Equinor and Petoro agree to harmonise equity interests

Equinor and Petoro have entered into a value-neutral asset swap agreement in the Haltenbanken area.
Updated 1 January 2025 (see below)
Equinor will increase its ownership in the Heidrun field and Noatun discovery and reduce its ownership in the Tyrihans field and the Castberg field, as well as the Carmen and Beta discoveries.

“We have a strategy to continue the development and the value creation on the Norwegian continental shelf and expect to maintain a high production with lower emissions towards 2035. Alignment of ownership around the larger production hubs are important enablers for long-term value creation,” says Kjetil Hove, executive vice president for Exploration and Production Norway.
Heidrun and Tyrihans are two of the largest producing fields in the Halten area in the Norwegian Sea. Heidrun is among the fields with the longest remaining life on the Norwegian continental shelf.
“Although this is a value-neutral swap, this alignment of ownership will add more value to all parties from the Halten-area over time. Balanced partnerships will simplify commercial agreements, lower operating costs, and accelerate new developments with added production at a lower cost,” Hove continues.
Currently, Equinor holds a low equity interest in the Heidrun field of 13.0%, while Petoro has an equity interest of 57.8%. For Tyrihans, Equinor’s ownership is high, at 58.8%, while Petoro does not hold any equity.
Following the completion of the transaction, Equinor will own 34.4% in Heidrun and 36.3% in Tyrihans, while Petoro will own 36.4% in Heidrun and 22.5% in Tyrihans. Equinor ownership of Johan Castberg will be 46.3%.
The swap agreement is subject tovarious regulatory approvals andapproval by the Norwegian Parliament. The effective date of the agreement is 1 January 2025.
Latest news

Equinor contests penalty notice from Økokrim
In May 2021, Equinor Refining Norway AS (“Equinor Mongstad”) was charged with violations of the Pollution Control Act. The case concerns historical matters related to emissions and discharges that the company itself has uncovered, investigated, and improved.

Equinor's head office will remain at Forus
After a thorough process and evaluation of various alternatives, the Equinor board has decided to keep the head office at Forus East. The building will be significantly upgraded to create a modern, attractive and sustainable head office gathering all employees in the Stavanger region.

2024 tax contributions for Equinor
The tax contribution to society from Equinor amounted to a total of USD 25.8 billion for 2024, including employment taxes. In a year characterised by a gradual normalisation of energy markets, Equinor continues to deliver strong tax contributions.