Equinor Uncovers 9–15 Million Barrels in Drivis Tubåen Well on Johan Castberg Field

Equinor Uncovers 9–15 Million Barrels in Drivis Tubåen Well on Johan Castberg Field

(IN BRIEF) Equinor’s latest Barents Sea exploration well, Drivis Tubåen (7720/7-DD-1H), has uncovered 9–15 million barrels of oil within the Tubåen formation. Drilled as an offset from a production well by the Transocean Enabler, the discovery will be evaluated for tie-in to the Johan Castberg field, which recently hit a 220,000 bpd plateau. Equinor aims to elevate the field’s reserves by 250–550 million barrels through six new exploration wells and is advancing the Isflak expansion for a 2028 start-up. Licence partners include Vår Energi and Petoro, and ongoing plans call for one to two exploration wells per year in the region.

(PRESS RELEASE) STAVANGER, 30-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Equinor has made a new oil discovery in exploration well 7720/7-DD-1H—Drivis Tubåen—on the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea. Preliminary estimates place the find at 9–15 million barrels of recoverable oil.

The well, drilled into the Tubåen formation 1,769 meters below the seabed in 345 meters of water, was completed using the Transocean Enabler rig as an extension of an existing production well. Equinor and its licence partners will now evaluate how to tie this discovery back into the Johan Castberg infrastructure.

“Shortly after Johan Castberg reached full production—the field’s plateau of about 220,000 barrels per day—we’ve secured additional reserves that can bolster its volume base,” said Grete Birgitte Haaland, Senior Vice President for Exploration & Production North at Equinor. “Originally estimated at 450–650 million barrels, our ambition is to add another 250–550 million barrels through six new exploration wells and ongoing activity. Simultaneously, we’re advancing the Isflak rapid expansion project, targeting first oil in 2028.”

The Johan Castberg licence (PL532) was awarded in 2009 and counts Equinor (46.3%), Vår Energi (30%), and Petoro (23.7%) as partners. With Johan Castberg’s facilities now online, the Barents Sea—Norway’s least explored continental shelf—has become a prime area for further drilling. Equinor plans to drill one to two exploration wells annually around Johan Castberg, with two rigs rotating between production and exploration duties in the Johan Castberg–Goliat region.

Facts

• Drivis Tubåen is the fourteenth exploration well in production licence 532. The licence was awarded in the 20th licensing round in 2009.
• Transocean Enabler is now continuing drilling operations on the Johan Castberg field in production licence 532 for Equinor.
• The partners in the Johan Castberg licence are operator Equinor (46.3 percent), Vår Energi (30 percent) and Petoro (23.7 percent).

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SOURCE: Equinor