The Heidrun field is an offshore oil and gas field located in the Norwegian Sea. The Equinor-operated field was discovered in 1985 and has been on stream since October 1995.
According to Equinor, Heidrun development features one of the largest floating concrete tension-leg platform.
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At peak, Heidrun produced nearly 250,000 barrels of oil daily. As of 2025, production from the field is around 60,000 barrels.
The technical life age for Heidrun development is 50 years and it is expected to be in operation until 2045.
Heidrun Field Location and Geology
Heidrun Field is situated on Haltenbanken in Norwegian Offshore Continental Shelf Production Licences 095 and 124.
It lies primarily within Block 6507/7, with an eastern extension into Block 6507/8. Water depth is the region in around 350m.
The site is around 175km from the coast of mid-Norway. Åsgard field is located around 30km from Heidrun.
The field is on the southernmost extension of the southwest-northeast trending Nordland Ridge, an intensely faulted high that separates the Helgeland Basin from the Vøring Basin.
Heidrun is 10.5km long and 5.5km wide at its widest point.
Reservoir Details and Reserves
The Heidrun field’s main reservoirs include the Fangst Group, the Upper and Lower Tilje Formation, and Are Formation.
These reservoirs, dating back to the Jurassic period, composed entirely of sandstones. They feature depositional environments that vary from marginal marine to tidal-flat in the Tilje and Are Formations, and from shallow marine to fluvial in the Fangst Group.
A gas cap exists above the oil, and the reservoir temperature is approximately 85°C.
The reservoir is situated at a depth of 2,300m. It is characterised by significant faulting and segmentation. The Ile and Garn Formations display good reservoir quality, whereas the Åre and Tilje Formations present more complexity.
According to Norwegian Petroleum, Heidrun initially contained recoverable reserves of 262.5 million standard cubic metres of oil equivalent.
When the plan for development and operation (PDO) was submitted in 1991, total production was projected to exceed 750 million barrels of oil.
Currently, Equinor aims to boost reserves from 1.260 to 1.890 billion barrels of oil and gas.
Heidrun Field Development Details
The Heidrun field has been developed using the world’s first floating concrete tension-leg platform (TLP), positioned over a large subsea template with 56 well slots.
Additionally, six subsea templates in the southern and northern areas are connected back to the TLP.
Since 2015, the floating storage unit (FSU) Heidrun B has been permanently moored at the Heidrun platform. The plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Heidrun northern flank received approval in 2000.
The field supplies water for injection to the Maria field, while the Dvalin field has a dedicated gas processing module on the Heidrun platform.
Production in the field is maintained through pressure maintenance using water and gas injection in the Ile and Garn Formations.
In the more complex Åre and Tilje Formations, water injection serves as the primary recovery strategy, with some segments produced through pressure depletion.
Oil from Heidrun is exported via the Heidrun B FSU to tankers for market distribution. Gas is transported through Haltenpipe to the Tjeldbergodden terminal and via the Åsgard Transport System (ÅTS) to the Kårstø terminal. Gas from the Dvalin field is exported via Polarled to the Nyhamna terminal.
Production at Heidrun is sustained through water and gas injection and the drilling of new production and injection wells. Various methods are being evaluated and implemented to enhance oil and gas recovery and extend the field’s operational life.
Key Contractors Involved
In July 2025, TechnipFMC secured an integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (iEPCI) contract from Equinor to extend lifecycle for the Heidrun platform.
The contract is valued between $75m and $250m.
TechnipFMC also carried out the integrated Front End Engineering and Design (iFEED) study for the project.
APIteq provided the 360° VAM solution for the Heidrun platform.
In January 2024, Odfjell Technology won a contract to provide upgrade and modification services on the Heidrun B Floating Storage Unit (FSU).
Under a $230m contract, awarded in September 2012, Samsung built the storage unit for Heidrun. This unit replaced the buoy loading system on the field.
Wärtsilä supplied inert gas systems for the FSU.
