Hydrocarbon
licensing. Offshore.
In
1996, an oil exploration and production licence was issued to
AMOCO/OPAB for operations in the SW Latvian offshore area, but that
licence still has not come into force due to the offshore border dispute
between Latvia and Lithuania. Oljeprospectering AB (OPAB)
is the present Licensee.
In
April 2001, the 1st offshore licensing round was
announced for hydrocarbon prospecting, exploration and production
offshore Latvia.
In
April 2002, a repeated licensing round was announced for
hydrocarbon exploration and production offshore Latvia, as well as the 2nd
round for offshore prospecting.
In
2002, two hydrocarbon prospecting licences were issued to TGS-NOPEC.
The licence area
incorporates almost the whole Latvian shelf, comprising about 20,000 sq.
km.
These
licences are not valid any longer.
In
July 2004, two hydrocarbon
exploration and production licences were issued to Odin Energi A/S. The licence
areas are located in the southern part of the Latvian offshore area (E5
and E6 structures). The
licensee was changed. As a result,
from
December 2008, Balin Energy Ltd. (Licence No.1) and from January
2010 Odin Energi Latvija Ltd. (Licence No.2) are Licencees.
A
licence for hydrocarbon prospecting was issued to Oljeprospektering AB in September 2008 for a
southwestern part of the Latvian offshore area. - 1011.2 km2
In
March 27, 2009, the Ministry of Economics
was announced a licensing competition for
hydrocarbon exploration and production in the licence area,
which is located in the Latvian offshore area (E23 structure). In September
2009, licence for hydrocarbon E&P was issued to Balin Energi Ltd.
Applications for the determination of a hydrocarbon Exploration and
Production licences areas in the territory of the E17
structure and P4 structure
was submitted to the Ministry of Economics in 2009.
