New guide for status reports for production licences

Status reports in connection with the surrender, lapse or expiration of production licences (relinquishment reports) are crucial documents that provide a brief summary of the activity carried out before the production licence is returned to the authorities.

Since 2021, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate has published such reports for 826 production licences on our FactPages. These reports are frequently used to understand what has been done to mature the resources on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).

So far, the reports have only been required for production licences awarded as of APA 2006 and the 22nd licensing round (2012). The licensees on the NCS have now been informed that the requirement will now apply for all active production licences. This change in practice will take effect immediately.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has also published a revised guide for status reports. The report must now include information for all matured prospectivity in the production licence. This also applies if it has been downgraded to a lead or if the operator no longer believes in the prospectivity. Operators must also include a more thorough description [BB3.1][PD4.1]of matured discoveries in the production licence, or of remaining resources once the field(s) are shut down.

The new guide can be found here