2. Summary
In 2024, approximately 242 million Sm³ o.e. were produced on the NCS. This is an increase of 8 million Sm3 o.e. compared to 2023 and the highest level since 2009.
In 2024, 44 exploration wells were started (31 wildcat wells and 13 appraisal wells). 42 exploration wells were completed, and 16 new discoveries were made on the NCS, resulting in resource growth of 38 million Sm3 o.e., which is slightly lower than last year.
Total greenhouse gas emissions from the NCS and onshore facilities under the Petroleum Tax Act in 2024 were 10.6 million CO2 equivalents, down 4.5 percent from 2023. CO₂ emissions per produced unit decreased from 7.3 kg/barrel o.e. in 2023 to 6.7 kg/barrel o.e. in 2024. Despite high production in recent years and a new annual record for gas production in 2024, emissions on the Norwegian continental shelf continue to fall. The decrease from 2023 is partly linked to the electrification of Troll Vest, Sleipner and Gina Krog with onshore power.
Methane emissions on the NCS are low by international standards, and total methane emissions decreased further from 11,579 tonnes in 2023 to 10,871 tonnes in 2024.
Total NOx emissions from petroleum activities were reduced by 3.2 percent from 2023 to 2024. NOx emissions totalled 32,617 tonnes in 2024.
There was lower drilling activity in 2024 than in 2023, and less drilling fluid was used compared to the previous year. The use of water-based drilling fluids was reduced by 16 percent, and the use of oil-based drilling fluids increased marginally by 1 percent. This indicates efficient drilling operations, which is also reflected in emission to air from mobile rigs. There was a 5 percent decrease in the discharge of drill cuttings contaminated with water-based drilling fluids, while injection of cuttings increased by approximately 30 percent. The amount of hazardous waste sent to shore decreased slightly in 2024 compared to 2023.
Produced water discharges in 2024 amounted to 116 million m³, an increase from 113 million m³ in 2023. 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 increased slightly from 11.5 mg/l in 2023 to 11.9 mg/l in 2024. 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 increased from 162,000 tonnes in 2023, to 167,000 tonnes in 2024, 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 0.24 and 0.002 percent of emissions, respectively.
Extensive preventive work 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 2024, there were a total of 36 acute oil spills, of which 12 exceeded 50 litres in volume. When looking only at crude oil spills, there were a total of 24 spills, and in the category greater than 1 m³, there were 4 spills in 2024. The total volume of acute oil spills in 2024 was 96 m³, an increase from 76 m³ in 2023. The largest single spill in 2024 was 75 m³, in connection with an incident at Njord in December, when around 75 m3 of crude oil was accidentally released through the produced water system. 25–30 percent of the spill (around 20 m³) was transformed into wax-rich oil lumps, some of which – for the first time on the Norwegian continental shelf – reached the shore. Nearly 10 m3 of oil lumps were collected during an extensive oil spill response operation along the coast from Frøya northwards to Helgeland in the spring of 2025. No environmental damage was reported, nor were any birds or marine mammals harmed by the oil.
The number of unplanned chemical spills increased slightly from 347 m3 in 2023 to 404 m3 in 2024. More than half of the spills were small (below 50 litres). The majority of the discharges (98.8 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 effects on organisms in the water column are limited to the vicinity of the discharge.