Equinor got a nod by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to carry out its gas production unit in Troll field

Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has granted Equinor, the state-controlled energy company, its highest-ever gas production permit for the Troll field in the upcoming 2023-24 gas year. Starting on October 1, 2023, and lasting until September 30, 2024, the field's output will be capped at 40.47 billion cubic meters (m³), surpassing the previous year's 38.5 billion m³ quota, itself a record. The production permit for the Oseberg area, covering Oseberg proper, Oseberg Sor, and Oseberg Ost fields, remains unchanged at 7 billion m³ for 2023-24, aligning with the current gas year.

However, the expanded production allowance for Troll might not lead to a substantial output increase, given its production exceeded quotas in the past two gas years. Both fields have flexible production permits that allow for over or underproduction, with differences carried over to future quotas.

Troll surpassed its quota by 862 million m³ in 2020-21 and by 2.5 billion m³ in 2021-22. This year, Troll's production could align with its 38.5 billion m³ quota, as it produced 30.19 billion m³ during the first nine months of the gas year. Scheduled to restart production on September 7 after maintenance since August 26, Troll will face restrictions that limit September's output to a maximum of 2.72 billion m³. Considering maintenance, August's production likely didn't exceed 2.5 billion m³. If the maximum capacity is met for both months, Troll would meet its quota if July's production reached 3.09 billion m³.

Oseberg area's production totaled 4.27 billion m³ in the first nine months of this gas year. Even if the area operates at full capacity from July to September, it would fall short of its 7 billion m³ permit. However, Oseberg exceeded its permit by 3.63 billion m³ in 2020-21, possibly prompting Equinor to reduce production this year to balance out the earlier overproduction.

According to the article by Procurement Resource, In a significant development, Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has granted Equinor an unprecedented gas production permit for the Troll field in the upcoming 2023-24 gas year. This decision, allowing a capped output of 40.47 billion cubic meters, marks a notable increase from the previous year's record quota of 38.5 billion cubic meters. While the Oseberg area's production permit remains steady at 7 billion cubic meters, the spotlight remains on Troll, which, despite the allowance, faces the challenge of managing output to align with past performance and quotas.