Equinor, an international energy company headquartered in Norway, has announced on Monday a gas discovery near the Gina Krog field in the North Sea with an estimated recoverable volume between 5 and 16 barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

Considered as the first commercial discovery in the Gina Krog license since 2011, the gas production is expected to start production during the fourth quarter of 2023.

The well was drilled by the Noble Lloyd Noble rig, with Equinor acting as the operator holding 58.7% and KUFPEC and PGNiG as partners by holding 30% and 11.3% stakes, respectively.

One of the key factors contributing to the commercial viability of this discovery is the ability to utilize existing infrastructure provided by the Gina Krog platform. Preparations have already been made on the Gina Krog platform to ensure a smooth and efficient start of production, as Equinor stated in a press release.

Camilla Salthe, the senior vice president for field life extension in Equinor, emphasized the significance of this discovery stating: “The discovery will help extend the lifetime and strengthen the profitability of Gina Krog and is important for the entire Sleipner area. It will quickly bring new gas to Europe with good profitability and low CO2 emissions from production. Gina Krog is already electrified and has spare capacity,”

Equinor collaborated with the Norwegian authorities to deliver utmost amount of gas to Europe due to the energy crisis that hit in 2021. By exporting gas previously used for injection for oil extraction, The Gina Krog partnership significantly increased its gas export. Hence, Equinor accelerated its projects to increase lifetime of the field along with the Erin development project.