Decades after being left behind in the frozen depths of the High North, a forgotten 1980s gas find in the Barents Sea is getting a second look. As Europe hungers for new energy sources and low-carbon reserves, Norway is launching a fresh push to unlock the untapped potential of the Arctic, starting with a neglected discovery 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.
The Barents Sea is home to a number of discoveries that could hold vast volumes of gas but remains less explored than other parts of the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), with several discoveries in these waters potentially containing significant volumes of gas, according to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, which emphasizes that a new study could uncover major opportunities for one of these discoveries.
The gas discovery that this study will aim to gain more insight into is Norselhøgda (the well 7226/11-1), which is situated about 200 kilometers north of Hammerfest and was made in 1988. The discovery was production-tested, but the acreage was subsequently relinquished to the authorities.
Arne Jacobsen, Assistant Director for Technology and Subsurface, commented: “Several major gas discoveries have been made in the Barents Sea which we still don’t know much about. Norselhøgda is one of a number of discoveries the Norwegian Offshore Directorate believes the companies should take a closer look at.”
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has hired the consulting company Terra Stream Energy to carry out a study that could bring new knowledge about the more precise volume of recoverable resources in the discovery. The reservoir is tight and will probably require stimulation. This is technology that is already being used on the NCS and elsewhere in the world.
“The objective is to develop a model that can be shared with the companies so they can make further assessments of mapping and technologies that could help realize a potential development,” added Jacobsen.
The study is scheduled to be completed towards the end of this year. In connection with this, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate plans to share the model and hold a professional seminar for the industry.
Several comparable discoveries have been made in the area, which include production license 1313, located to the north of the Norselhøgda discovery and awarded in APA 2025. The Gro discovery in the Norwegian Sea is another discovery the Norwegian Offshore Directorate hopes to revive, along with the Linerle discovery in the Norwegian Sea.
“It’s possible that these discoveries could be viewed in an overall context. There could be benefits to extract if 1313 is developed further. The companies will have an opportunity to apply for Norselhøgda in the next APA round,” noted Jacobsen.
The resource potential in the Barents Sea is considered to be considerable, as extensive parts of it remain largely unexplored, with significant acreage that has yet to be opened up for petroleum activity; thus, the development of this potential rests on the development of infrastructure and is particularly relevant for increased gas export opportunities.
“Realizing Norselhøgda could be one step towards bringing this all into place,” underlined Jacobsen, while pointing out that the gas proven in the area has a very low CO2 content, just 0.3%, and development and production of gas with such low CO2 content provides added flexibility in exploiting existing infrastructure.