SANDEFJORD, Norway, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Norway's oil ministryawarded 56 offshore exploration licences on Tuesday in a bid tolift output from acreage located near existing oil and gasfields.
A total of 29 companies won stakes in the annual award ofacreage in so-called mature areas, or areas already opened forexploration, that aims to ensure maximum utilisation of pastinvestments in platforms, pipes and other infrastructure.
A year ago, the ministry awarded 56 exploration licenses to36 companies in a similar round of awards. (Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis and Joachim Dagenborg, editingby Terje Solsvik and Gwladys Fouche)