02/04/2019
Today, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate presents the Petroleum Activities in Northern Regions report. The report places petroleum activities in the North within a historical, international and technological framework.

“I hope the report can contribute to a knowledge-based approach to the debate,” said Oil Sector Director Bente Nyland, who presented it today at the Barents Sea conference.

There has been oil activity in the northern regions since the first exploration wells were drilled near the Laptev Sea coast of Russia in the 1930s. In Norway, oil operations in the north began in 1979 and in 2007 production started from the Snøhvit field.

Norway is one of five Arctic coastal states, but thanks to the Gulf Stream, the majority of our maritime areas are ice-free all year round. In Canada, the United States, Russia and Greenland, the climate of the northern regions is considerably more demanding and the ice cover is full or partial throughout the year.

In the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea, two fields are in production: the Snøhvit gas field and the Goliat oil field. The Johan Castberg field is under development and is expected to come into production in 2022. Several development-friendly discoveries have been made and there are still significant undiscovered oil and gas resources. For these resources to be demonstrated, companies must search. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate estimates that up to 65 percent of the undiscovered resources of the Norwegian continental shelf are in the Barents Sea.

“Oil activities in the Barents Sea have created great value. So far around 155 exploration wells have been drilled there and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s Exploration Resources Report (2018) showed that every NOK 1,000 invested in exploration in the Barents Sea fetched NOK 2,100,” said Oil Manager Bente Nyland.

The report Petroleum operations in the northern regions shows how large-scale oil and gas exploration and production takes place in demanding arctic marine conditions in the United States, Canada and Russia. It is researched and produced in areas with a combination of sea ice, first-year ice, multi-year ice, and icebergs, as well as completely frozen areas. Oil and gas are also produced in areas over great distances and under harsh wind and wave conditions.

“On the Norwegian Continental Shelf, since its beginnings 50 years ago, there has been a gradual approach to new areas and areas. This approach is based on knowledge and technological experience of the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the whole world.

The new report from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate shows that this also applies to oil activity in the northern regions,” says the oil director.

Read the report “Petroleum activities in the northern areas” (pdf)

Read also Resources Report 2018 – Petroleum Resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf – Exploration

Updated: 02/04/2019

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