Equinor, Partners Okay $395M Johan Castberg Tie-Back Scheme
December 11, 2025
Equinor, Vår Energi and Petoro will invest around $395 million (NOK 4 billion) in the first discovery tied back to the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea.
The decision comes eight months after Johan Castberg came on stream. Recoverable oil in the new subsea development is estimated at 46 million barrels, and start-up is planned as early as the fourth quarter of 2028.
Johan Castberg is the newest oil production hub on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Put on stream in March, the field is now producing 220,000 barrels per day. New projects and new recoverable wells will extend plateau production from Johan Castberg, which currently has estimated recoverable volumes of between 450 and 650 million barrels.
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“A rapid development is possible because we can copy standardised solutions from Johan Castberg. The reservoir is in the same licence and is similar to the discoveries we have developed previously, which means that we can copy equipment and well solutions.
“Johan Castberg has been developed as a future hub in the area. Isflak from 2021 is the first of several discoveries that are now being matured as additional volumes. This will have ripple effects for Norwegian suppliers," said Trond Bokn, Equinor's senior vice president for project development.
The development solution for the Isflak discovery consists of two wells in a new subsea template tied back to existing subsea facilities via pipelines and umbilicals, and all new infrastructure is located within the current Johan Castberg license.
Equinor has therefore applied to the Ministry of Energy for confirmation that Equinor has fulfilled the impact assessment obligation and exemption from the requirement for a plan for development and operation (PDO). Global combustion emissions have been assessed in line with new practice.
Earlier in 2025, a discovery was made in a new segment of the Johan Castberg license, Drivis Tubåen. The discovery was made as an exploratory extension from a production well, and the partnership will now, in consultation with the authorities, assess how it can be quickly put into production.
"We see opportunities to add 250-550 million new recoverable barrels that can be developed and produced over Johan Castberg. The partnership is already planning six new wells for improved oil recovery, and we will explore more in the area," added Grete Birgitte Haaland, senior vice president for Exploration & Production North.
The Johan Castberg field consists of the Skrugard, Havis and Drivis discoveries that were made in the period 2011 to 2014. The field is located 240 kilometers from Hammerfest and 100 kilometers north of the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea.
The Johan Castberg development solution includes a production vessel (FPSO) tied back to an extensive subsea field with a total of 30 wells divided on 10 subsea templates and two satellite structures.
Equinor Energy is the operator, with 46.3%, with Vår Energi holding 30% and Petoro 23.7%.
