ORLEN awarded new licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf
ORLEN Upstream Norway has received an offer from Norway’s Ministry of Energy to acquire interests in six new exploration and production licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The offer follows the results of the annual APA licensing round, Norway’s primary mechanism for allocating new acreage. One of the proposed licences may prove strategically significant, potentially opening new opportunities for unconventional gas development.
In brief
ORLEN Upstream Norway received from the Norwegian Ministry of Energy an offer of interests in six new licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including 20 percent in the licence covering the Victoria field. Unconventional tight gas resources in the area of the Victoria discovery were estimated at as much as 140 billion cubic metres, and Aker BP will be the project operator. In the APA 2025 round a total of 57 licences were offered to 19 companies, with formal awards scheduled for March. Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN management board member for Upstream, noted that technological progress makes it possible to consider developing previously inaccessible resources.
In line with its established strategy, ORLEN Upstream Norway applied for licences located close to its existing asset base. This approach allows potential future developments to leverage existing infrastructure, reducing both capital expenditure and development timelines. The offered licences are located near the Skarv, Vilje, Yme and Yggdrasil fields.
Of particular importance is a licence located in the Skarv area, covering the Victoria discovery. The field, identified in 2000, contains significant unconventional tight gas resources, estimated at up to 140 billion cubic metres. Previous licence holders withdrew after drilling an appraisal well in 2009, citing challenging reservoir conditions and a lack of commercial viability given the technologies available at the time.
ORLEN Upstream Norway, together with its partners Aker BP, Equinor and Harbour Energy, now considers commercial development to be achievable under current technological conditions.
- Progress in extraction technologies over recent years allows us to consider developing resources that until recently were regarded as inaccessible. The Victoria field is particularly attractive – it is one of the largest undeveloped gas accumulations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. This is a challenging project, but its potential success could pave the way for the development of further unconventional gas resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Participation in the Victoria project will place ORLEN in a strong position to pursue involvement in similar ventures in the future, said Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member responsible for Upstream.
According to data from the Norwegian authorities, unconventional gas resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf amount to at least 800 billion cubic metres. These resources are trapped in low-permeability formations, making them difficult to produce using conventional methods. ORLEN’s experience in developing unconventional gas resources in other regions may be directly applicable to projects in Norway.
ORLEN Upstream Norway has been offered a 20 per cent interest in the licence covering the Victoria field, with Aker BP designated as operator.
In the APA 2025 licensing round, the Ministry of Energy awarded a total of 57 licences to 19 companies. Formal licence awards are expected in March. ORLEN Upstream Norway currently holds interests in 94 licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Oskar Wojciechowski
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