OIL and gas companies have underlined their enthusiasm for the North Sea by submitting a record number of bids for exploration licences.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change said 224 applications covering 418 blocks were made in the 27th Licensing Round, 37 more than the previous record of 187 applications, in the 26th Licensing Round.
Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, said there was "an extraordinary level of interest".
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