The two will be exploring a wide range of technologies to help Statoil in the search for oil and gas exploration and production efforts, which are increasingly moving into frontier regions.

The contract with NASA is being put into effect at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Pasadena, California, and is expected to run until 2018. There is an option for a contract extension.

It will focus on supercomputing, materials, robotics, the development of tools, and communication optionality.

From Statoil's point of view, it claims a track record of collaborating with world-leading institutions, which it says has led to a number of its ground-breaking solutions.

"Searching for oil and gas resources has become so advanced technically over the past decade that new solutions and ideas are needed," Statoil acting senior vice-president of research, development and innovation.

"To Statoil this is a significant opportunity to take technologies developed by NASA and JPL for the harsh and challenging environments of space and apply them to the equally demanding environments of oil and gas production."

JPL director Charles Elachi said the agreement was the latest example of how NASA and JPL technologies could benefit people on earth.

"It's also an example of how collaborations with other industries can be beneficial to space exploration," he said.

Statoil spends $US550 million ($A600) on research, development and innovation annually.

The NASA agreement is complementary to work Statoil already has underway.