oleocene.org

Johan Castberg Goes Onstream

by Jov Onsat|Rigzone Staff | Tuesday, April 01, 2025

Equinor ASA and its partners on Monday achieved first oil at the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea, growing Norway’s production capacity by 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) at peak.

“The Johan Castberg field will contribute crucial energy, value creation, ripple effects and jobs for at least 30 years to come”, Geir Tungesvik, Equinor executive vice president for projects, drilling and procurement, said in an online statement by the company.

“We expect that this major field development with a price tag of NOK 86 billion (2024) will be repaid in less than two years”.

Recoverable volumes are estimated to be 450-650 million barrels, the majority state-owned energy major said.

"Johan Castberg opens a new region for oil recovery and will create more opportunities in the Barents Sea”, added Kjetil Hove, Equinor executive vice president for exploration and production in Norway. “We've already made new discoveries in the area and will keep exploring together with our partners.

“We've identified options to add 250-550 million new recoverable barrels that can be developed and produced over Johan Castberg”.

It is the third field developed on Norway's side of the Barents Sea after Snøhvit, which went online 2007, and Goliat, which began production 2016. The Nordic country’s northernmost field, Johan Castberg sits about 100 kilometers north of Equinor-operated Snøhvit, according to the operator.

Twelve of Johan Castberg’s 30 wells “are ready for production”, enough to achieve the expected peak volume in the second quarter, Equinor said. It plans to continue drilling until late 2026.

The development consists of three discoveries. Drivis, Havis and Skrugard were proven between 2011 and 2013. The government approved the project 2018.

Johan Castberg has an average water depth of 360-390 meters (1,181.1-1,279.53 feet) according to Equinor.

"Johan Castberg has been a massive and challenging project”, noted Tungesvik.

Equinor operates the field with a 46.3 percent stake. Vår Energi ASA owns 30 percent. State-owned Petoro AS holds 23.7 percent.

Norwegian supplies received over 70 percent of delivery contracts for the project. “In operation, this will increase to more than 95 percent, with a Northern Norwegian share of more than 40 percent”, Equinor said.

“84 percent of the revenue from the field will be transferred to the Norwegian state through tax and the state's direct participating interest”, it added.

Var Energi Strikes Oil in Barents Sea

by Rocky Teodoro|Rigzone Staff | Monday, March 03, 2025

The discovery comes after the Countach discoveries announced last year, and brings the total gross estimated recoverable resources potentially up to around 100 MMboe, the company said. The discoveries continue to demonstrate the potential of the Goliat Ridge, with estimated gross discovered and prospective recoverable resources increasing to above 200 MMboe, Var Energi added.

The Zagato discovery is located 5 miles (8 kilometers) northeast of the Goliat floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO), one of Vår Energi’s core areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The Goliat ridge consists of a series of adjacent fault-bounded prospects next to the Goliat field, according to the release.

The three wells drilled so far on the Goliat ridge, Countach, Countach appraisal and Zagato, have successfully discovered hydrocarbons in separate fault blocks, which significantly de-risks the prospectivity in the undrilled areas, the company said. The good quality reservoirs found in the exploration wells are similar to those in the producing Goliat field, it noted.
.....................

Var Energi Confirms Oil Discovery in Goliat

by Rocky Teodoro|Rigzone Staff | Monday, December 16, 2024

Vår Energi ASA has confirmed an oil discovery in the operated Countach appraisal well near the Goliat field in the Barents Sea.

The preliminary estimated gross recoverable resources encountered in the well are between 4 million and 25 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), bringing the total estimated recoverable resources in the Countach discovery to 10 to 55 MMboe, Var Energi said in a news release. The company operates the license with a 65 percent stake, while Equinor ASA owns the remaining 35 percent.

The company added that the discovery confirms the potential of the Goliat Ridge, where additional gross prospective recoverable resources of over 100 MMboe will be assessed with the planned drilling program in 2025.

Var Energi stated that the appraisal well was drilled following the Countach discovery of 3 to 13 MMboe announced in 2023, which is located about eight miles (13 kilometers) northeast of the Goliat floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO). The results from the well increase the estimated gross recoverable resources for the discovery to between 10 and 55 MMboe.

In addition to encountering oil in the Kobbe formation with good reservoir quality, an oil column of over 656 feet (200 meters) was encountered in the Klappmyss formation, “which despite being of poorer reservoir quality, opens new opportunities in the deeper section of the Goliat ridge,” Var Energi said. To assist further development of the Goliat area, the company said it is planning to acquire new 3D and 4D seismic during 2025.

