UK Continental Shelf ActFirst licensing terms specified

UK-Norwegian boundary treaty

person by Trude Meland, Norwegian Petroleum Museum
A treaty was concluded on 10 March 1965 between Norway and the UK on how the continental shelf should be divided between them. It was determined that the median line principle would apply.
© Norsk Oljemuseum

Britain accepted that measurements would be made from the outermost rocks along the Norwegian coast while the UK, which does not have small islands and skerries, had to measure from the shoreline at low water. This treaty proved crucial for Frigg, which turned out to straddle the boundary as it had been defined.

Article 4 of the treaty specified that, should a petroleum structure extend across the median line, the parties would seek to reach agreement on how it could be exploited most efficiently. A legal framework for oil production was also established. A similar treaty was concluded between Norway and Denmark on 8 December 1965.

UK Continental Shelf ActFirst licensing terms specified
Published October 24, 2017   •   Updated October 19, 2020
© Norsk Oljemuseum
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