Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor has officially opened the second phase of the Johan Sverdrup field located in the North Sea offshore Norway, following the start of production in December 2022.
Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland made the official opening on 13 February.
The second phase consists of a new platform, five new subsea systems, 28 new wells, a new module for the existing riser platform, and facilities to send power from shore to the Utsira High area.
The field receives power from shore through cables from Haugsneset north of Stavanger.
“With Johan Sverdrup’s second construction stage in production, Norway’s largest industrial project in recent times is complete. Throughout its three-year lifetime, the field has contributed large revenues to the community, and more will come now that the entire field is in full swing,” Aasland said.
“There is little doubt that the field has had enormous importance in keeping employment and activity going throughout the country. In addition, it means a lot to open other construction stages of the field that also produce with low emissions with power from land.”
Johan Sverdrup’s first phase went into production in October 2019 and was officially opened in January 2020. The second stage, announced in December 2018, was approved in May 2019 and went into production in December 2022.
With estimated resources of 2.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent, the field, located in the central part of the North Sea in a water depth of 110-120 meters, is said to be the third-largest oil field on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Project licensees are Equinor as the operator, Aker BP, Petoro and TotalEnergies.