Norway oil output hits 2.1 million b/d on Johan Sverdrup production

London — Norway's oil production surged by nearly 100,000 b/d in December to 2.08 million b/d as the Johan Sverdrup field propelled a significant recovery in the country's output, data from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate showed.

Of total liquids output, crude production was up by 4.3% month on month and 17% from a year earlier at 1.76 million b/d.

On an annual basis, Norwegian liquids production in 2019 was still down 6%, reflecting the steep drop in output from fields other than the giant Johan Sverdrup, which came on stream in October.

The 2.7-billion-barrel field was said by state-controlled Equinor to be producing well over 300,000 b/d within six weeks of coming on line, and loadings of the crude are set to exceed 400,000 b/d in February.

The International Energy Agency estimates total North Sea oil supply reached 3.3 million b/d in December, the highest since January 2018, also reflecting the return of fields such as Buzzard, located offshore the UK, following disruption.

However, the IEA also noted Denmark's oil production had fallen by 25% since mid-2019 to just 80,000 b/d in December, partly due to the shutdown of the Tyra field by Total for a two-year refurbishment project.