A total of 10 Norwegian offshore licences have applied to the Gas Supply Committee (FU) for allocation to existing gas sales contracts.
Ten other licences have reported that they have volumes available which could be committed in later allocation rounds.
New fields on offer include Statoil's Kristin, which could start deliveries in 2005, and BP's Skarv with an estimated start to delivery in 2004-2006. Both lie in the Norwegian Sea.
In addition come ExxonMobil's Sigyn and Norsk Hydro's Oseberg Delta projects, both in the North Sea and able to deliver from 2002.
Statoil's Heidrun, Norne, Sleipner, Troll Gas and Åsgard fields have applied to supply additional volumes, as has Hydro's Oseberg.
The 10 licences with future volumes include Statoil's Dagny, Heidrun, Norne, Tyrihans and Gullfaks fields, Hydro's Ormen Lange, Klegg, Njord and Visund projects, and TotalFinaElf's Skirne/Bygve.
Norway is so far committed to deliver a total of 1,460 billion cubic metres of gas under long-term contracts in 2001-2029. Of this, 350 billion cubic metres remain unallocated to supply fields.
Just under 3.8 billion cubic metres must be awarded for the 2001-2002 gas year, reports Elisabeth Aarrestad, head of the FU secretariat in Statoil.
How much more will be assigned in this round is difficult to predict. That will depend on applications, analyses, FU recommendations and assessments by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.
An invitation to compete for additional gas deliveries was sent to operators in late September. The FU is due to submit its proposals to the ministry in April, with the latter expected to make its final decision by July.