Equinor and its partners have confirmed a commercial oil discovery in the Snorre area in the North Sea and have already outlined a plan for its agile and cost-effective development. The exploration well, drilled by the Deepsea Atlantic platform, revealed the presence of hydrocarbons with an estimated volume between 25 and 89 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent.
Production from the new reservoir will be carried out via the Snorre A platform, using existing subsea infrastructure. The distance between the discovery and these facilities is just 5 kilometers, enabling efficient and low-cost integration.
The Pilot of a New Accelerated Strategy
The development of the discovery is part of the Omega South project, which plans field development even before making the discovery. This approach significantly shortens the timeframes between exploration and production, reducing timelines to just 2 or 3 years.
Part of this strategy includes reusing the foundation and parts of the exploration well for the full field development, reducing both costs and execution time. According to Trond Bokn, Senior Vice President of Project Development at Equinor, this model could become a benchmark for the entire Norwegian continental shelf.
Energy Implications
The discovery comes at a time when production from existing fields in Norway is declining, while European energy demand remains high. Norway currently supplies 20% of the continent’s oil demand and 30% of its gas demand.
To sustain its long-term production, Equinor aims to maintain levels similar to those of 2020, around 1.2 million barrels per day, until 2035. This will be achieved largely through new developments like Omega South, as 70% of projected production will depend on these.
Technical Details of the Discovery
The discovery was made in well PL 057, specifically in exploration well 34/4-19 S, located just 1.6 kilometers east of the Snorre field. The responsible partnership consists of:
- Equinor Energy AS (31%, operator)
- Petoro AS (30%)
- Harbour Energy Norge AS (24.5%)
- INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (9.6%)
- Vår Energi ASA (4.9%)
The water depth in the area is 381 meters, and development is already underway for its prompt connection.
A Strategy Aligned with the Energy Transition
Equinor’s approach responds not only to economic objectives but also to the need for a responsible energy transition. By leveraging existing infrastructure, environmental impact is minimized and the efficiency of available resource use is improved.
With 250 exploration wells projected, mostly near already operational fields, Equinor strengthens its leadership in energy optimization in the North Sea and reaffirms its commitment to reliable energy supply for Europe.
Source and photo: Equinor