“It is very encouraging to discover oil close to the Goliat infrastructure and we are excited about the potential additional opportunities presented in the Goliat ridge,” Var Energi COO Torger Rød said. “Three more wells are expected to be drilled in 2025, the Zagato North, Zagato South and Goliat North wells, targeting similar opportunities in the Goliat ridge between the Goliat field and the Countach discovery. The potential to unlock significant additional resources is considerable, with the opportunity of being turned into high value barrels by utilizing available production capacity at the Goliat facility”.

Estimated additional gross prospective recoverable resources in the Goliat Ridge at the Zagato North, Zagato South and Goliat North prospects are estimated to exceed 100 MMboe. In comparison, the original plan of development and operations (PDO) for Goliat was based on total expected recoverable reserves of 176 million barrels of oil, underlining the significance of the Goliat Ridge opportunity.

“The Countach discoveries reinforces Vår Energi’s position as a leading exploration company on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) and in the Barents Sea. We are committed to further develop the Barents Sea as a strategically important petroleum province,” Rød remarked.

The Barents Sea is believed to hold half of the remaining undiscovered resources on the NCS, Var Energi noted. The Countach appraisal well is the first well of the planned two-year drilling campaign in the Barents Sea, a collaboration effort with Equinor, targeting both infill production and exploration wells.

Vår Energi said it plans to drill around 20 exploration wells in the Barents Sea region over a four-year period, as part of the Company’s plan to sustain production at 350,000-400,000 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in the long term.

Meanwhile, Vår Energi has taken over operatorship of the Trudvang carbon dioxide (CO2) storage license in the North Sea.

The Trudvang storage licence is located in the North Sea, east of the Sleipner field, where CO2 has been safely stored in the Utsira formation for over two decades. The transaction and transfer of operatorship is contingent upon authority approval.

The Trudvang storage license has the potential to store up to nine million metric tons of CO2 annually for at least 25 years, a total of 225 million metric tons, “with indications that the storage potential could be even higher,” Var Energi said in a separate statement.

Rod said, “We are pleased to secure our second operatorship of a CO2 storage license in Norway and wish to explore the possibility to establish viable and commercial business models together with partners and relevant stakeholders. The North Sea has great potential to become a hub for carbon storage, given the proximity to CO2 emitters and the geology which is suitable for carbon storage”.

The license partners in the Trudvang storage license after the completion of the transaction will be Vår Energi CCS AS with 40 percent interest, INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS with 30 percent, and Storegga Norge AS with 30 percent.

Equinor : Approaching start-up for Johan Castberg

Europetrole le 10/12/2024

Equinor and its partners Vår Energi and Petoro expect the Johan Castberg field to come on stream in January/February 2025.

The Johan Castberg FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading vessel) was anchored on the field in the Barents Sea in September.

The FPSO has been hooked up to the subsea facility and the project is now in a final phase towards start-up.

”Norway's role as a reliable and long-term energy supplier will be strengthened when Johan Castberg comes on stream. The field opens a new province for oil recovery and will be an important starting point for several opportunities in the Barents Sea. We have made new discoveries that we are in the process of turning into future tie-backs to Johan Castberg” says Geir Tungesvik, Equinor's executive vice president for Projects, Drilling and Procurement.

So far 14 wells have been drilled on the field, 12 are already ready for production, which is sufficient to bring the field to plateau production (220 000 barrels per day) Estimated recoverable volumes in Johan Castberg are between 450 to 650 million barrels of oil.

"We are now in the final phase of completion. The operations have been somewhat delayed by bad weather. Our plan is to start up Johan Castberg in January/February 2025, " says Tungesvik.

Equinor's FPSO Arrives in Johan Castberg in Barents Sea

by Rocky Teodoro|Rigzone Staff | Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Equinor ASA’s floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) has arrived at the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea.

Equinor will start connecting the FPSO to the area’s subsea facilities, preparing it for production start-up towards the end of the year, the company said in a news release. The FPSO’s storage capacity is 1.1 million barrels of oil.

The Johan Castberg field is located approximately 62.1 miles (100 kilometers) north of the Snøhvit field. It is a large oil field with estimated recoverable volumes of between 450 million and 650 million barrels.

