ORLEN Discovers Gas in North Sea

Discovery Details

ORLEN Upstream Norway, in collaboration with Equinor, has discovered new natural gas resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The Sissel discovery is expected to yield approximately 1 billion cubic meters of gas, which will be transported to Poland via the Baltic Pipe. The discovery was made in the PL1137 license area, located in the central part of the North Sea, 250 kilometers southwest of Stavanger.

Technical Aspects

The drilling operation, completed in 39 days despite challenging weather conditions, reached a total depth of 4,359 meters. The exploration well confirmed the presence of natural gas with a condensate admixture. The size of the discovery is estimated at 6.3–28.3 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Infrastructure and Development

The Sissel discovery could be developed as a tie-back to the Utgard field, located five kilometers to the north. The Utgard field itself was developed as a tie-back to the Sleipner complex, a key production center for ORLEN on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. This approach would enable a rapid start-up and significantly reduce investment costs, while also helping to offset natural production declines at Utgard.

Ownership and Future Plans

The PL1137 license is jointly owned 50/50 by ORLEN Upstream Norway and Equinor, with Equinor as the operator. ORLEN acquired its share in the license following the acquisition of KUFPEC Norway in 2024. The potential development of the Sissel discovery is subject to the license partners' decision following economic, technical, and operational evaluations.