Equinor and its partners will invest just over 4 billion Norwegian crowns ($410 million) in a new subsea development at Norway’s offshore Troll field, aiming to increase natural gas production from one of Europe’s most important energy assets.
The project, known as TWIN, was announced on Friday and forms the third stage of the Troll Phase 3 development, which targets gas resources in the Troll West reservoir in the North Sea.
Norway, Europe’s largest natural gas supplier, currently meets about 30% of the continent’s annual gas demand, with Troll standing as the country’s largest gas field.
According to Equinor, the expansion is expected to boost gas output by between 2 million and 2.5 million cubic metres per day during its first eight years of operation, representing just under 1% of Norway’s daily production.
The development is projected to deliver around 11 billion standard cubic metres of additional gas from the Troll field over its lifespan.
Equinor is undertaking the project alongside state-owned Petoro, Shell, TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips, which collectively hold interests in the field.
The TWIN development will consist of two subsea wells, a seabed template and a pipeline linked to existing offshore infrastructure.
Production from the new facilities is expected to begin as early as 2028, according to Gunnar Nakken, Equinor’s senior vice president for projects and subsea operations in Norway.
The company said the project will lower costs and accelerate development through greater standardisation and the reuse of existing equipment and infrastructure.
The investment follows regulatory approval last month for the start-up of the second phase of Troll Phase 3, underscoring efforts to strengthen long-term gas supplies to Europe.