British regulator awards 24 new North Sea oil and gas licences

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's oil and gas regulator on Wednesday awarded 24 new hydrocarbon exploration licences to 17 companies as part of efforts to extend production in the ageing basin.

The licences are part of the second tranche of the North Sea Transition Authority's (NSTA) 33rd oil and gas licensing round. Successful bidders included Shell, BP and TotalEnergies, the authority said.

The awards follow the 27 licences offered in the first allocation in October last year, with more to follow in the coming months, the NSTA said. 

The licensing round has angered environmental groups that have argued that the expansion of oil and gas production is inconsistent with the government's target to become a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by David Goodman)

By Ron Bousso