Equinor and its Fram partners have committed to investing more than NOK 21 billion in a new subsea development, with the plan for development and operation submitted today to Minister of Energy Terje Aasland.
The Fram Sør project represents a significant milestone for Norway’s energy sector, promising to enhance energy security while maintaining exceptionally low emissions. According to Geir Tungesvik, Equinor’s executive vice president for projects, drilling & procurement, the development will strengthen energy supply security from the Norwegian continental shelf to Europe.
The Troll C platform in the North Sea : Source Equinor
“Fram Sør will contribute to security of energy supply from the Norwegian continental shelf to Europe,” Tungesvik explained. “The development will put new oil and gas resources on stream by connecting new infrastructure to existing facilities that provide good and robust profitability. With the host platform Troll C being powered from shore, the production from Fram Sør will have very low emissions.”
Project Details and Timeline
The Fram Sør project combines several discoveries that will export oil and gas via the existing Troll C platform. The development boasts estimated recoverable volumes of 116 million barrels of oil equivalent, with oil comprising 75 percent of reserves and gas making up the remaining 25 percent. Production is scheduled to commence at the end of 2029.
The project’s environmental credentials are particularly noteworthy. The CO2 intensity for the Fram Sør development is estimated at approximately 0.5 kg of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent, significantly below both the Norwegian continental shelf average of 8 kg and the industry average of about 16 kg per barrel of oil equivalent.
Discovery History and Resource Development
The foundation for Fram Sør traces back to autumn 2019, when Equinor and its partners made a significant oil and gas discovery in the Fram area of the North Sea. This initial discovery, named Echino South, validated expectations for additional oil reserves in the region and catalysed further exploration efforts.
Over the subsequent four-year period, the partnership achieved nine discoveries in the Troll-Fram area. A particularly significant milestone came in spring 2021 with the Blasto discovery. Combined with Echino South and two smaller previous discoveries, these finds form the resource base for the Fram Sør development.
Kjetil Hove, Equinor’s executive vice president for Exploration & Production Norway, emphasised the strategic importance of the project. “We have done a thorough job maturing the new resources discovered in the Fram and Troll area in recent years,” Hove stated. “Fram Sør shows the importance of area solutions and close collaboration between partners and authorities in order to realise the resource values on a mature NCS.”
The Fram Sør development introduces groundbreaking technology to the Norwegian continental shelf. As the first project of its kind on the NCS, Fram Sør will deploy all-electric Christmas trees, eliminating the need for hydraulic fluid supplied from the platform while enhancing monitoring capabilities of subsea equipment. This technological advancement represents a more efficient and reliable system for operating subsea Christmas trees while reducing environmental impact risks.
The project promises substantial economic benefits for Norway’s supply industry. A ripple effect study conducted by Kunnskapsparken in Bodø projects an employment effect of 4,500 full-time equivalents throughout the development period. The investment will generate activity during both development and operational phases, with most suppliers maintaining Norwegian invoice addresses, though some construction will occur abroad.
Contract values are expected to total approximately NOK 18 billion, all subject to regulatory approval. The project exemplifies Equinor’s broader strategy, with the company expecting to bring more than 50 similar projects online by 2035, phasing discoveries into producing fields.
The Fram Sør development operates under a partnership structure, with Equinor Energy AS holding the largest stake at 45 percent, followed by Vår Energi ASA at 40 percent, and INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS at 15 percent.
The submission of the development plan to Minister Aasland marks a crucial step forward for this ambitious project, which combines substantial investment, technological innovation, and environmental responsibility while supporting Norway’s position as a reliable energy supplier to Europe.
For more information visit www.equinor.com
