Three months after coming on stream, Equinor has announced that the FPSO Johan Castberg is producing at peak capacity of 220 000 bpd of oil. This increases energy deliveries from the Barents Sea by 150%.
The early operation phase has gone according to plan, the field reaching plateau production on 17 June 2025. Seventeen of a total of 30 wells have been completed. The wells that have come on stream are producing as expected.
"Johan Castberg represents a gamechanger for the importance of the Barents Sea for Norway's future as an energy nation. Every three to four days, tank loads now depart from Johan Castberg, each of them worth around half a billion Norwegian kroner. The field will remain on stream for at least 30 years, delivering stable energy to Europe, generating high value for Norway, and ripple effects and jobs in Northern Norway," says Kjetil Hove, Equinor's Executive Vice President for Exploration & Production Norway.
The FPSO came on stream on 31 March 2025, opening a new area for production in the Barents Sea. The first cargo was loaded by the tanker Bodil Knutsen on 25 May 2025, shipping around 700 000 barrels to Spain. Almost all oil from the NCS is currently delivered to Europe.
New exploration targets have been matured in the Johan Castberg area. Going forward, two rigs will be drilling new exploration wells in the areas around Johan Castberg and Goliat. They will also drill production wells for the fields.
Read the latest issue of Oilfield Technology magazine for upstream news, project stories, industry insight and technical articles.
The May/June 2025 issue of Oilfield Technology includes articles on reducing methane emissions, smart infrared technology, the challenge of torsional vibrations, flow control, upstream sensing, and water treatment.
Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/20062025/equinor-announces-johan-castberg-fpso-producing-at-full-capacity/
