2. Summary
In 2023, approximately 233 million Sm³ o.e. were produced on the NCS. This is at the same level as in 2022.
The gas price in Europe has dropped significantly from the historically high levels in the autumn of 2022. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian pipeline gas to the EU has largely disappeared. Much of this loss has been replaced by increased imports of LNG, but increased and stable deliveries of Norwegian pipeline gas have also been crucial.
In 2023, 35 exploration wells were started (23 wildcat wells and 12 appraisal wells), as shown in Figure 2. A total of 15 oil and gas discoveries were made, providing a gross resource growth of 52 million Sm³ o.e.
Total greenhouse gas emissions from the NCS and onshore facilities under the Petroleum Tax Act in 2023 were 11.1 million CO₂ equivalents, a decrease of just over 4 percent from 2022. The decrease from 2022 to 2023 is partly explained to the electrification of Edvard Grieg and the electrification of Snorre and Gullfaks with wind power from Hywind Tampen. Additionally, Knarr was shut down in 2022. CO₂ emissions per produced unit decreased from 7.6 kg/barrel o.e. in 2022 to 7.3 kg/barrel o.e. in 2023.
Methane emissions on the NCS are low by international standards, and total methane emissions decreased further from 12,997 tonnes in 2022 to 11,579 tonnes in 2023.
Total NOx emissions from petroleum activities were reduced by nearly 10 percent from 2022 to 2023, with reduced NOx emissions from both turbines and engines. Total NOx emissions in 2023 were 33,691 tonnes.
There was higher drilling activity in 2023 than in 2022, yet less drilling fluid was used compared to the previous year. This indicates efficient drilling operations, which is also reflected in the air emissions from mobile rigs. The use of water-based drilling fluids was reduced by 25 percent, and the use of oil-based drilling fluids was reduced by over 3 percent. There was a decrease in the discharge of cuttings drilled with water-based drilling fluids by over 15 percent, injection of cuttings increased by over 50 percent, and the amount of hazardous waste sent to shore increased slightly in 2023 compared to 2022.
Produced water discharges in 2023 amounted to 113 million m³, a decrease from 116 million m³ in 2022. Since 2015, emissions have been reduced by over 30 million m³. The proportion of injected produced water remains at the same level as last year (around 30 percent). Many fields on the NCS are mature, requiring increased water injection to maintain reservoir pressure, which in turn increases the amount of produced water from these fields.
The average oil content in produced water decreased from 11.8 mg/l in 2022 to 11.5 mg/l in 2023. The regulatory threshold for oil content is 30 mg/l. Both research results, environmental monitoring, and companies' own risk-based models of these discharges show that the environmental impact of the discharges is low and limited to the vicinity of their source.
Extensive chemical substitution has reduced the release of the most environmentally hazardous chemicals to a fraction of what they were ten years ago. The reason is a risk-based approach, and the substitution of chemicals identified as environmentally hazardous.
The industry actively works to substitute chemicals to reduce the risks associated with discharges. Total chemical discharges decreased from 172,000 tonnes in 2022 to 162,000 tonnes in 2023, with approximately 90 percent of the emissions falling into the so-called green category, which has no or very little environmental impact. The most environmentally hazardous chemicals in the red and black categories now account for 0.25 and 0.002 percent of emissions, respectively.
Extensive preventive work in the industry to avoid unplanned acute oil spills has led to a downward trend in the number of oil spills over many years. The total volume of spills varies significantly from year to year and is dominated by isolated incidents. In 2023, there were a total of 41 acute oil spills, of which 12 exceeded 50 litres in volume. When looking only at crude oil spills, there were a total of 18 spills, and in the category greater than 1 m³, there was 1 spill in 2023. The total volume of acute oil spills in 2023 was 71 m³, an increase from 61 m³ in 2022. The largest single spill in 2023 was 64 m³, an incident at Alvheim in November 2023.
The number of unplanned chemical spills remained roughly unchanged from 2022 to 2023 (194 in 2022 and 199 in 2023). More than half of the spills were small (under 50 litres), and the total discharge volume decreased from 388 m³ in 2022 to 349 m³ in 2023. The majority of the discharges (99.3 percent) are chemicals classified as yellow and green, with no or minimal environmental impact.
Environmental monitoring is conducted by independent consultants pursuant to government recommendations. The industry invests significant resources each year to determine which discharges may have an impact on the natural environment. Environmental monitoring of the seabed and the water column is carried out, along with visual monitoring, especially in areas with vulnerable fauna.
Results from seabed surveys indicate that the impact is related to particle discharges and sedimentation, primarily within a few tens to a few hundred meters from the discharge. For water column monitoring, results show that acute effects on organisms in the water column are limited to the vicinity of the discharge.