War Changes Europe's Energy Landscape: Norway Reactivates Gas Fields Sealed for 28 Years
The Norwegian government has approved the reactivation of three North Sea gas fields that have been sealed for 28 years. Production is slated to begin in 2028, supplying natural gas to Germany and condensate to the UK. This move is driven by changes in the global energy landscape due to the Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East, strengthening Norway's role in European energy security.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 21:12
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 21:32 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 22:45 (1h 13m after Collected)
Central News Agency (CNA) reporter Wu Chi-lin, Helsinki, May 7 – The Norwegian government has approved the reactivation of three North Sea gas fields that have been sealed for 28 years. Production is expected to commence as early as 2028 and operate until 2048, with natural gas transported to Germany and condensate to the UK.
On May 5, the Ministry of Energy held a consultation meeting between the government and the oil and gas industry in Stavanger. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Energy Terje Aasland jointly announced the approval of development plans for the three gas fields: Albuskjell, West Ekofisk, and Tommeliten Gamma.
These three fields were discovered in the 1970s and began production between 1977 and 1988. They were simultaneously shut down in 1998 due to the reconstruction of the Ekofisk facility and have remained sealed for over a quarter-century.
The Financial Times reported on May 6 that Norway has replaced Russia as the primary supplier of natural gas to many European countries.
The total investment for the three gas fields is approximately 19 billion Norwegian Kroner (about NT$63.5 billion), with recoverable reserves estimated at 90 million to 120 million barrels of oil equivalent. They will primarily produce natural gas, with a small amount of condensate, to be transported to Emden, Germany, and Teesside, UK, respectively.
Steinar Våge, President of Europe and North Africa for ConocoPhillips (COP), the project's operator, stated: "By utilizing existing infrastructure, we can extract oil and gas resources at a lower cost."
According to the Financial Times, the development plan is operated by ConocoPhillips, with Vår Energi (Norway), Petoro (state-owned), and ORLEN (Poland) holding the remaining shares.
Aasland said: "Norwegian oil and gas production is an important pillar of European energy security. Reactivating these fields will help maintain high supply volumes to Europe in the long term. The importance of stable supply has further increased after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of conflicts in the Middle East."
The Financial Times noted that Norway has increasingly positioned itself as the most trusted oil and gas supply partner for democratic allies, using this to seek EU support for Norway's oil extraction rights in the Arctic region.
Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported on May 6 that Nordea's chief analyst Thina Saltvedt bluntly stated that the reactivation of the three fields is fundamentally driven by Europe's demand for natural gas, and geopolitical considerations are also involved.
She pointed out that the Middle East conflict has led to a reduction in gas imports from the Middle East by the EU, with US liquefied natural gas filling some of the gap. However, with changes in US-Europe relations, Europe is also inclined to seek more partners that can provide stable gas supply. She added that as long as Europe demands Norwegian natural gas, the related supply gap will be difficult to completely fill.
According to NRK, Lars Haltbrekken, environmental policy spokesperson for the Socialist Left Party (SV), criticized the government's approach as "insane," stating: "The government is once again openly ignoring the advice of its own environmental experts. So-called responsible oil extraction is nothing but greenwashing from beginning to end."
The Green Party and the Red Party also criticized the government for abandoning its climate commitments, despite severe warnings from the Norwegian Environment Agency regarding exploration blocks near the coast, which the government chose to disregard.
On the same day, Norway announced the opening of 70 new exploration blocks, 38 of which are in the Barents Sea within the Arctic Circle, marking the closest-to-shore exploration range ever opened. The Financial Times described how, with the three major domestic parties fully supporting oil and gas extraction, the minority Labour government has maximized its energy card this time. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150507
Stand with the facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the CNA "Firsthand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and audio/video content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.
On May 5, the Ministry of Energy held a consultation meeting between the government and the oil and gas industry in Stavanger. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Energy Terje Aasland jointly announced the approval of development plans for the three gas fields: Albuskjell, West Ekofisk, and Tommeliten Gamma.
These three fields were discovered in the 1970s and began production between 1977 and 1988. They were simultaneously shut down in 1998 due to the reconstruction of the Ekofisk facility and have remained sealed for over a quarter-century.
The Financial Times reported on May 6 that Norway has replaced Russia as the primary supplier of natural gas to many European countries.
The total investment for the three gas fields is approximately 19 billion Norwegian Kroner (about NT$63.5 billion), with recoverable reserves estimated at 90 million to 120 million barrels of oil equivalent. They will primarily produce natural gas, with a small amount of condensate, to be transported to Emden, Germany, and Teesside, UK, respectively.
Steinar Våge, President of Europe and North Africa for ConocoPhillips (COP), the project's operator, stated: "By utilizing existing infrastructure, we can extract oil and gas resources at a lower cost."
According to the Financial Times, the development plan is operated by ConocoPhillips, with Vår Energi (Norway), Petoro (state-owned), and ORLEN (Poland) holding the remaining shares.
Aasland said: "Norwegian oil and gas production is an important pillar of European energy security. Reactivating these fields will help maintain high supply volumes to Europe in the long term. The importance of stable supply has further increased after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of conflicts in the Middle East."
The Financial Times noted that Norway has increasingly positioned itself as the most trusted oil and gas supply partner for democratic allies, using this to seek EU support for Norway's oil extraction rights in the Arctic region.
Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported on May 6 that Nordea's chief analyst Thina Saltvedt bluntly stated that the reactivation of the three fields is fundamentally driven by Europe's demand for natural gas, and geopolitical considerations are also involved.
She pointed out that the Middle East conflict has led to a reduction in gas imports from the Middle East by the EU, with US liquefied natural gas filling some of the gap. However, with changes in US-Europe relations, Europe is also inclined to seek more partners that can provide stable gas supply. She added that as long as Europe demands Norwegian natural gas, the related supply gap will be difficult to completely fill.
According to NRK, Lars Haltbrekken, environmental policy spokesperson for the Socialist Left Party (SV), criticized the government's approach as "insane," stating: "The government is once again openly ignoring the advice of its own environmental experts. So-called responsible oil extraction is nothing but greenwashing from beginning to end."
The Green Party and the Red Party also criticized the government for abandoning its climate commitments, despite severe warnings from the Norwegian Environment Agency regarding exploration blocks near the coast, which the government chose to disregard.
On the same day, Norway announced the opening of 70 new exploration blocks, 38 of which are in the Barents Sea within the Arctic Circle, marking the closest-to-shore exploration range ever opened. The Financial Times described how, with the three major domestic parties fully supporting oil and gas extraction, the minority Labour government has maximized its energy card this time. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150507
Stand with the facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force for protecting press freedom.
Download the CNA "Firsthand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and audio/video content on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.