Equinor and its partners are proceeding with plans for a fourth development phase at the Johan Sverdrup field following new oil discoveries confirmed by recent appraisal wells in the area.
The Tonjer west and east discoveries, along with Geitungen, will underpin the next stage of development for Norway’s largest oil-producing field, according to Equinor.
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Joint preliminary resource estimates for Tonjer and Geitungen are between 20 and 30 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Recent drilling in the northern part of the Geitungen terrace included two appraisal wells and a sidetrack, providing more clarity on the resource base after earlier uncertainty.
Equinor said further analysis of subsurface data will inform more precise resource estimates.
The Norwegian oil and gas company stated that phase four will involve a subsea development, with new resources tied back to the existing Johan Sverdrup infrastructure.
The project aims to help maintain production and value creation from the field, while also supporting Europe’s energy security.
Equinor Norway development and production executive vice-president Kjetil Hove said: “These are important and profitable volumes for Johan Sverdrup. By tying new resources to existing infrastructure, we can develop them quickly, with low costs and low emissions.
“At the same time, they contribute to maintaining production and value creation from one of Norway’s largest oil-producing fields over time. Johan Sverdrup has been the backbone of Norwegian oil production since its inception.
“In order to maintain production and value creation for decades to come, we must continuously develop new resources around the existing infrastructure. Phase four is a good example of how we can get more out of a world-class field.”
Production start-up for Johan Sverdrup phase four is being considered for 2029, with the project currently moving towards an investment decision.
The development is part of Equinor’s wider effort to accelerate its portfolio of subsea developments, aiming to increase value from existing fields through faster project execution and additional tiebacks.
The Johan Sverdrup Unit licensees are Equinor with a 42.62% stake, Aker BP holding 31.57%, Petoro with 17.36% and TotalEnergies at 8.44%.
Last month, Equinor awarded a subsea contract package to DeepOcean for projects spanning multiple fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