The field will produce for 30 years, and at its peak, Johan Castberg has the potential to produce 220,000 barrels per day, according to the release.

The field development concept includes 30 wells distributed across ten subsea templates and two satellites that will now be tied back to the FPSO. So far, 13 of these wells have been drilled, and drilling operations will continue into 2026, Equinor said.

Johan Castberg is located 149 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Hammerfest. The field has a supply and helicopter base in Hammerfest and an operations organization in Harstad.

"This is an important milestone for Equinor and its partners Vår Energi and Petoro. Johan Castberg strengthens Norway's role as a reliable, long-term energy supplier. The field will create great value for society, and long-term ripple effects and jobs. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed," Trond Bokn, Equinor's senior vice president for project management control, said.

"Johan Castberg is important for our development plans in Northern Norway. When the field comes on stream, a new province will be opened for oil recovery in the Barents Sea. This provides new opportunities for the exploration for and development of new discoveries in the area. Working with our partners we are already maturing five discoveries towards a possible tie-in to Johan Castberg," Grete Birgitte Haaland, Equinor's senior vice president for Northern Norway, said.

The resource base for developing the Johan Castberg field consists of three oil discoveries: Skrugard, Havis, and Drivis, all of which are located in production license 532 and are operated by Equinor.

The Johan Castberg field development provides important infrastructure in a new oil province in the Barents Sea, and new volumes have been discovered in the area. Five more discoveries are being considered to be tied to Johan Castberg, and Equinor plans for further exploration in the areas around Johan Castberg in the years to come, it said.

Equinor owns a 50 percent interest in the Johan Castberg field, with Var Energi ASA and Petoro AS holding 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

In September 2023, Equinor said that estimated investment costs for its flagship Johan Castberg project had risen by almost $1.2 billion (NOK 13 billion) since 2022 to $7.38 billion (NOK 80 billion).

The main reason for the increase in the investment estimate from last year is that the workload transferred to Stord has been more comprehensive and complex than estimated, Equinor said. Marine operations, drilling, and completion costs have also increased due to “market cost development”, and “the project has not progressed as planned”, Equinor said in an earlier news release.

Johan Castberg anchored on the field

17 September 2024

The floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) is now securely anchored on the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea.


The Johan Castberg FPSO in the Barents Sea. Photo: Lars Morken/Equinor

Johan Castberg is a large oil field with estimated recoverable volumes of between 450 and 650 million barrels. The field will produce for 30 years, and at its peak, Johan Castberg may produce 220,000 barrels per day. The field development concept includes 30 wells distributed across ten subsea templates and two satellites that will now be tied back to the FPSO. So far, 13 of these wells have been drilled, and drilling operations will continue into 2026.

Johan Castberg is located 240 kilometres northwest of Hammerfest. The field has a supply and helicopter base in Hammerfest and an operations organisation in Harstad.


The floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) Johan Castberg. Photo: Lars Morken/Equinor

"Johan Castberg is important for our development plans in Northern Norway. When the field comes on stream, a new province will be opened for oil recovery in the Barents Sea. This provides new opportunities for the exploration for and development of new discoveries in the area. Working with our partners we are already maturing five discoveries towards a possible tie-in to Johan Castberg," says Grete Birgitte Haaland, Equinor's senior vice president for Northern Norway.

The Norwegian supply industry has accounted for more than 70 percent of the total deliveries to the Johan Castberg project. In the operating phase, 95 percent of deliveries are expected to come from Norwegian suppliers. The North Norwegian content is estimated at about 40 percent, and every third Johan Castberg employee lives in Northern Norway.

Var Energi, Equinor Move Closer to FID for Goliat

by Rocky Teodoro|Rigzone Staff|Friday, October 27, 2023

Var Energi ASA and Equinor ASA have approved the concept selection for gas export from the Goliat field in the Barents Sea to the Snohvit pipeline and eventually to the Hammerfest LNG facility in Melkoya, Norway.

The two partners are moving towards a final investment decision, expected in the second half of 2024, Var Energi said in a news release Wednesday. Goliat is owned 65 percent by Var Energi as its operator, with the remaining 35 percent owned by Equinor. The field is located around 49.7 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Hammerfest in Norway. Goliat was discovered in 2000, and plans for development and operation were approved in 2009, according to Var Energi. The field is developed with a floating production unit optimized to withstand cold and bad weather.

