Equinor has submitted the plan for development and operation for the Verdande project—a subsea tieback to the Norne field production vessel—to Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Comprising the Cape Vulture and Alve North-East discoveries, Verdande is in the Norwegian Sea at water depths of 350–380 m, around 300 km southwest of the city of Bodø in north Norway.
Produced oil will be lifted by a tanker and the gas will be piped via Åsgard Transport to Kårstø.
The discoveries were proven in 2017 and 2020, respectively, and contain a total of 36.3 million bbl of recoverable oil equivalent. Current scheduling has Equinor turning the taps on the project during the fourth quarter of 2025. Production well drilling is expected to begin in 2024.
“Verdande will provide good utilization of excess capacity on the Norne vessel, and its resources contribute to an economic extended lifespan beyond 2026,” said Grete Birgitte Haaland, senior vice president for exploration and production north in Equinor.
The Verdande investments total $470 million. The project will be operated and maintained as an integrated part of Norne. This includes activities at the supply base in Sandnessjøen, the helicopter base in Brønnøysund, and use of local companies in engineering services and fabrication in north Norway.
Equinor operates Verdande with a 59.3% working interest. Partners in the project include Petoro (22.4%), Vår Energi (10.5%), Aker BP (7%), and PGNIG Upstream Norway (0.8%).