Equinor ASA and ORLEN SA have announced a natural gas discovery on Norway’s side of the North Sea, with plans to connect it to the Baltic Pipe to supply Poland.
The Sissel discovery in production license (PL) 1137 is estimated to hold 6.3-28.3 million oil-equivalent barrels, mainly gas with condensate admixture, Poland’s majority state-owned ORLEN said in a statement on its website. Sissel, or well 15/8-3 S, is the first exploration well drilled in PL1137, awarded 2022, according to a separate press release by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate.
“The Sissel discovery, from which we expect to obtain approximately one billion cubic meters [35.31 billion cubic feet] of gas, strengthens our asset portfolio in Norway and represents another step toward achieving the ORLEN Group’s strategic objectives”, said ORLEN president Ireneusz Fafara. “Norwegian gas plays a crucial role in ensuring stable supplies for our customers. This was clearly demonstrated earlier this year, when we recorded record‑high demand from the energy sector, businesses and households – reaching as much as 100 million cubic meters in a single day.
“In response, we increased gas imports, including via the Baltic Pipe, which transports gas from the Norwegian continental shelf to Poland.
“As a company fundamental to Poland’s energy security, we remain firmly committed to further developing cooperation with our Norwegian partners based on our own production on the Shelf”.
The partners are considering tying back Sissel to the Utgard field, itself a tieback to the Sleipner complex.
PL1137, in the central part of the North Sea, sits 250 kilometers (155.34 miles) from Stavanger city in southwestern Norway, according to ORLEN. Norway’s majority state-owned Equinor is operator with a 50 percent stake, the other half held by ORLEN.
The discovery, with a total depth of 4,359 meters (14,301.18 feet), is five kilometers north of Utgard, ORLEN noted. Utgard, operated by Equinor with ORLEN as its main partner, started producing 2019.
“Later this year, ORLEN Upstream Norway plans to launch Eirin, another field in this area, which will be developed using Gina Krog and Sleipner infrastructure”, ORLEN added, noting Sleipner accounted for nearly 30 percent of its Norwegian production last year.
ORLEN board member Wieslaw Prugar said, “The Sissel discovery confirms effectiveness of our exploration strategy, which focuses on resources located close to existing installations”.
“Sissel can be developed as a tieback to this infrastructure, enabling a rapid startup and significantly reducing investment costs”, Prugar added. “This project will also help offset natural production declines at Utgard, extending the life of its infrastructure.
“By leveraging these synergies, we maximize economic and operational efficiency in our upstream operations, while ensuring stable gas supplies for our customers in Poland and Central Europe”.
‘Game Changer’ Undeveloped Discovery
Earlier this year ORLEN won six exploration and production licenses under the 2025 round of Norway’s Awards in Pre-Defined Areas, one of them already proven and could be a “game changer”, ORLEN said. The Victoria discovery of 2000 is estimated to contain up to 140 billion cubic meters of tight gas resources, it said in an online statement January 13, 2026.
“The former shareholders of the Victoria discovery relinquished the license after drilling an appraisal well in 2009, citing challenging reservoir properties in a high-pressure/high-temperature environment that resulted in low production rate estimates from the conventional completion technology available at the time. Today, ORLEN, who is establishing a new joint venture alongside Aker BP, Equinor and Harbour Energy, believes that achieving economic production rates from Victoria may now be possible”, the statement said.
“Upstream technologies have advanced in recent years such that there is an increased confidence in well stimulation within offshore HPHT [high-pressure/high-temperature] environments”, said Prugar. “Victoria is one of the largest undeveloped gas discoveries on the Norwegian shelf.
“If the revitalized approach to Victoria of our joint venture is successful, this would enable access to other unconventional gas discoveries currently stranded on the Norwegian continental shelf, whose combined in-place resources are estimated at over 800 billion cubic meters of gas. Our involvement in the Victoria project will give us a strong position to pursue similar opportunities in the future”.
ORLEN Upstream Norway was offered 20 percent in the license, to be operated by Norwegian player Aker BP ASA, according to the statement.
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