The gas from Goliat has been re-injected into the reservoir since the project started in 2016, Var Energi said. “To ensure optimal oil production in the future a solution for evacuation of gas from the reservoir is needed”, the company said, adding that this will contribute to extending the field’s lifetime.

“The Barents Sea is one of the key hub areas and value creators for Var Energi”, Var Energi COO Torger Rod said. “The region represents a major part of our future growth strategy. We are [the] operator for Goliat and have ownership in more than half of all the active licenses, a 30 percent share in Johan Castberg, and a 12 percent share in Snohvit to be included in the portfolio following the integration of Neptune Energy Norge. With this decision, we are one step closer to increasing the recovery from Goliat”.

“The Goliat gas export project is an important step to fulfill the Goliat PDO [plan for development and operation] requirements set by the Parliament”, Rod added. “It will contribute to making Goliat more attractive as a regional oil and gas hub for both Var Energi and our partner-operated licenses and to contribute to long-term local ripple effects, and secure employment and activity”.

The Goliat gas project is also “an important step in finding a wider area solution for increased gas export capacity from the Barents Sea”, currently being evaluated by state-owned Gassco, Var Energi noted. The company said it supports Gassco in the maturation of an area solution for gas export, while it continues to explore for further resources needed to substantiate increased overall gas export capacity. The project will contribute to positioning Goliat as an area hub for oil and gas resources from discoveries and prospects nearby, Var Energi added.

Vaar Energi Plans Barents Exploration Ramp-Up
Program will focus on finding more resources around Goliat and Johan Castberg through 2026.

October 1, 2023 Journal of Petroleum Technology

Eni’s Norwegian subsidiary Vaar Energi plans to increase exploration in the Arctic Barents Sea to boost its oil and gas production in the region.

Vaar operates Goliat, the only producing oil field in the Barents Sea, and is a partner in Equinor’s project to develop the Johan Castberg oil field, which is expected to start producing at the end of 2024.

Vaar said the drilling program in the Barents Sea will focus on finding more resources around the two fields over the period 2024–2026.

Vaar said it hired China Oilfield Services’ COSLProspector offshore drilling rig for the drilling program in the Arctic, in cooperation with Norway’s Equinor.

In a separate statement, Equinor said it had awarded COSL contracts for two more rigs, COSLPromoter and COSLInnovator, to drill exploration and production wells. The contracts were valued at around $369 million for both firm periods.

The COSLPromoter is already contracted to Equinor and will begin on the new contract in the first quarter of 2025. The firm’s contract is for 1 year, with options for a further 4 years. The COSLInnovator is contracted for 2 years, starting in the second quarter of 2025, and the contract includes options for a further 3 years.

Equinor fait encore chou blanc dans une zone jugée prometteuse de l'Arctique

AFP parue le 17 juin 2019

Le géant norvégien de l'énergie Equinor a de nouveau fait chou blanc sur un prospect considéré comme très prometteur dans l'Arctique, a annoncé lundi la Direction norvégienne du pétrole.

Un forage de prospection, le second en deux ans, n'a pas permis de déceler la présence d'hydrocarbures sur le prospect baptisé Korpfjell en mer de Barents, a indiqué l'agence gouvernementale dans un communiqué. Un premier forage réalisé dans cette zone où les attentes de l'industrie pétrolière sont très élevées n'avait abouti en 2017 qu'à la découverte d'une quantité négligeable de gaz naturel.

C'est un revers pour Equinor et ses partenaires - les norvégiens DNO et Petoro, le suédois Lundin et l'américain ConocoPhillips - alors que le cabinet Rystad Energy, dans son hypothèse la plus haute, a estimé que le prospect pourrait contenir jusqu'à 10 milliards de barils de pétrole. Cela en ferait de loin le plus gros gisement jamais découvert en Norvège, principal producteur d'hydrocarbures d'Europe de l'Ouest.

En milieu de matinée, l'action Equinor cédait 0,68% à la Bourse d'Oslo.

Les défenseurs de l'environnement sont vent debout contre les activités pétrolières dans cette région à l'écosystème riche et fragile, jugée trop proche des glaces marines et trop éloignée des infrastructures terrestres.

Un gigantesque delta coiffait un supercontinent, la Pangée, il y a plus de 200 millions d'années. C'était le plus grand delta de tous les temps et certainement un milieu de vie majeur durant le Trias. Enterrés aujourd'hui sous la mer de Barents, dans l'océan Arctique, ses vestiges témoignent d'évènements climatiques passés pour le moins cataclysmiques.

