Equinor cleared to boost gas flow to Europe
Norway's Equinor has secured approval from authorities to increase gas flow to Europe from the Oseberg and Troll fields by 2bn m3 in the gas year beginning October 1, the company said on September 20.
Europe is in the grip of a gas supply crisis, with record high gas and power prices and shortages already having led to a wave of bankruptcies in industry and the energy sector. Norway is the second-biggest gas supplier to the continent after Russia, with its pipeline gas exports totalling 107bn m3.
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Equinor said it had secured enhanced production permits for Oseberg and Troll from the Norwegian petroleum ministry, enabling an increase in their supply from 5 to 6bn m3 and 36 to 37bn m3 respectively in the upcoming gas year.
"The production permits allow us to produce more gas from these two important fields this fall and through the winter," Equinor said. "We believe that this is very timely as Europe is facing an unusually tight market for natural gas."
Equinor brought on stream the third phase of Troll's development at the end of August, which will result in an extra 347bn m3 of gas being recovered from Norway's largest gas field.