### **Equinor Expands Its Stake in Halten East Multi-Field Development Offshore Mid-Norway**
In a strategic move to bolster its presence in the Norwegian Sea, Equinor, Norway’s state-controlled energy giant, has agreed to acquire Sval Energi’s 11.8% stake in the Halten East Unit development. This acquisition is contingent upon obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals.
#### The Halten East Project
Located in the Norwegian Sea, the Halten East multi-field development is a significant offshore energy project that holds approximately 100 million barrels of oil equivalent. The project includes six gas and condensate discoveries and options on three additional prospects. These fields are strategically tied back to existing infrastructure at the Åsgard field, leveraging existing gas infrastructure on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS)[1][3].
#### Project Details
The development plan for Halten East was submitted by Equinor and its partners—Vår Energi, Spirit Energy, and Petoro—in May 2022. The project will see an investment of around NOK 9 billion ($935 million) from the partners[3][5]. This significant capital investment will support the project’s two-phased development, with the first phase focusing on drilling six wells across five discoveries between 2024 and 2025. The production from these wells is expected to begin in 2025, with the remaining wells becoming operational as they are completed[1][3].
#### Economic and Employment Impacts
The Halten East Project is not only economically viable but also promises to create substantial employment opportunities in the region. The project is expected to provide more than 3,000 person-years of employment per year over five years from 2022 to 2029, according to Bodø Science Park[1].
#### Contractor Involvement
Several prominent companies have been involved in the development of Halten East. In March 2022, Aker Solutions was selected by Equinor to deliver the subsea production system for the project, including seven standardised vertical subsea trees and five dual-slot satellite structures with manifolds. Wood was also awarded a contract for the detailed design of subsea pipelines, while TechnipFMC received an EPCI contract for manufacturing and installing flowlines and umbilicals and subsea structures. Additionally, Transocean Spitsbergen semi-submersible rig was contracted to drill six production wells for the project[1][2].