Equinor (Norvége)

[energy_isere]

Equinor Makes Two Large Gas Discoveries in Norway’s North Sea

By Tsvetana Paraskova - Dec 05, 2025

Equinor announced on Friday two gas and condensate discoveries in the Norwegian part of the North Sea in its largest discoveries so far this year that can be developed through existing infrastructure.

Equinor made the discoveries in the Lofn and Langemann wells in the Sleipner area of the North Sea, in a license located between the operating Gudrun and Eirin fields.

Preliminary estimates indicate the reservoirs may contain between 30 and 110 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalents.

“The Sleipner area is an important hub for Norwegian gas exports to Europe. These discoveries strengthen our optimism for further exploration in the area,” said Kjetil Hove, executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway at Equinor.

Equinor and its partners in the licenses plan to drill five additional exploration wells, Hove added, noting that “adding new volumes is essential to maintain export capacity and value creation from the area.”

Discoveries near existing fields can be developed quickly through subsea facilities, with limited environmental impact, very low CO2 emissions from production, and strong profitability, Hove said.

Equinor and other operators on the Norwegian Continental Shelf are exploring prospects near operational fields to take advantage of the existing infrastructure to raise oil and gas production via tie-backs and tie-ins, which are cheaper than investing in standalone developments.

Earlier this week, Vår Energi confirmed an oil discovery very close to its Goliat field in the Barents Sea, the first operating Arctic oilfield offshore Norway.

Norway has been boosting its gas production since 2022 when it overtook Russia as Europe’s top gas supplier. Not a member of the EU, but a NATO founding member and key EU and UK ally, Norway looks to continue providing the gas Europe needs.

Companies operating offshore Norway are raising production of gas and oil, with the support of the Norwegian government, which continues to bet on the oil and gas industry and the massive revenues it raises for the country and its sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News ... h-Sea.html

[energy_isere]

New Equinor Gas Discovery in Norway Eyed to Supply Poland

by Jov Onsat|Rigzone Staff | Friday, January 23, 2026 |

Equinor ASA and ORLEN SA have announced a natural gas discovery on Norway's side of the North Sea, with plans to connect it to the Baltic Pipe to supply Poland.

The Sissel discovery in production license (PL) 1137 is estimated to hold 6.3-28.3 million oil-equivalent barrels, mainly gas with condensate admixture, Poland's majority state-owned ORLEN said in a statement on its website. Sissel, or well 15/8-3 S, is the first exploration well drilled in PL1137, awarded 2022, according to a separate press release by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.

"The Sissel discovery, from which we expect to obtain approximately one billion cubic meters [35.31 billion cubic feet] of gas, strengthens our asset portfolio in Norway and represents another step toward achieving the ORLEN Group’s strategic objectives", said ORLEN president Ireneusz Fafara. "Norwegian gas plays a crucial role in ensuring stable supplies for our customers. This was clearly demonstrated earlier this year, when we recorded record‑high demand from the energy sector, businesses and households - reaching as much as 100 million cubic meters in a single day.

"In response, we increased gas imports, including via the Baltic Pipe, which transports gas from the Norwegian continental shelf to Poland.

“As a company fundamental to Poland’s energy security, we remain firmly committed to further developing cooperation with our Norwegian partners based on our own production on the Shelf".

The partners are considering tying back Sissel to the Utgard field, itself a tieback to the Sleipner complex.

PL1137, in the central part of the North Sea, sits 250 kilometers (155.34 miles) from Stavanger city in southwestern Norway, according to ORLEN. Norway's majority state-owned Equinor is operator with a 50 percent stake, the other half held by ORLEN.

The discovery, with a total depth of 4,359 meters (14,301.18 feet), is five kilometers north of Utgard, ORLEN noted. Utgard, operated by Equinor with ORLEN as its main partner, started producing 2019.

