Licensing Round Result

Enterprise Oil PLC
23 March 2001

For immediate release: Friday, 23 March 2001



 Enterprise announces success in the 2000 North Sea licensing round in Norway



Enterprise Oil today announced its most successful performance in a Norwegian
licensing round to date, with awards in three licences in the country's 2000
North Sea round.

The awards comprise a 15 per cent interest in blocks 16/2 and 16/3, a 30 per
cent interest in block 35/1, and a 40 per cent interest as operator in a
number of blocks in the Stord Basin.

John Crowle, General Manager of Enterprise Oil Norge Ltd (EONL), commented: '
This is a milestone for EONL. All the awards have high potential and will
allow us to continue to develop our productive relationships with
co-venturers. In blocks 16/2 and 3 (operated by Statoil) and the EONL-operated
licence we have worked closely with our co-venturers in the run-up to the
application and look forward to continuing to do so in the future. In block 35
/1 we are very pleased to have been partnered with Phillips and Agip, two
successful operators in the NCS. In addition, we are delighted to receive our
first operatorship in Norway.'

Pierre Jungels, Chief Executive, commented: 'These awards represent a
wonderful opportunity to add value to our portfolio in Norway and therefore
significant value for our shareholders. The result reflects the development
and performance of our Norwegian business unit in recent years and
demonstrates the value of our core area approach. We look forward to working
with the Norwegian Government and our co-venturers in these licences to
deliver further success for the country's oil and gas industry by applying
Enterprise's proven skills as an explorer.'

Ends.

For further information please contact:
Patrick d'Ancona, Head of Public Relations                    020 7925 4160
John Crowle, General Manager, Enterprise Oil Norge Limited    00 47 51 84 3051





Notes to Editors
Blocks                     Co-venturers

16/2, 16/3                 EONL 15 per cent; Statoil (operator) 30 per cent;
                           SDFI 30 per cent; ExxonMobil 25 per cent

26/1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8, 31 EONL (operator) 40 per cent; Norsk Hydro 30 per
/10, and 11                cent; RWE-DEA 30 per cent

35/1                       EONL 30 per cent; Phillips (operator) 40 per cent;
                           Agip 30 per cent



Blocks 16/2 and 3 lie adjacent to the Jotun acreage, while the
Enterprise-operated licence is located in the Stord Basin, also close to the
Jotun area. The Phillips-operated block 35/1 lies in the North Viking Graben,
not far from Statfjord.

Enterprise has grown its business in the Norway significantly since its entry
to the country in 1989. The group now produces more than 100,000 barrels of
oil equivalent per day in Norway and Denmark, and has a 45 per cent interest
in the Jotun field, which has sustained output at rates of up to 140,000
barrels of oil per day since first oil in October 1999.

The group participated in seven wells in Norway last year, of which six were
discoveries. This represented two-thirds of all the finds on the Norwegian
Continental Shelf during 2000. The group is the only co-venturer to hold
interests in all the key discoveries on the Skarv-Idun-Norne trend, and a
further appraisal well on Skarv is currently being drilled.