DNO Buys 10% Stake in Berling Offshore Project. PDO Planned by Year End. Brasse Plans Delayed

The Norwegian oil and gas company DNO said Monday it had acquired an additional 10 percent stake in the Berling field development project from Sval Energi AS. 

DNO now owns a 30% stake in the 2018 gas and condensate discovery, previously known as Iris Hades offshore Norway. Operator OMV and Equinor hold 30 percent and 40 percent interests, respectively.

The partners expect to file a plan for development and operation (PDO) to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy by the end of December. The Berling field will be developed as a subsea tieback to the Asgard B platform, which is approximately 20 kilometers away. 

The Berling field spans three licenses with aligned ownership interests (PL644, PL644B and PL644C). 

Andvare, Brasse

Also, DNO said that separately, plans have been  submitted to the Ministry for the Andvare field development (previously  Gjøk) by a partnership comprising DNO Norge AS (32 percent), operator Equinor Energy AS (53 percent) and PGNiG Upstream Norway AS (15  percent). 

The field is located within a license (PL159B) that also includes the producing Alve field as a subsea tieback to Norne FPSO. Andvare will use existing infrastructure and an available Norne well slot, allowing for a fast-track development of the gas discovery. 

A  third DNO field development that was matured towards a 2022 investment decision is the DNO-operated Brasse project also offshore Norway  (PL740). 

As recent changes in the temporary petroleum tax system and  industry cost pressures have significantly weakened the project’s  economics, the license partners (DNO and Vår Energi ASA with 50 percent  each) have decided not to submit a PDO by yea rend 2022. 

DNO is considering its options to commercialize the Brasse oil and gas discovery, including through a modified development concept.