Norway to Reopen Three North Sea Gas Fields by 2028

Norway will reopen three gas fields in the North Sea that were closed in 1998, with production scheduled to resume by the end of 2028. The energy minister said the move addresses shortfalls in European energy supplies linked to the war in Ukraine and disruption to supplies from the Middle East.

The decision is intended to keep overall gas and oil production near the level recorded in 2025, which has remained stable for nearly 20 years. The country operates 97 offshore oil fields, with three new ones starting production last year. The Norwegian Offshore Directorate projects more than 100 fields within the next two years.

Output is expected to hold at least at the current rate of 2 million barrels of oil per day. The Barents Sea in the high north has been identified as the next frontier for gas and oil development. Initial surveys have also indicated potential for seabed mineral mining between northern Norway and Greenland, though that remains a longer-term prospect.

The energy minister stated that Norwegian offshore production plays an important role in ensuring energy security in Europe. He added that the world and Europe will need oil and gas for decades, making it crucial for Norway to continue developing its continental shelf as a reliable supplier with a high level of exploration activity.

The announcement has drawn criticism from environmental campaigners and some political parties. The environment agency advised against reopening the Albuskjell, Vest Ekofisk and Tommeliten Gamma fields. One opposition party accused the government of greenwashing and said the decision ignored advice from its own experts while putting vulnerable natural areas at risk.

The Norwegian energy company Equinor, in which the state owns 67 percent, said it is making a big effort to maintain its 2020 production level of 1.2 million barrels per day through 2035. The company plans to invest $6 billion annually in drilling, new developments and pipelines to arrest any decline.

State holdings in the company are projected to yield about £2 billion in dividends this year.

The energy minister emphasized the importance of job security for the 210,000 people employed in Norway's energy industry. He described the country as having a responsibility to increase investment in response to requests from European partners for more oil and gas deliveries following the war in Ukraine.

A consistent 78 percent tax rate on oil and gas firms, in place since the 1970s, has provided predictability for investors and forms a mainstay of Norway's £1.5 trillion sovereign wealth fund. The chief economist at the Norwegian Offshore Directorate said the aim is to prolong production as long as possible and increase output where feasible.

Norwegian gas currently supplies about one third of Europe's consumption. The country is prioritising further drilling and offshore production well into the 2030s.