Equinor Welcomes OKEA as New Partner in the Statfjord Area

Equinor has entered into an agreement to divest 28% working interest in PL037 (Statfjord area) to OKEA with an effective date 1 January 2023.

The total consideration is USD 220 million plus a contingent payment element based on oil and gas prices over a 3-year period. A 28% working interest in PL037 gives 23.9% in Statfjord Unit, 28% in Statfjord Nord, 14% in Statfjord Øst Unit and 15.4% in Sygna Unit.

“With this transaction, we continue to optimize our oil and gas portfolio, welcoming an industrial player with late-life expertise into the Statfjord partnership. This will contribute to diversification and high value-creation from the Statfjord area in the years to come,” said Camilla Salthe, senior vice president for Field Life Extension, FLX.

FLX is a unit within Equinor that is responsible for safe and efficient operations of late life assets through new ways of working.

“Taken together with the recent acquisitions from Wellesley in Norway, the transaction demonstrates Equinor’s approach to long term portfolio optimisation and high-grading,” adds Salthe.

In December 2021, Equinor signed an agreement with Spirit Energy to acquire its interests in the Statfjord area. The acquisition resulted in Equinor holding a 78.6% working interest in Statfjord Unit, with Vår Energi holding the remaining interest. Following the transaction with OKEA, Equinor will have a 54.7% working interest and remain the operator of the Statfjord field.

Since production start in 1979, Statfjord has produced more than 5.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent and created gross revenues of over NOK 1,675 billion.

“We still have high expectations for Statfjord and by developing new ways of working we aim to extend the lifetime of the field towards 2040 and reduce emissions with 50% by 2030,” adds Salthe.

The closing of the transaction is subject to customary government approval and is expected to be completed in fourth quarter of 2023.

Facts about the Statfjord area

• The Statfjord area covers the following licenses: Statfjord Unit (or Statfjord main field), Statfjord Øst Unit, Statfjord Nord, Sygna Unit and Barnacle. The Statfjord Unit development covers the Statfjord A, B and C concrete gravity base platforms. The other fields, except for Barnacle, are subsea developments tied back to the main field platforms. Equinor is operator for all licenses.
• Following the transaction, the field licensees (partners) will be as follows:
  • Statfjord Unit: Equinor Energy AS (40,17028%), Okea ASA (23,93123%), Vår Energi AS (21,36717%), Equinor UK Ltd (14.53131%)
  • Statfjord Øst Unit: Equinor Energy AS (29,25%), Petoro AS (30%), Vår Energi AS (20,55%), Okea ASA (14,0%), Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS (4,8%), Wintershall DEA Norge AS (1,4%)
  • Statfjord Nord: Petoro AS (30%), Vår Energi AS (25%), Okea ASA (28,0%), Equinor Energy AS (17,0%)
  • Sygna Unit: Equinor Energy AS (28,025%), Petoro AS (30,0%), Vår Energi AS (20,995%), Okea ASA (15,4%), Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS (4,32%), Wintershall DEA Norge AS (1,26%)