Maersk Oil was founded in 1962 after the Maersk group was granted a concession for oil and gas exploration and production in the Danish section of the North Sea. This concession allowed Maersk group to begin operations in the region. In the North Sea Danish, British, German, and Norwegian sectors, as well as in Qatar, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Angola, and the Gulf of Mexico (US sector), Turkmenistan, Oman, Morocco, Brazil, Colombia, and Suriname, Maersk Oil is involved in the production of oil and natural gas as well as the exploration for new oil and gas reserves.