Equinor has proven gas and condensate in the Ragnfrid North exploration well, which is located near the Kristin field offshore Norway. Recoverable resources are estimated at 6-25 million barrels of oil equivalent.

The well 6406/2-9 S is located in production license 199 in the Norwegian Sea where Equinor is the operator and its partners are Petoro, ExxonMobil, and Total.

“We are pleased to start the new year by announcing a new discovery. Exploring for resources close to existing infrastructure is a central part of Equinor's strategy to further develop the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). We need this kind of discoveries in the years to come,” says Nick Ashton, Equinor's senior vice president for Norway and the UK.

Ragnfrid North is located around 20 kilometres south of the Kristin platform in the Norwegian Sea. The discovery will help clarify the resource base in the area for the next years, Equinor said on Wednesday.

“Ragnfrid North will, together with the former discoveries Lavrans and Erlend East, give a more detailed picture of the potential in this area of the Norwegian Sea,” says Ashton.

The license partners will now evaluate the discovery for development and tie-in to the Kristin field and further maturing of the Kristin South project.

“The Ragnfrid North discovery will increase the probability of discovery for other prospects and pave the way for more drilling operations in this central part of the Norwegian Sea. This is something we will consider going forward while further analysing the results. The NCS still offers great potential,” says Ashton.

Equinor received safety consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority to use the West Phoenix drilling rig for the Ragnfrid North well in June and drilling permit for the well in August 2018. Exploration drilling in Ragnfrid North started on October 3, 2018.

According to Equinor, the West Phoenix rig is now being moved to the UK continental shelf to drill the Equinor-operated Big Foot prospect south of the Mariner field.