Norway's government said on Monday it will present a policy document to parliament next year on the future of the oil and gas industry, including companies' access to exploration acreage.
"The oil and gas industry is crucially important for Norway, and should be developed, not phased out," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a speech.
Official forecasts show that while Norway's offshore oil and gas output will remain broadly steady in 2026, the production is set to decline towards the end of this decade and into the next as major fields gradually deplete.
"The white paper will contain a description of the status and prospects for the petroleum industry, as well as address key policy choices that will be important for production from the 2030s onwards," the energy ministry said in a statement.
Norway produces about two per cent of global oil and became Europe's largest supplier of natural gas after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Oil and gas is Norway's largest and most profitable industry, with government forecasts showing output expected this year of near 4.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed), declining to just under 3.5 million boed in 2030.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; editing by Nora Buli)
