Norway said it plans to offer a record number of gas and oil exploration blocks in the Arctic, with environmental NGOs condemning an "aggressive" promotion of fossil fuels.
The Scandinavian nation -- Europe's primary natural gas supplier and a major oil producer -- proposed 92 exploration blocks, including an unprecedented 78 in the Barents Sea in the far north.
The other 14 are in the Norwegian Sea near the Arctic Circle.
"New discoveries remain necessary to continue to develop the Norwegian plateau" and are important for Europe, Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland said in a statement.
The announcement is part of the annual granting of oil licenses in so-called "mature" zones that have already been widely explored.
