Johan Sverdrup is one of the largest oil fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, and significantly contributes to Europe’s energy supply. The offshore field produced a record 260 million barrels in 2024.
Equinor Energy, the operator of the field, and other partners took the Final Investment Decision (FID) on the third phase of the project in July 2025.
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This phase will entail an investment of around NOK13bn ($1.29bn), unlocking additional reserves and sustain plateau production at Johan Sverdrup.
The partnership has notified authorities as per the existing development and operation plan (PDO), pending governmental approval.
According to Equinor, Johan Sverdrup Phase 3 will aim to maintain production capacity near the current plateau of 755,000 barrels per day, extracting an additional 40–50 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
Production from Phase 3 is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Besides Equinor (42.63%), Aker BP (31.57%), Petoro (17.36%), and TotalEnergies EP Norge (8.44%) are the other stakeholders in the offshore oilfield.
Johan Sverdrup Field Development Timeline
Johan Sverdrup was discovered in 2010 through a series of exploration wells on the Utsira High.
Initial discoveries were made by Lundin (now Aker BP) and Statoil (now Equinor), with subsequent appraisal confirming that several neighbouring structures were connected.
These were later unified into a single development concept following government approval in 2015.
Phase 1 of the project involved the construction and installation of a four-platform field centre, a power-from-shore solution, and export pipelines. Production began in October 2019.
The early phase was notable for its electrification from shore, which allowed operations to run with a CO₂ intensity of just 0.67 kg per barrel, significantly lower than the offshore industry average of 15–20 kg per barrel.
Johan Sverdrup Phase 2 came on stream in December 2022. It added a fifth platform (P2), five subsea systems, and additional capacity for processing and water injection.
The development also included upgrades to the power-from-shore system to accommodate higher demand.
After Phase 2, Johan Sverdrup reached its plateau production level of approximately 755,000 barrels per day, accounting for more than one-third of Norway’s total oil production.
Johan Sverdrup Phase 3 Details
Johan Sverdrup Phase 3 will focus on further development of reserves in the Avaldsnes and Kvitsøy areas of the Johan Sverdrup licence.
The expansion includes the installation of two new subsea templates, each with six well slots, linked to the existing P2 platform via new pipelines and umbilicals.
In total, eight wells will be drilled- seven production wells and one water injection well, to optimise recovery from this section of the reservoir.
According to Equinor, the current recovery rate at Johan Sverdrup is around 66%, and Phase 3 is expected to push this further towards 70–75%, significantly above the average recovery rate of 47% on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
A key design feature is the ability to accommodate future tie-ins by building spare control cable capacity and leaving open well slots. This flexibility could facilitate integration of additional reserves without major new infrastructure.
Johan Sverdrup has been presented as a model for low-carbon oil production, thanks to its use of shore-based power and efficient field design. Emissions are approximately 0.67 kg of CO₂ per barrel, among the lowest globally for offshore operations.
Phase 3 will maintain this low-emissions profile by continuing to use the existing power-from-shore infrastructure. Additional capacity upgrades made during Phase 2 ensure the system can accommodate the new wells and subsea equipment without requiring offshore gas turbines or flaring systems.
According to Equinor, the development of Phase 3 will avoid approximately 80,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually compared to traditional offshore-powered operations.
The company estimates that Phase 3 will be highly cost-effective, thanks to extensive reuse of existing infrastructure. In addition, the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence during the early design phase helped the company reduce capital costs by approximately NOK 130 million.
Contractors Involved
Equinor awarded a major integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (iEPCI) contract to TechnipFMC in July 2025. The contract, valued at NOK5.3bn, covers the delivery and installation of subsea production systems, umbilicals, rigid pipelines, and tieback components.
TechnipFMC’s scope includes the engineering and construction of two six-slot subsea templates and related subsea infrastructure, as well as connection to the P2 platform.
Installation work will take place over several seasons leading up to the planned 2027 production start.
Equinor is expected to issue additional contracts for platform modifications and well drilling services in late 2025 and early 2026. These contracts will cover updates to topside processing equipment on the P2 platform and mobilisation of offshore rigs for the eight new wells planned under Phase 3.
