ORLEN gains six new Norwegian licenses, including the Victoria gas discovery, leveraging advanced technology and partnerships to unlock stranded offshore resources.
ORLEN has further strengthened its upstream footprint in Northern Europe after its subsidiary, ORLEN Upstream Norway, was awarded interests in six new exploration and production licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. These licenses were offered by the Norwegian Ministry of Energy following the completion of the APA 2025 licensing round, one of the country’s most important annual mechanisms for allocating acreage to oil and gas companies. Among the newly granted licenses, one asset in particular stands out for its potential to significantly enhance future natural gas production in Norway.
Consistent with its established strategy, ORLEN focused its applications on acreage located close to its existing portfolio of producing fields and developments. This proximity-driven approach allows the company to take advantage of already installed offshore infrastructure, including pipelines, platforms, and processing facilities. By leveraging such infrastructure, potential discoveries can be developed more efficiently, with lower capital expenditure requirements and shorter lead times from discovery to production. As a result of the APA 2025 process, ORLEN was offered licenses in areas neighboring key fields such as Skarv, Vilje, Yme, and Yggdrasil, further consolidating its regional presence.
Importantly, not all of the newly awarded licenses are purely frontier exploration opportunities. One of the most strategically significant assets included in the APA 2025 outcome is the Victoria discovery, located near the Skarv area. Victoria is a tight gas accumulation that was originally discovered in 2000 and is estimated to contain up to 140 billion cubic meters of gas in place. Despite its size, the field has remained undeveloped for decades due to technical and economic challenges.
Previous license holders relinquished the Victoria license after drilling an appraisal well in 2009. At that time, the reservoir was classified as highly challenging due to its high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) conditions and unfavorable reservoir properties. The completion and stimulation technologies available then resulted in production rate estimates that were insufficient to justify commercial development. However, the technological landscape has changed considerably since that period.
ORLEN now believes that recent advances in upstream and well stimulation technologies could enable economically viable production from Victoria. To pursue this opportunity, the company is establishing a new joint venture together with Aker BP, Equinor, and Harbour Energy. Under the current structure, ORLEN Upstream Norway has been offered a 20 percent interest in the license covering the Victoria discovery, while Aker BP will serve as the operator.
According to Wieslaw Prugar, ORLEN Management Board Member responsible for Upstream activities, confidence in the project is underpinned by major progress in offshore HPHT well stimulation techniques. He emphasized that Victoria represents one of the largest undeveloped gas discoveries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Success at Victoria could unlock access to a broader portfolio of unconventional gas resources across the region, where total stranded in-place volumes are estimated to exceed 800 billion cubic meters. Such an outcome would not only be transformative for the joint venture but could also reshape development prospects for similar tight gas discoveries in Norway.
ORLEN brings to the partnership extensive experience in stimulation technologies acquired from onshore operations across its international portfolio. The company plans to transfer this expertise to offshore Norwegian projects through enhanced cooperation and knowledge sharing within the ORLEN Group, with the objective of improving efficiency and maximizing value creation across its global upstream activities.
The APA (Awards in Predefined Areas) rounds remain the cornerstone of Norway’s licensing framework. Each year, the Ministry of Energy defines eligible areas and evaluates applications based on geological understanding, technical capability, and the robustness of proposed work programs. In the APA 2025 round, a total of 57 licenses were allocated to 19 companies, with formal awards scheduled to be finalized in March. With these new additions, ORLEN Upstream Norway now holds interests in 94 licenses, underscoring its long-term commitment to the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
