The Sleipner field in the North Sea. Photo: Equinor

Equinor has made two new discoveries of gas and condensate in the Sleipner area of the North Sea. These are Equinor’s largest discoveries so far this year and can be developed for the European market through existing infrastructure.

The two wells, Lofn and Langemann in production license 1140, are located between the Gudrun and Eirin fields. Preliminary estimates indicate that the reservoirs may contain between 5 and 18 million standard cubic meters of recoverable oil equivalents, corresponding to 30 to 110 million barrels.

“This demonstrates the importance of maintaining exploration activity on the Norwegian continental shelf. There are still significant energy resources on the shelf, and Europe needs stable oil and gas deliveries. Discoveries near existing fields can be developed quickly through subsea facilities, with limited environmental impact, very low CO2 emissions from production, and strong profitability. Equinor plans to accelerate such developments on the Norwegian continental shelf,” says Kjetil Hove, executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway at Equinor.

The production license was awarded to Equinor in 2022 through the APA (Awards in Predefined Areas). The drilling targets were identified using Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) seismic technology, where sensors are placed on the seabed to provide more precise geological data than traditional surface seismic.

“The Sleipner area is an important hub for Norwegian gas exports to Europe. These discoveries strengthen our optimism for further exploration in the area. Together with our partners, we are committed to drill five additional exploration wells going forward. Adding new volumes is essential to maintain export capacity and value creation from the area,” Hove concludes.

The wells were drilled by the Deepsea Atlantic rig, which will move to the next exploration well in the area.

License holders are Equinor Energy AS (60%) and Aker BP ASA (40%).

Key facts

• The two exploration wells were drilled in production license 1140, approximately 40 kilometers northwest of the Sleipner A field center.
• The wells encountered gas and condensate in the Hugin Formation, consisting of sandstones with good reservoir properties.
• The discoveries reduce uncertainty in several nearby prospects, which will now be further evaluated.
• Well 15/5-8 S (Lofn) was drilled to a depth of 4,636 meters, and 15/5-8 A (Langemann) to 4,932 meters. Both wells are HPHT (high-pressure, high temperature) wells.
• The Deepsea Atlantic rig will now continue to the Sissel prospect for Equinor and partner ORLEN Upstream Norway, near the Utgard field in the Sleipner area.
• License holders: Equinor Energy AS (60%) and Aker BP ASA (40%).

Facts about the Sleipner fields

• The Sleipner fields include the gas and condensate fields Sleipner Øst, Gungne, and Sleipner Vest. In addition, the Sleipner installations process hydrocarbons from the connected fields Sigyn, Utgard, Gudrun, and Gina Krog.
• Sleipner is a key transport and gas hub, delivering dry gas to Europe, while unstable oil is transported to Kårstø for further processing and export. Sleipner also serves as a hub for gas from Kollsnes and Nyhamna, which is transported onward to Draupner, Zeebrugge, and Easington.

KeyFacts Energy: Equinor Norway country profile   l   KeyFacts Energy: Discovery news