33rd Seaward Licensing Round Appropriate Assessment: consultation

"Following the announcement of the 33rd Seaward Licensing Round by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), an initial screening assessment (including consultation with the statutory agencies/bodies) of the 931 Blocks offered was undertaken. The screening identified 267 whole or part Blocks as requiring further assessment (AA) prior to the NSTA making a decision on whether to grant licences, should they be applied for.

Following the closing date for 33rd Seaward Licensing Round applications, those Blocks identified as requiring further assessment (AA) were reconsidered against the list of actual applications. It was concluded that further assessment (AA) was required for 96 of the Blocks applied for. Due to the wide distribution of these Blocks in the UK Continental Shelf, the AAs are contained in three regional reports:
  • Southern North Sea and Mid North Sea High
  • Central North Sea and West of Shetland
  • Eastern Irish Sea"

31 July 2023 - consultation opened

30 August 2023 - consultation closes

16 August 2023 - The consultation period has been extended to end on 15th September rather than 30th August 2023

Policy milestone details


Start date: 2023-7-31

Countries: UK -

Milestone source: Link to consultation

Milestone type: Consultation/call for evidence

Sector: Oil and gas -

Organisation: Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED)

Subjects: Offshore oil and gas, Licensing