The Johan Sverdrup oil field in Norway, run by Norway’s state-owned energy company Equinor, is under fire. Despite being profiled as a “climate-friendly” offshore oil field with little CO2 emissions, the site apparently releases too much of even more damaging methane gases.
Norway’s Environmental Authority (Miljødirektoratet) has warned for too much methane emissions from Johan Sverdrup multiple times, according to a fresh report by Norway’s national broadcasting company NRK.
Equinor started production at Johan Sverdrup in 2019. It produces 755,000 barrels of oil per day, which is 30% of the entire Norwegian oil production. The field is located 160 kilometres (99.4 miles) west of Stavanger, where the Norwegian Sea is 110 to 120 metres (361 to 394 feet) deep. Johan Sverdrup covers an area of 200 square kilometres (77.2 square miles).
“80-90% less carbon”
On Equinor’s website (20 November 2025) it states clearly that Johan Sverdrup produces “80-90% less carbon compared to a similar site run on gas turbines”. Plans call for another 40 years of production at Johan Sverdrup. | © 2025 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com. Featured image: Johan Sverdrup oil field (Photo: Lizette Bertelsen & Johnny Engelsvoll/Equinor)