ORLEN starts production from new field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf

ORLEN Upstream Norway has commenced production from the Andvare field in the Norwegian Sea, bringing the company’s portfolio of producing fields in Norway to 21. The field will supply approximately 300 million cubic meters of natural gas, strengthening energy security for Poland and the region.

Kamil Kusier executive editor 29.09.2025, 12:33 Reading time: 2 min

A red production vessel with a drilling tower moves with tugboat escort against snow capped mountains of a Norwegian fjord — fot. ORLEN Upstream Norway

In brief

ORLEN Upstream Norway has started production from the Andvare field in the Norwegian Sea, the 21st field from which the Polish group extracts hydrocarbons in Norway. Andvare, located about 300 km south-west of Bodø, is expected to yield about 300 million cubic metres of natural gas a year, transported to Poland via the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline. ORLEN management board member for Upstream Wiesław Prugar pointed out that the project was limited to a single production well and the return on investment is expected within four months. The operator is Equinor Energy with a 53 percent stake, DNO Norge holds 32 percent and ORLEN Upstream Norway 15 percent.

The Andvare field is located around 300 km southwest of Bodø, near the Norne field operated by Equinor. Development was carried out using existing offshore infrastructure, which significantly reduced both costs and time to first production.

– Operators on the Norwegian Shelf increasingly target satellite fields located close to producing hubs. With access to well-developed infrastructure, we can lower development costs and secure an attractive return on investment. Andvare is unique in this respect – the project required only a single production well, and we expect payback of capital expenditure within just four months, said Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member for Upstream Operations.

Norne FPSO as production hub

The Andvare resources were tied back to the infrastructure of the Norne field, centered on the FPSO Norne, which currently handles 53 production wells. Oil is stored on board, while gas is transported via pipeline to the Kårstø terminal and subsequently delivered to Poland through the Baltic Pipe system.

The FPSO also supports production from other fields in which ORLEN holds interests, including Alve and Marulk. Another tie-in, the Verdande field, is expected to be connected in the coming months.

Partners and ownership

The Andvare field is operated by Equinor Energy (53%), with the remaining shares held by DNO Norge (32%) and ORLEN Upstream Norway (15%).

Third project this quarter

Andvare marks the third upstream milestone achieved by ORLEN in Norway in Q3:

In August, the company completed the third development phase of the Ormen Lange field, installing the world’s most advanced subsea compressors. The upgrade will boost daily output by around 50%, securing up to 0.5 bcm of additional gas annually at peak.
In parallel, ORLEN and its partners announced a significant discovery in the Omega Alfa exploration project in the North Sea, estimated at 96–134 million barrels of oil equivalent – one of the largest finds on the Shelf in recent years.

Strategic supply for Poland and Europe

ORLEN’s expanding upstream operations in Norway directly support the diversification of gas supplies for Poland. Thanks to the Baltic Pipe, Norwegian gas is transported straight into the Polish transmission system, reinforcing energy security across Central and Eastern Europe.

Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier