These awards include five operated licenses, and four of the new licenses are located in the Central North Sea, two in the Southern North Sea and one west of Shetland.
DECC has also approved development of Phase 2 of the West Franklin field, and GDF Suez holds a 10.38% interest in the field via its shareholding in Elgin Franklin Oil & Gas, a joint venture with Total E&P UK.
GDF Suez E&P UK managing director Jean-Claude Perdigues said that the license awards and the approval of West Franklin Phase 2 underline the company’s commitment to grow its UK business through the development of a focused portfolio of exploration and production assets.
"The new licenses are located in our three core areas of activity: the Central North Sea, west of Shetland or the Southern North Sea, close to Cygnus and Juliet, our existing operated assets," Perdigues said.
