Norway brought the second stage of its Troll Phase 3 gas project online on August 22, months ahead of schedule and under budget. The expansion accelerates 55 billion cubic meters of gas already in the Troll West reservoir rather than adding new reserves, so sustaining Norway's exports to Europe will still depend on future discoveries.
Norway has started production from the second stage of the Troll Phase 3 development, pulling forward 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from the Troll West reservoir. Production began on August 22, several months earlier than planned and tens of millions of dollars below the original estimate of approximately $1.2 billion, according to Equinor.
The project does not add to Troll's recoverable resources. Instead, it brings existing reserves to market sooner, supporting output through Troll A and the Kollsnes processing plant as other mature Norwegian fields decline. Europe is not getting a new source of natural gas — Norway is improving the timing and reliability of supply from an existing one.
Troll accelerates supply, not reserves
The 55 billion cubic meters covered by the project is equivalent to almost two years of French gas demand. According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the development could accelerate as much as 7 billion cubic meters in a single year, equivalent to roughly 6% of Norway's recent annual gas exports.
Lill Harriet Brusdal, Equinor's vice president for Troll and Kvitebjørn, said: "This project accelerates production from the reservoir, helping maintain today's high level of gas exports" from Troll and Kollsnes for as long as possible.
A 30-year-old platform still anchors European supply
Troll A began production in 1996, and the Troll field holds approximately 40% of the remaining gas reserves on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, supplying gas equivalent to around 10% of European consumption. Norway has replaced Russia as Europe's largest supplier of pipeline gas since the invasion of Ukraine, so performance at Troll now carries more weight for the continent's energy security.
The start-up also comes one day after Equinor signed a 15-year agreement to supply Germany's Uniper with more than 30 terawatt-hours, or approximately 2.8 billion cubic meters, of gas annually from 2027.
Existing infrastructure keeps the economics working
Troll Phase 3 Stage 2 reused facilities and standardized designs from the project's first stage, which started production in 2021. That let the development move from investment decision to first gas in just over two years, with the eight-well drilling campaign finishing in five and a half months, 25% faster than planned.
But leaning on decades-old platforms and pipelines to bring new volumes online faster also deepens Norway's dependence on that existing infrastructure as fields mature. The Troll partners have already approved a follow-on project, Troll West Increased Gas Recovery North, a roughly $400 million development expected to add between 2 million and 2.5 million cubic meters of gas per day during its first eight years starting in 2028.
Accelerated production buys time, but it does not replace new supply. Without enough replacement discoveries, pulling tomorrow's gas forward to sustain today's export levels could mean a steeper decline later.
Source: Oilprice.com
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