Image source: Wintershall Dea/Thor Oliversen

Wintershall Dea and its partners Petoro and Sval Energi have received approval from the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) for their plans to develop the Dvalin North field and the second phase of the Maria field in the Norwegian Sea.

The Ministry has also approved four developments where Wintershall Dea is partner: Irpa, Solveig Phase 2, Alve Nord and Idun Nord.

Dvalin North

The Dvalin North gas field, which was the largest discovery in Norway in 2021, will be developed as a tie-back to the nearby Heidrun platform via the Wintershall Dea operated Dvalin field.

“Dvalin North is good news for several reasons. It is a gas field, which will come on stream at a time when our European neighbours still require Norwegian gas to power their homes and industry. It uses existing infrastructure, meaning several fields share the cost of production and continue to derive value from historical investments long into the future. Meanwhile, utilising that existing infrastructure means production volumes will have low carbon intensity”, says Roy Padgett, Dvalin North Project Manager at Wintershall Dea. 

The three partners plan to drill three producing wells from a subsea template located 10 kilometres to the north of the existing Dvalin field.

The field is estimated to contain around 84 million barrels of oil equivalent and is planned for start-up late 2026. Wintershall Dea Norge AS is operator of the field with a 55% share. Petoro AS owns 35% and Sval Energi AS 10%.

Maria Phase 2

Maria Phase 2 involves the installation of a new six-slot template in the southern part of the Wintershall Dea operated Maria field. The new template taps into infrastructure that was already developed as part of the original two-template Maria field. The MPE has approved plans for two producing wells and one water injector. Three spare slots will be available for future development of the field.

“Maria Phase 2 is a positive example of investing in existing assets to deliver additional value for the partnership, the local communities and the whole of Norway. As a tie back to several fields in the area, this redevelopment will not only extend the lifetime of the Maria field, but also has the potential to extend the lifetime of other Norwegian Sea assets”, says Vedad Hadziavdic, Maria Phase 2 Project Manager at Wintershall Dea.

The project is expected to add around 22 million barrels of oil equivalent to the total field reserves. The partnership has approved plans to drill an additional producing well, adding another estimated 5 million boe.

Maria came on stream in 2017. Expected lifetime of the Maria field is 2040.

Wintershall Dea is operator of the Maria field with a 50% share. Petoro AS has 30% and Sval Energi AS 20%.

KeyFacts Energy: Wintershall Norway country profile