First oil production came from the Dan Field in 1972. Since then, 14 other fields have been brought on stream: Gorm, Skjold, Tyra, Rolf, Kraka, Dagmar, Regnar, Valdemar, Svend, Roar, Harald, Lulita, Halfdan and Halfdan Northeast. A third party field, Trym in the Norwegian North Sea, has been tied-in to Harald's infrastructure.

Five fields are due onstream in the coming years: Adda, Alma, Boje, Elly and Luke.

Focus has recently expanded from exploration and appraisal at the Upper Cretaceous level in the Danish offshore to the deeper stratigraphic intervals of primarily Jurassic age. Dedicated studies and geological/geophysical assessments have led to the maturation of several opportunities which may be drilled within the next 2-3 years.

Maersk Oil's raison d'être was the need to develop Danish oil after a discovery in 1962. Maersk Oil now produces 85% of all oil and gas extracted in Denmark. Maersk Oil's operated production (288,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day) has exceeded total Danish consumption of hydrocarbons every year since 1992 and is a valuable contributor to the Danish state.

Danish oil and gas reservoirs are characterised by high porosity, low permeability chalk. Faced with such tight fields, Maersk Oil developed technological solutions to raise the recovery factor from 10% to 30%. It has a leading edge in extended reach horizontal drilling and well stimulation techniques thanks to its experience in the Danish North Sea.

Maersk Oil is the operator of all licences held by A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S, on the behalf of the Danish Underground Consortium which comprises A.P. Møller , Shell and Chevron. In July 2012, state-owned Danish North Sea Fund entered the DUC with a 20% interest, diluting the shares of A.P. Møller (31.2%), Shell (36.8%) and Chevron (12.0%). A.P. Møller has also acquired a number of licences outside the DUC, operated by Maersk Oil, currently operating Licences 9/95, 8/06 and 9/06. Total acreage is 2,125km2.