Christensen has taken up her position as Director of governance, finance and shared services.
Register for our seminar on sub-basalt exploration
8/31/2026 Welcome to a seminar on sub-basalt exploration on 15 October 2026 at our offices. The seminar speakers will represent operators, suppliers, academia and the authorities.
Okea receives award for improved recovery on its oil fields
8/25/2026 This year's winner of the Norwegian Offshore Directorate's “Improved Recovery Award” has worked systematically to revitalise the Draugen and Brage fields.