Updated June 26, 2012, 12:02 p.m. ET
By KJETIL MALKENES HOVLAND and ANNA MOLINTRONDHEIM, Norway—Two of the world’s major oil and gas producing nations, bolstered by big Arctic discoveries in recent years, are looking to further develop one of the world’s most remote regions as a more vibrant hub of exploration.
Norway plans to award new drilling licenses for dozens of blocks of sea acreage in icy Arctic waters as early as 2013, Norway’s oil ministry said at a conference here Tuesday. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, speaking at the same conference, said the Obama administration plans to further open and develop its own Arctic areas for drilling to continue reducing that nation’s dependence on foreign imports.