Norwegian operator DNO ASA said an Afrodite appraisal set recoverable resources at 77 million to 180 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe), while partners approved Kjøttkake’s development.
DNO said license partners approved the Kjøttkake project this week after the discovery was made last year. DNO owns 40% and estimates the field’s recoverable resources at 37 MMboe. The plan calls for three subsea wells connected to the Gjøa platform, with production expected to start by the first half of 2028.
The company forecasts gross output of about 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day once production reaches plateau. Aker BP, which holds a 45% stake, will operate the project under an arrangement that returns operatorship to DNO after first oil, DNO said. The company expects Kjøttkake to add to production at Gjøa, which it describes as its largest offshore production hub in Norway.
Afrodite is a gas-condensate discovery in Norwegian North Sea license PL293, where DNO holds a 10% interest. The company said the appraisal more than doubled its previous resource estimate. The well found hydrocarbons at greater depths and gave the partners a clearer picture of reservoir distribution across the structure, according to DNO.
DNO said the partners will examine development options for the high-pressure, high-temperature discovery in tight reservoir rock. Its leading scenario involves extensive reservoir stimulation and a connection spanning 30 kilometers to the Kvitebjørn hub. DNO holds a 19% interest in the hub.
A March asset swap with Equinor Energy AS gave DNO its Afrodite interest, the company said. The transaction also gave DNO a 19% interest in nearby Atlantis, which it describes as a potential Kvitebjørn tie-back approaching a final investment decision. In the same area, DNO holds 30% of the Carmen discovery, appraised in June. The company estimates Carmen’s recoverable resources at 21 MMboe to 107 MMboe in tight reservoirs that may benefit from hydraulic fracturing.
