Equinor and its partners commenced production from the first Lavrans well within the Kristin South area of the Norwegian Sea on July 7th, expected to produce 6.2 GSm3 of gas and 1.9 MSm3 of oil, equating to a total of 58.2 million barrels of oil equivalent (mboe).

Equinor, Petoro, Vår Energi, and TotalEnergies EP Norge submitted the plan for development and operation (PDO) of the Lavrans and Kristin Q discoveries as satellites to the Kristin field in 2021. This is the first phase of the Kristin South project. The PDO was approved by the authorities in 2022.

“The Kristin South project demonstrates our strategy to create value by developing existing infrastructure on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Together with our partners and suppliers, we have developed the project and started the production from Lavrans in a safe and good way,” said Trond Bokn, senior vice president for project development in Equinor.

A new subsea template has been installed and tied into the Kristin platform, now processing oil and gas from the first well at the Lavrans field, equinor said in a press release on Monday.

The gas will be exported through the pipeline system to the European market, while the oil will be transported to the market by ship via the Åsgard C storage vessel, equinor added.

The first phase of the Kristin South project includes plans for four additional wells, with three located at the Lavrans field and one in the Q-segment of the Kristin field. This latter well will be drilled from an existing subsea template that has been retrofitted to link back to the Kristin SEMI.

“This is a key milestone in our plan to continue to develop new resources in a mature area in the Norwegian Sea. Tying in additional resources to our producing hubs is a cost-efficient way to add production and extend the lifespan of our fields in operation. This approach contributes to energy security and job creation in Norway,” said Grete B. Haaland, senior vice president for Exploration & Production North.

The project boasts a low CO2 intensity, with emissions of less than 1 kg of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent, primarily attributed to the drilling activities.

Norwegian suppliers have been awarded over 60% of the contract values in the development phase creating ripple effects along the coast. The project is estimated to have created 4,000 person-years across Norway, with 800 in the Mid-Norway region, over the 2020-2025 period.

Lavrans was discovered in 1995, while the Kristin field was put on stream in 2005. The technical lifetime of the Kristin platform is currently estimated to be 2043 with potential for further extensions.

The partnership for the Haltenbanken Vest Unit is as follows: Equinor Energy AS holds 54.82% as an operator, Petoro AS holds 22.52%, Vår Energi ASA holds 16.66%, and TotalEnergies EP Norge AS holds 6%.