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Vår Energi obtains authorization to operate Balder Phase VI after Havtil’s approval

Havtil authorized Vår Energi to begin operations at Balder Phase VI, strengthening the offshore development of the Balder complex in the North Sea.
By on July 5, 2026
FPSO operando en alta mar durante trabajos vinculados a Vår Energi y Balder Fase VI en el Mar del Norte.
Table of Contents
  1. A field with more than two decades of production
  2. Ringhorne is part of the Balder complex
  3. Vår Energi modernizes Balder to extend the field's lifespan

The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) granted Vår Energi consent for the commissioning and operation of Balder Phase VI, a step that allows progress in the continued development of the Balder complex located in the central part of the North Sea.

Likewise, the authorization enables the start of a new stage within one of the most important projects on the Norwegian continental shelf, where the company is promoting the modernization of the infrastructure to extend the production of the field for the next decades.

A field with more than two decades of production

The Balder field is located west of the Grane field, in an area approximately 125 meters deep. Discovered in 1967, it received approval for its original development and operation plan in 1996 and began commercial production in 1999.

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Since then, development has relied on underwater wells connected to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, a configuration that has allowed the field to remain operational for more than twenty years.

Ringhorne is part of the Balder complex

In addition to the main field, the development includes the Ringhorne field, located about nine kilometers north of the FPSO Balder.

This facility has a combined platform for accommodation, drilling and wellhead that works integrated with the Balder and Jotun FPSO units for oil processing, crude oil storage and gas export.

Vår Energi modernizes Balder to extend the field’s lifespan

In 2020, the authorities approved a revised development plan for Balder and Ringhorne with the aim of extending the lifespan of the complex.

The project includes the relocation and upgrade of the Jotun FPSO along with the drilling of new subsea wells that will support increased production and resource recovery in the area.

Now, with the consent issued by Havtil for Balder Phase VI, Vår Energi can move forward with the commissioning of this new stage of offshore development, reinforcing the continuity of one of the historic oil production assets in the Norwegian North Sea.

Source: Havtil.no

Photo: Shutterstock 

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