Vår Energi and Equinor agree on gas export solution offshore Norway

Norwegian Vår Energi and Equinor have approved concept selection (DG2) for gas export from the Goliat oil and gas field to the Snøhvit pipeline for further transport to Hammerfest LNG.

Operated by Vår Energi (65%) with Equinor as a partner (35%), Goliat is located in the Barents Sea, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Hammerfest.

The license partners are further maturing the project towards a final investment decision (FID), expected in the second half of 2024.  

The gas from Goliat has since the start-up in 2016 been re-injected into the reservoir. To ensure optimal oil production in the future a solution for the evacuation of gas from the reservoir is needed which will contribute to extending the field’s lifetime, Vår Energi explained.

“The Goliat gas export project is an important step to fulfil the Goliat PDO requirements set by the Parliament. It will contribute to making Goliat more attractive as a regional oil and gas hub for both Vår Energi and our partner operated licences and to contribute to long term local ripple effects, and secure employment and activity,” said COO at Vår Energi Torger Rød.

According to the company, the Goliat gas project is also an important step in finding a wider area solution for increased gas export capacity from the Barents Sea, currently being evaluated by Gassco.

Vår Energi said it supports Gassco in the maturation of an area solution for gas export, while in collaboration with other operators continues to explore further resources needed to substantiate increased overall gas export capacity. The project will also contribute to positioning Goliat as an area hub for oil and gas resources from discoveries and prospects nearby. 

“The Barents Sea is one of the key hub areas and value creators for Vår Energi.  The region represents a major part of our future growth strategy. We are operator for Goliat and have ownership in more than half of all the active licenses, a 30% share in Johan Castberg and a 12% share in Snøhvit to be included in the portfolio following the integration of Neptune Energy Norge. With this decision we are one step closer to increasing the recovery from Goliat,” Rød concluded.

Goliat is the first producing oil field in the northern areas of the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). It was discovered in 2000, and plans for development and operation were approved in 2009. The field is developed with a floating production unit (FPU). Production started in March 2016.

Vår Energi reported at the end of December 2022 that it had made – what it describes as – “the largest discovery of the year” in the Goliat area in the Barents Sea.

In April, the company entered into a collaboration with a consortium consisting of Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo to explore opportunities for floating offshore wind through the GoliatVind pilot project in the field.