The Irpa gas field will be tied back to Aasta Hansteen platform, while the Verdande oil field and the Andvare production well will both be tied back to the Norne production vessel
Equinor has been given approval by Norwegian authorities for the plans for development and operation (PDO) of the Irpa and Verdande fields and the production well Andvare in the Norwegian Sea.
Norway approves Equinor’s Irpa, Verdande, and Andvare projects in the Norwegian Sea. (Credit: Equinor ASA)
The three projects, put together, have a capital expenditure of NOK20bn ($1.86bn).
Equinor plans to tie back the Irpa gas field to Aasta Hansteen platform. The Verdande oil field and the Andvare production well will both be tied back to Norne production vessel.
Equinor project development senior vice president Trond Bokn said: “We are experiencing a strong demand for oil and gas from the Norwegian continental shelf in the current geopolitical situation.
“By utilising the Aasta Hansteen and Norne infrastructures, these development projects will quickly bring new production to market with low development costs, while extending the activity on the host platforms.”
The Irpa gas project is estimated to cost NOK14.8bn ($1.38bn). Its planned to begin production in Q4 2026.
Equinor Energy is the operator of the Irpa license with a 51% stake. Its partners in the license are Wintershall Dea (19%), Petoro (20%), and Norske Shell (10%).
The gas drawn from the Irpa field could supply a little over 2.3 million UK households for seven years, said Equinor.
According to the Norwegian energy company, the Verdande project is estimated to cost NOK4.7bn ($440m).
Verdande, which has recoverable resources of 36 million barrels of oil equivalent, is anticipated to begin production in Q4 2025.
Equinor Energy has an operating stake of 59.3% in the field. Its partners include Petoro (22.4%), Vår Energi (10.5%), Aker BP (7%), and PGNIG Upstream Norway (0.8%).
For Andvare, a well will be drilled as a side-track from one of the existing subsea templates located on the Norne field. The capital expenditure for this project, involving Equinor Energy, DNO Norge, and PGNiG Upstream Norway, is NOK500m ($46.5m).
Expected to begin production in 2024, Andvare has recoverable resources of under two billion cubic metres of gas.