"Later this year, ORLEN Upstream Norway plans to launch Eirin, another field in this area, which will be developed using Gina Krog and Sleipner infrastructure", ORLEN added, noting Sleipner accounted for nearly 30 percent of its Norwegian production last year.

ORLEN board member Wieslaw Prugar said, "The Sissel discovery confirms effectiveness of our exploration strategy, which focuses on resources located close to existing installations".

"Sissel can be developed as a tieback to this infrastructure, enabling a rapid startup and significantly reducing investment costs", Prugar added. "This project will also help offset natural production declines at Utgard, extending the life of its infrastructure.

"By leveraging these synergies, we maximize economic and operational efficiency in our upstream operations, while ensuring stable gas supplies for our customers in Poland and Central Europe".
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https://www.rigzone.com/news/new_equino ... 4-article/

[energy_isere]

Découvertes très modestes :

Equinor Makes Two Commercial Oil and Gas Discoveries in the North Sea

By Charles Kennedy - Mar 11, 2026, 7:24 PM CDT

Equinor has announced two commercial hydrocarbon discoveries in the North Sea, reinforcing the role of near-field exploration in sustaining production from mature areas of the Norwegian continental shelf.

The discoveries were made in the Troll and Sleipner areas - two of Norway’s most important offshore production hubs - with both finds located close to existing infrastructure, enabling rapid and cost-effective development.

The first discovery, called Byrding C, was made in the extended Troll area roughly five kilometers northwest of the Fram field. The find is estimated to contain 4–8 million barrels of recoverable oil. Equinor said the resource will likely be developed using existing or planned infrastructure in the area.

The second discovery, Frida Kahlo, was drilled from the Sleipner B platform in the Sleipner area and is estimated to contain 5–9 million barrels of oil equivalent of gas and condensate. The company plans to bring the well into production as early as April, highlighting the advantages of drilling close to established facilities.


The discoveries underscore Equinor’s strategy of focusing on near-field exploration around existing production hubs. In the extended Troll area, which includes the Fram field, the company has drilled 26 exploration wells since 2018, resulting in 19 discoveries—a success rate exceeding 70%.

Such finds are considered critical for maintaining production levels from mature assets while minimizing development costs.

Meanwhile, the Sleipner area has seen a recent cluster of discoveries. The last four exploration wells—Lofn, Langemann, Sissel, and Frida Kahlo—have all encountered gas and condensate, with combined resources estimated at 55–140 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Equinor described the results as the outcome of a focused exploration campaign designed to identify remaining resources in a mature basin.

Sleipner remains a major hub for gas exports from Norway to Europe. The facilities handle gas production from several nearby fields and transport dry gas through pipelines to major European receiving terminals including Zeebrugge, Easington, and Draupner.

The hub also processes hydrocarbons from fields such as Sigyn, Utgard, Gudrun, and Gina Krog, while unstable oil is transported to Kårstø for processing and export.

Extending the life of infrastructure in mature basins has become increasingly important as Europe continues to rely on Norwegian gas supplies following reduced Russian pipeline deliveries.

Equinor credited advances in seismic imaging for improving exploration results in both the Troll and Sleipner areas.

The company has deployed Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) seismic surveys, 4D seismic monitoring, and reprocessing of existing datasets to better understand subsurface structures. These technologies have helped identify smaller accumulations that may previously have been overlooked in heavily explored regions.

Several discoveries in the Sleipner area are expected to be developed through subsea tie-backs to existing platforms, allowing production to start within two to three years.

The Frida Kahlo well, however, will move into production much faster because it was drilled directly from the Sleipner B platform.

The Troll field—operated with the Troll A, B, and C platforms—contains roughly 40% of Norway’s remaining gas reserves, making it one of the most strategically important assets on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Near-field discoveries like Byrding C and the recent Sleipner finds play a key role in maximizing recovery from these mature systems and extending the operational life of critical export infrastructure.

As Europe continues to prioritize energy security and stable gas supplies, incremental discoveries in established offshore hubs remain a significant component of Norway’s upstream strategy.

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