In one of the largest rounds of licenses in the UK Continental Shelf, the country has issued 175 licenses covering 353 blocks.
The first trench of 134 licenses was issued in November 2014 to companies including Statoil, Enquest and Highland Petroleum.
Eni was granted three licenses in 23 blocks, while Shell and OMV received one license each, covering ten and nine blocks, respectively. BP, Total and Maersk also received licenses.
Launched on 24 January 2014, the 28th offshore licensing round received 173 applications.
UK Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) CEO Andy Samuel said: "The UK Continental Shelf remains a world-class hydrocarbon province where significant resources and economic value remain to be realized.
"Licenses are however just a start and industry, government and the OGA now need to work together to revitalize exploration activity across the basin and convert licenses into successful exploration wells."
The oil and gas sector in the UK supports 350,000 jobs while meeting the primary energy demand of nearly half of the nation.
UK Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom said: "The 28th offshore licensing round comes after the Government announced a major package of support in March to encourage £4bn of additional investment in the North Sea which will prolong the life of this vital industry."
Image: The UK has granted 175 licenses in this round. Photo: courtesy of num_skyman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
