UK & Norwegian Oil & Gas Licensing

    As part of your position as Chief Legal Counsel at Statensolje oil Company, you are required to undertake assessments of legal issues arising, in order to assist your company to make sound financial decisions. An opportunity has arisen for your company to participate in a licence in the North Sea, both on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the UK continental shelf. Here has been much discussion about the merits and pitfalls of each of these jurisdictions, and it seems that there several members of the licence acquisition team cannot decide on whether to apply for a Norwegian Licence or a UK licence. You have been asked by your line manager (the Commercial Director of Petroleum Access) to prepare a briefing report will be circulated to the Board, and utilised to make the investment decision. Your line manager has asked that the briefing report address two issues in particular:1. The essential features of the Norwegian and the UK offshore petroleum licensing systems; and 2. Your recommendation as to which license (UK or Norwegian) Statensolje Oil Company should apply for, and why.