With three decades under its belt, a giant gas project is getting a new lease of life, as the latest phase of its development begins production ahead of schedule, accelerating the delivery of 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Europe.
The Troll A platform in the North Sea is being supplied with additional gas, after production started from the Troll Phase 3 stage 2 subsea project on August 22, 2026, helping maintain jobs, value creation, and high gas deliveries to Europe from the platform and the Kollsnes processing plant, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. The project was originally scheduled to come online towards the end of the year, and the cost estimate was NOK 12.3 billion ($1.32 billion).
This project accelerates production of 55 billion standard cubic meters of gas from the Troll West reservoir, corresponding to nearly two years of France’s gas demand. The Troll partnership consists of Petoro (55.93%), Equinor (operator, 30.55%), A/S Norske Shell (8.19%), TotalEnergies EP Norge (3.69%), and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia (1.64%).
Troll Phase 3 stage 2 builds on the subsea facilities from the Troll Phase 3 project, which came on stream in 2021, reusing design and standardized solutions to reduce execution time and costs, paving the way for future subsea developments. Troll Phase 3 stage 2 comes on stream just over two years after the partnership’s investment decision.
Lill Harriet Brusdal, vice president for Troll and Kvitebjørn, commented: “Troll is the backbone of Norwegian gas exports to Europe. This project accelerates production from the reservoir, helping maintain today’s high level of gas exports from Troll and Kollsnes for as long as possible. With both Troll A and the Kollsnes gas plant powered by electricity from shore, the gas is produced with very low emissions.”
The project’s eight-well drilling campaign was completed in five and a half months by Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Aberdeen rig, with services from SLB and Baker Hughes. Equinor emphasizes that templates and manifolds were built by Aker Solutions in Egersund for main supplier OneSubsea and installed on the field by Ocean Installer.
The umbilical, supplied by OneSubsea in Moss, and the MEG line have been extended from the existing facilities. A 28-kilometer, 36-inch pipeline was installed by the Pioneering Spirit vessel, and the line pipe was stored in Stord. Randaberg Industries delivered spools and pipeline end terminations, and Aker Solutions has carried out modifications on Troll A.
According to the operator, the project has generated significant ripple effects in Norway, and its start-up helps maintain secure gas deliveries to Europe, jobs, and revenues for society. More than 90% of the profits from the Troll field go to the state through taxes and direct ownership in the field via Petoro.
Trond Bokn, Senior Vice President for Project Development at Equinor, underlined: “We start production with excellent HSE results, ahead of schedule and several hundred million Norwegian kroner below the cost estimate. The main reasons are efficient marine operations and a highly efficient drilling campaign, which was completed 25 per cent faster than planned.”
Equinor describes Troll as the cornerstone of Norwegian gas production, which contains around 40% of the gas reserves on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) and gas from this project meets around 10% of Europe’s demand, with the annual energy production from the field corresponding to three times Norway’s annual hydropower production.
The company claims that Troll marks 30 years as Norway’s largest gas-producing field this year, with its enormous resource base making it necessary to plan development and production in three phases. While Phase 1 developed the gas in Troll East, resulting in Troll A, the Kollsnes gas plant, and associated infrastructure, Phase 2 brought online the oil in Troll West, adding the Troll B and C platforms and corresponding infrastructure, with the oil sent to the oil terminal at Mongstad.
Phase 3 produces the gas cap above the oil column in Troll West, while oil production continues as gas flows to Troll A and onward through existing infrastructure. This development is being carried out in several steps to ensure timely production of the gas resources in Troll West.
Earlier this year, the partners also decided to proceed with the next phase of the development through the Troll West Increased Gas Recovery North, or otherwise known as the TWIN project, which is expected to contribute around 11 billion standard cubic meters of gas.
Power Your Brand With Offshore Energy ⤵️
Take the spotlight and anchor your brand in the heart of the offshore world!
Join us for a bigger impact and amplify your presence at the core hub of the offshore energy community!
