Vår Energi, a publicly traded firm with Eni as a major shareholder, has declared a new gas discovery in the Barents Sea, Norway. The discovery has the potential to add to the future Barents Sea gas supply and is preliminary estimated to have 9–21 billion cubic meters of recoverable gas resources (57–132 million barrels of oil equivalent).

The first exploration well to be drilled under the license PL229E is the 7122/9-1 T2 well (Lupa). It is around 27 km north-east of the Vr Energi-run Goliat field and 85 km north-west of Hammerfest. With the drilling rig Transocean Enablers, it was drilled in 403 metres of water.

In the Triassic-aged Havert formation’s targeted sandstones, the well discovered a 55 meters-high gas column. Both data collection and sampling have been done in great detail.

In the PL229E license, Vr Energi and partner AkerBP each own a 50% share.

One of the top independent upstream oil and gas companies on the Norwegian continental shelf is Vr Energi, which Eni owns a 63% stake in (NCS).It has an extensive and well-diversified portfolio of assets, including active development projects and a successful history of exploration. 36 fields producing a net 246,000 boe per day in 2021 are owned by Vr Energi.