Norway's energy ministry awarded a record 75 offshore oil exploration licenses in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea to jumpstart exploration and development of discoveries near existing infrastructure. The awards went to several major operators, including Statoil, Aker, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, and ConocoPhillips. The licenses were awarded in the annual predefined areas (APA) licensing round, a program created by Norway to encourage exploration and development. The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy awarded licenses to 34 different oil companies ranging from multinational majors to smaller domestic exploration companies. Statoil was one of 19 companies awarded one or more operatorships--its 31 shares are the most of any company.