Arctic oil drilling: outcry as Norway opens new areas to exploration

Norway issues licences for fresh areas of exploration for the first time in 20 years as part of what minister calls 'a new chapter' for petroleum industry Norway awarded Arctic drilling licences to 13 oil companies on Wednesday, including in a hitherto unexplored part of the Barents Sea, drawing condemnation from environmental groups. Related: Licence to drill: Centrica awarded rights to explore Barents Sea