Aker BP announces major oil discovery in Norway’s North Sea
Aker BP announced a major oil discovery in the Yggdrasil region of the Norwegian North Sea, marking one of the largest finds in the country in recent years. The discovery, made through the Omega Alfa exploration campaign, is estimated to hold between 96 and 134 million barrels of oil equivalent.
This boosts the total resource base of Yggdrasil, which already held about 700 million barrels, and brings the company closer to its ambition of producing more than one billion barrels from the area.
The campaign involved drilling five prospects — Omega, Alfa, Alfa South, Sigma NE, and Pi — using the Deepsea Stavanger rig. In just three months, the team drilled a total of 45,000 metres, including 40,000 metres within reservoir zones. Among the records set were the three longest well branches ever drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf, with the longest extending 10,666 metres.
Beyond adding significant new volumes, the project generated an unprecedented amount of high-quality reservoir data. The company highlighted that this reduces subsurface uncertainty and will speed up development work. With this knowledge in hand, Aker BP can now move quickly into concept studies to evaluate how best to tie the discovery back to existing Yggdrasil infrastructure.
The Yggdrasil development already has its Plan for Development and Operation approved, with first oil scheduled for 2027. The new discovery further strengthens the project’s economic foundation and its role as a cornerstone of Norway’s energy future.
The Omega Alfa campaign was carried out across multiple licences. Aker BP operates licences 873 and 873 B with a 47.7% share, alongside Equinor with 40% and Orlen Upstream Norway with 12.3%. In licence 1249, Aker BP holds 38.16%, Equinor 32%, Petoro 20%, and Orlen 9.84%. This collaboration underscores the scale and strategic importance of the project for Norway’s offshore industry.
