Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland Opens Johan Castberg Field in the Barents Sea
Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland has officially opened a new field in the Barents Sea operated by Equinor, Norway’s state-owned energy giant. The field, named Johan Castberg, marks a significant milestone for the petroleum industry in the region.
The official opening ceremony for Johan Castberg took place on August 8, making it Norway’s northernmost oil field and the third producing field in the Barents Sea alongside the Snøhvit and Goliat fields.
Located approximately 240 kilometers from Hammerfest and 100 kilometers north of the Snøhvit field, Johan Castberg consolidates resources from three oil discoveries: Skrugard, Havis, and Drivis within production license 532.
Energy Minister Terje Aasland expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “With Castberg on stream, the Barents Sea now houses our second largest producing oil field, our second largest gas field, and the largest discovery being considered for development.”
The field is expected to produce for 30 years and hold estimated recoverable volumes of 450-600 million barrels of oil. Equinor operates the field with a 46.3% interest, while partners Vår Energi and Petoro hold 30% and 23.7% interests, respectively.
The official opening was attended by various stakeholders, including the crew of the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit Johan Castberg, government officials, industry authorities, and representatives from Equinor, Vår Energi, Petoro, Aker Solutions, and employee representatives.
Equinor’s executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway, Kjetil Hove, emphasized the field’s significance, stating, “The Barents Sea is becoming increasingly important for Norway’s role as a long-term energy exporter, and Johan Castberg will produce safely and efficiently for at least 30 years.”
Johan Castberg achieved its first oil on March 31 and quickly ramped up production to a peak capacity of 220,000 barrels per day within three months.
The field development concept involves the FPSO unit Johan Castberg connected to a subsea field with 30 wells distributed among 10 subsea templates and two satellite structures. Equinor reported completion of 17 wells, with those in operation meeting production expectations.