ORLEN’s Afrodite discovery more than doubles in size on the Norwegian shelf

Appraisal drilling on the Afrodite field in the North Sea has more than doubled estimates of its recoverable resources, ORLEN has announced. Operator Equinor now puts the field at 77 to 180 million barrels of oil equivalent, an average of 128 million boe, of which more than 32 million boe, including over 4 billion cubic metres of gas, is attributable to ORLEN Upstream Norway.

Kamil Kusier executive editor 30.10.2026, 00:47 Reading time: 2 min

Offshore production platform with a red hull and a tall crane at sea at sunset — fot. ORLEN / Var Energi

In brief

Appraisal drilling has raised the estimated recoverable resources of the Afrodyta field in the North Sea to an average of 128 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which more than 32 million boe belong to ORLEN. According to operator Equinor, the Afrodyta field holds between 77 and 180 million boe, and the gas in ORLEN's share exceeds 4 billion m³. ORLEN Upstream Norway bought a 25 percent stake in the Afrodyta field from Vår Energi in February 2026, when resources were estimated at about 50 million boe.

From 50 million to 128 million barrels

ORLEN Upstream Norway acquired a 25 per cent stake in Afrodite from Vår Energi in February 2026, when total recoverable resources were estimated at around 50 million boe, with about 12 million boe net to ORLEN. The new well, drilled with partners Equinor, DNO and Wellesley Petroleum, has changed that picture substantially. Besides gas, the field also contains oil and other hydrocarbons. At its mid-point estimate Afrodite would exceed Omega Alfa, the largest Norwegian shelf discovery of recent years, in which ORLEN also took part and whose average recoverable resources stand at 115 million boe.

Afrodite is an unconventional field. Its first well was drilled almost 20 years ago, but the data did not make a clear case for development. Advances in upstream technology brought the partners back.

- The data gathered back then did not give a clear answer as to whether developing the field would be profitable. Advances in upstream technology in recent years prompted us to return to the project and drill a new well. Its aim was to confirm additional gas volumes and obtain the data needed to choose the best development concept - said Wiesław Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Vice-President for Upstream.

A tie-back to Kvitebjørn and more to come

The higher estimates strengthen the case for developing the field, which lies in licence PL293 north-west of Bergen. One option under consideration is a tie-back to the Kvitebjørn field infrastructure, in which ORLEN Upstream Norway and Equinor already hold stakes, an approach that would reduce costs and accelerate first production. ORLEN believes further resources may lie nearby, and bringing Afrodite on stream would make it easier to develop them.

Afrodite is one of several unconventional fields in ORLEN's Norwegian portfolio. In 2026 the company also took a stake in Victoria, the largest undeveloped gas field in Norway, where it is working with partners to assess production potential and prepare a development plan. ORLEN sees such fields as important for sustaining oil and gas output and making efficient use of existing shelf infrastructure, and intends to draw on experience from unconventional projects in other countries.

- The initial analysis alone allowed us to more than double the recoverable resource estimates for Afrodite. This means the field may be larger than Omega Alfa, the biggest discovery on the shelf in recent years. The results are a major success and an important step in unlocking the potential of unconventional oil and gas fields in Norway - Wiesław Prugar added.

Source: Gazeta Morska · Compiled by: Kamil Kusier