Wedoany.com Report-Sept. 29, The Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) has greenlit a project to connect the Troll B production platform in Norway’s North Sea to the Kvitebjorn gas export pipeline, located approximately 2.45 kilometers away. The initiative, announced recently, repurposes a former gas injection system into a new export solution, enabling Troll B to export gas via both the Kvitebjorn pipeline and the existing Troll A facility to Kollsnes.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate approved a project to connect the Troll B production platform on Norway's side of the North Sea to the Kvitebjorn gas export pipeline.

“The new gas export solution with tie-in to the Kvitebjorn gas pipeline will contribute to reducing the decline in gas production in the coming years,” said Niels Erik Hald, assistant director at the NOD. “The Norwegian Offshore Directorate is very pleased that the previous gas injection solution for improved oil recovery will be reused. The fact that it’s being converted into a gas export solution will contribute to further value creation.”

The project, with an investment of about NOK 1.16 billion (USD 116.27 million), is expected to commence gas flows by the end of 2025. The connection enhances export flexibility for the Troll field, operated by Equinor ASA, which holds a 30.55 percent stake through Equinor Energy AS. Other stakeholders include Petoro AS (55.93 percent), Shell PLC via A/S Norske Shell (8.19 percent), TotalEnergies SE through TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (3.69 percent), and ConocoPhillips via ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS (1.64 percent).

The Troll field, operational since 1995, holds significant reserves of 582.2 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent, including 564.5 million cubic meters of gas, 3.7 million cubic meters of oil, and 14.1 million cubic meters of natural gas liquids. In 2024, the field produced a record 42.5 billion standard cubic meters of gas, up from 38.8 billion the previous year, driven by a riser replacement on Troll B and an increase in Kollsnes processing capacity from 144.5 to 156 million standard cubic meters per day.

“The efforts to recover more Troll gas and increase export capacity clearly help ensure that our customers in Europe get the energy security and long-term perspective they need,” said Helge Haugane, former senior vice president for gas and power trading at Equinor. The project supports Norway’s role as a reliable energy supplier, enhancing gas export capabilities while optimizing existing infrastructure for sustained production.