British policies have repeatedly made it difficult to win back the giants' intentions: British Petroleum (BP.US) has resolutely slimmed down and sold out the North Sea business, and a list of potential buyers has surfaced

The Zhitong Finance App learned that people familiar with the matter said that British Petroleum (BP.US)'s North Sea business has attracted the interest of potential buyers, including Adura and Neo Next+. The oil giant is currently in the process of withdrawing from the basin, although the British government has hinted at allowing more drilling activities in the region.

Other potential bidders that may study these assets include EnQuest Plc, Harbour Energy Plc, Ithaca Energy Plc, Serica Energy Plc, and Var Energi ASA, according to sources familiar with the matter.

In May of this year, the media reported that BP is considering selling its North Sea business. If completely divested, these assets could be valued at around £2 billion (US$2.7 billion).

Adura is a joint venture between Equinor ASA and Shell, and supporters behind NEO Next+ include Total Energy, Repsol SA (Repsol SA), and HitecVision.

The North Sea's appeal to the oil industry has declined, in part due to the UK's tax policies for the sector and government restrictions on exploration and development of new projects.

British Petroleum CEO Meg O'Neill said in an interview in August that repeated changes in Britain's oil and gas policy were a major factor contributing to the decision to leave the North Sea.

People familiar with the matter said that the review process is still ongoing, and it is uncertain whether any interested party will continue to submit offers. Some potential bidders (including Var Energi and Harbour Energy) have previously expressed doubts about investing in the North Sea.

An Adura spokesperson said the group's top priority was to secure approval for its Jackdaw and Rosebank projects in the North Sea.

Andy Burnham, who took office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in July of this year, hinted that his administration might allow more drilling in the basin, but O'Neill said in August that any further shift in policy would not shake her decision to sell her assets.

More broadly, BP has been working to divest assets and repay debts. Since the end of last year, the company has agreed to sell most of its shares in Castrol's lubricants division for $6 billion and has reached an agreement to sell its Gelsenkirchen (Gelsenkirchen) refinery in Germany to the Klesch Group (Klesch Group). The company said last month that it had begun the process of selling its US biogas business Archaea Energy.