Equinor and partners confirm new North Sea oil and gas discovery in Fram area north of Troll

Equinor and partners confirm new North Sea oil and gas discovery in Fram area north of Troll

(IN BRIEF) Equinor and its partners Vår Energi and INPEX Idemitsu have struck oil and gas in the Fram area of the North Sea, about nine kilometres north of the Troll field. Exploration well 35/11-31 S confirmed petroleum in two reservoirs, one with oil and gas and another with gas only, with estimated recoverable resources between 0.1 and 1.1 million standard cubic metres. The discovery, named F-South, has reservoir quality ranging from moderate to very good. The licensees are assessing tie-in options to existing or future infrastructure. This marks the latest in a series of discoveries in the Fram area since 2019, several of which form part of the Fram South subsea development, underscoring the area’s continued importance for Equinor’s exploration strategy.

(PRESS RELEASE) STAVANGER, 25-Aug-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Equinor and its partners have confirmed fresh oil and gas finds in the Fram area of the North Sea, located around nine kilometres north of the Troll field. Exploration well 35/11-31 S, drilled by the COSL Innovator rig in production licence 090, encountered petroleum in two reservoirs — one containing both oil and gas, and another containing gas only.

Preliminary estimates suggest recoverable resources of between 0.1 and 1.1 million standard cubic metres of oil equivalent. Reservoir quality has been assessed as ranging from moderate to very good. The discovery has been given the preliminary name F-South.

“These are encouraging results in a highly prospective part of the Norwegian continental shelf, where infrastructure is already well established,” said Geir Sørtveit, Equinor’s Senior Vice President for Exploration & Production West. “We have had repeated success with discoveries in this area in recent years, and our plan is to continue exploring. We are confident that there are further opportunities for both oil and gas.”

The licensees — Equinor Energy AS (45%), Vår Energi ASA (40%) and INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (15%) — will evaluate the possibility of tying the new F-South discovery back to existing facilities or future developments in the area.

Since 2019, Equinor and its partners have made a series of finds in the Fram area, including Echino South, Swisher, Røver North, Blasto, Toppand, Kveikje, Røver South, Heisenberg, Crino/Mulder, Rhombi and Ringand. Several of these discoveries, including Echino South and Blasto, have already been incorporated into development plans for Fram South, a subsea project for which a plan for development and operation (PDO) was submitted earlier this year.

The latest discovery further reinforces the strategic importance of the Fram area and its potential to deliver continued value creation from the Norwegian continental shelf.

Facts:

• The licensees are:
  • Equinor Energy AS: 45%
  • Vår Energi ASA: 40%
  • INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS: 15%
• The well was drilled by COSL Innovator.
• The discoveries were made in exploration well 35/11-31 S in production licence 090.
• The other discoveries made in this area since 2019 are: Echino South, Swisher, Røver North, Blasto, Toppand, Kveikje, Røver South, Heisenberg, Crino/Mulder, Rhombi and Ringand.
• Echino South and Blasto, together with two smaller discoveries from previous years, form the basis for the development of Fram South. The plan for development and operation of this subsea development was submitted to the authorities in June this year.

Media Contact:

Sissel Rinde
Vice president Media relations
Corporate affairs
sisr@equinor.com
+47 412 60 584

SOURCE: Equinor