Troll Field Offshore Norway Sets New Gas Production Record

The Troll field on the Norwegian side of the North Sea produced 42.5 billion standard cubic meters (Bscm) of natural gas in 2024, surpassing its previous historic record of 38.8 Bscm, Equinor ASA said.

Last year’s production from Troll is equivalent to about three times Norway’s hydropower production in a normal year, according to the majority state-owned company.

“With record-high production in 2024, the Troll field confirms its position as a pillar of Europe's energy security”, Kjetil Hove, Equinor executive vice president for exploration and production in Norway, said in an online statement. Troll gas accounts for about 11 percent of the European Union's gas consumption, according to the company.

 “The field contributes to a stable gas supply for millions of households and is important for European industry”, Hove added.

Equinor, which operates the field with a stake of over 30.58 percent, said, “This year's record is the result of high regularity, a year without turnarounds, as well as upgrades that have increased efficiency”.

A riser replacement on the Troll B platform helped raise production last year, while the capacity of the Kollsnes gas processing plant has increased from 144.5 million standard cubic meters a day (MMscmd) to 156 MMscmd, Equinor said.

Troll holds remaining reserves of 624.2 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent (MMscmoe), from the original recoverable reserves of approximately 1.77 billion standard cubic meters of oil equivalent. Gas accounts for 606 MMscmoe of the remaining reserves while natural gas liquids comprise 15.3 MMscmoe and oil 2.9 MMscmoe, according to information on government website Norskpetroleum.no.

While production grew, carbon dioxide emissions from the field “significantly” fell in 2024, Equinor said. Last year Troll B and Troll C were partially electrified. Troll A, the field’s main gas producing platform, has been electrified since startup in 1996, according to Equinor.

A preliminary estimate indicated Troll emissions dropped by around 15 percent or 90,000 metric tons last year, Equinor said.

Troll’s other owners are Norwegian state-owned Petoro AS with a 56 percent interest, A/S Norske Shell with 8.1 percent, TotalEnergies EP Norge AS with 3.69 percent and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS with 1.62 percent.

"The efforts to recover more Troll gas and increased export capacity clearly help ensure that our customers in Europe get the energy security and long-term perspective they need”, said Helge Haugane, Equinor senior vice president for gas and power trading.

In the third quarter of 2024 Norway continued to be the EU’s top pipeline gas supplier with a share of 47 percent, according to the European Commission’s quarterly gas market report published December 20, 2024.

To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com