Cairn in partnership with a number of international oil & gas operators has been successful in its application for eight potential licences covering 13 blocks in the UK 27th Licensing Round. The results have been announced today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Cairn’s licence applications were made via its wholly owned subsidiaries Agora Oil & Gas and Nautical Petroleum. Cairn will work as a non-operator partner alongside a number of licence operators on the awarded blocks.

Over the next 12 months, Cairn expects to participate in multiple North Sea exploration and appraisal wells. In seeking to build on its North Sea edge and prospective block inventory (27 existing and eight potential offshore licences in the UK and Norway), while providing a portfolio of lower risk exploration opportunities. This year, as well as the UK 27th Licensing Round, Cairn participated in the Norwegian Continental Shelf APA 2012 Licence Round with results anticipated in Q1 2013. During 2012, Cairn drilled six wells in the North Sea and, a further three are currently operating.