9 avril 2019 futurasciences

......

Important Oil Discovery in Barents Sea

by Andreas Exarheas|Rigzone Staff|Monday, October 29, 2018

Equinor revealed Monday that a new oil discovery has been made though the Barents Sea Skruis exploration well, which is located in the Johan Castberg license.

The well confirmed a volume of between 12 and 25 million recoverable barrels of oil, according to Equinor. Skruis is the first operated exploration well drilled by the company this year in the Barents Sea.

The asset’s partners - Equinor, Eni and Petoro - will now “further consider tie-in of the discovery to Johan Castberg,” Equinor said in a company statement. The Johan Castberg field, which is estimated to have recoverable reserves of between 450 and 650 million barrels, is planned for start-up in 2022.

“This is an important discovery. It helps to determine the size of the Johan Castberg resource base which is currently being developed,” Nick Ashton, Equinor’s senior vice president of exploration in Norway and the UK, said in a company statement.

“Securing resources near existing infrastructure is an important part of Equinor’s ambition and strategy on the Norwegian continental shelf,” he added.

“We still have three Equinor-operated wells and one partner-operated well left to drill in the Barents Sea. We also have a good portfolio for the next couple of years. Together with the wells we drilled in 2017, this will help clarify the potential in the remaining part of the Barents Sea,” Ashton continued.

In a Twitter statement, Equinor said its operated exploration well in the Barents Sea “proves that there are good, attractive areas in the North”.

As of the end of the third quarter, Equinor had completed 15 exploration wells in 2018 with seven commercial discoveries. Adjusted exploration expenses for the company in the quarter were $239 million, down from $416 million in the same quarter of 2017.

Le géant pétrolier Statoil et ses partenaires ont donné mardi leur feu vert à un projet de 5 milliards d'euros dans l'Arctique norvégien, une région qui peine cependant à combler les attentes mirobolantes du secteur.

Après avoir réussi à diviser les coûts prévisionnels par deux pour rendre le projet commercialement viable, le consortium a décidé de développer le gisement Johan Castberg qui devrait entrer en exploitation fin 2022 en mer de Barents.

Gisement le plus septentrional du pays, c'est aussi "le plus gros projet pétro-gazier offshore au monde à recevoir un feu vert en 2017" avec des réserves récupérables estimées entre 450 et 650 millions de barils équivalent-pétrole, a souligné Statoil dans un communiqué.

Son avenir a pourtant longtemps été incertain.

L'investissement requis était initialement chiffré à plus de 100 milliards de couronnes (plus de 10 milliards d'euros), nécessitant un baril à 80 dollars pour être rentable.

Mais, grâce à une redéfinition du concept technologique retenu et à la chute des coûts dans le secteur parapétrolier, Statoil, l'italien Eni et la société publique norvégienne Petoro ont ramené la facture prévisionnelle à 49 milliards de couronnes.

À ce prix, le gisement sera rentable avec un baril à moins de 35 dollars alors qu'il tourne actuellement autour de 62 dollars.

Si les défenseurs de la nature ont dénoncé un projet "indéfendable", l'investissement est une bonne nouvelle pour le secteur pétrolier en Norvège, où la production d'or noir a été divisée par deux depuis son pic de 2000-2001.

Le gouvernement a salué "un jalon" bon pour l'emploi, qui rapportera 138 milliards de couronnes de rentrées fiscales.

La solution technologique retenue pour Johan Castberg "facilite le développement ultérieur de cette province pétrolière", s'est également félicitée la Direction norvégienne du pétrole.

Cet organisme public a placé de grands espoirs dans la mer de Barents qui recèlerait, selon ses estimations, près de 65% des réserves restant à découvrir au large de la Norvège.

Les campagnes de prospection s'y sont toutefois soldées par des résultats très décevants en 2014 et cette année.
.......................

Mer de Barents : le champ Johan Castberg en voie de développement

Publié le 05/12/2017 lemarin.fr

Statoil et ses partenaires Eni et Petoro ont décidé de développer le champ pétrolier Johan Castberg, en mer de Barents norvégienne. Ils ont soumis le plan de développement et d’opération (PDO) à Oslo le 5 décembre.


Johan Castberg est le plus grand développement offshore approuvé en 2017. (Illustration : Statoil)