Equinor announces new North Sea discovery

Norway

STAVANGER, December 18, 2024 – Equinor’s exploration well 31/1-4 in the North Sea has yielded an oil and gas discovery estimated at between 2 million-12 million boe, Equinor announced on Tuesday.

The well was drilled by the Deepsea Atlantic drilling rig approximately 17 kilometres west of the Troll field in production licence 923/923B. Equinor holds a 60% interest in the licence, while partners DNO Norge and Petoro hold equal interest stakes of 20%.

The discovery is Equinor’s second in the area in a short time frame and has been given the preliminary name of Ringand. Given its size, it will probably not be commercial for development on its own.

“It’s a small discovery, but in an interesting area that we plan to further explore with much existing infrastructure. If more discoveries are made, it may be relevant to combine these to ensure good resource utilisation and the best possible economy,” said Geir Sørtveit, Equinor’s senior vice-president for Exploration & Production West on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

The Troll field is located in the northern part of the North Sea and is estimated to contain about 40% of the total gas reserves of the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Photo of Troll B platform Øyvind Hagen / © Equinor