ORLEN Advances Cerisa Project in the North Sea
ORLEN Upstream Norway, together with its license partners, has taken a final investment decision on the development of the Cerisa discovery. The project is expected to deliver 8.5 million barrels of oil equivalent net to ORLEN, including approximately 0.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Start-up of production is planned for 2027.
The Cerisa discovery was made in June 2024 within license PL 636, located approximately 120 km north of Bergen. The license operator is Vår Energi, and the remaining partners, alongside ORLEN Upstream Norway, are INPEX Idemitsu Norge and DNO Norge.
“Cerisa demonstrates ORLEN’s effectiveness at every stage of upstream operations. Only two years have passed between the discovery and the approval of the development concept, and we expect to bring the field on stream in less than two years. The efficiency with which we are delivering this project is not only the result of strong cooperation with our license partners, but also evidence of our ability to leverage synergies across our asset portfolio,” said Wiesław Prugar, Vice-President of the ORLEN Management Board for Upstream.
At peak production, Cerisa is expected to deliver approximately 6,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day to ORLEN Upstream Norway, representing nearly 6% of the company’s daily production in 2025. The development concept provides for the drilling of two production wells from an existing subsea template currently used for the Duva field within the same license. The use of existing infrastructure will reduce costs and shorten the project timeline, while tying in Cerisa resources is also expected to generate synergies that enhance production efficiency at the Duva field.
The Cerisa development is part of the wider Gjøa Subsea Project, which also brings on stream two additional discoveries – Ofelia and Gjøa Nord – with the Gjøa platform serving as a regional production hub. Although ORLEN does not hold a share in these fields, the coordinated development and operation are expected to deliver additional financial and operational synergies, ultimately lowering the unit production cost per barrel for both Cerisa and Duva.
Vår Energi, ORLEN Upstream Norway and INPEX Idemitsu Norge each hold a 30% stake in the Cerisa development, while the remaining 10% is owned by DNO Norge.
Earlier this year, in May, the Norwegian Ministry of Energy approved development plans for three other fields in which ORLEN is a partner: Albuskjell, Vest Ekofisk and Tommeliten Gamma. These assets are expected to deliver approximately 23 million boe, including around 3 bcm of gas. Start-up of production is planned for 2028.
The photo may be used to illustrate press materials on the Cerisa development, provided that the copyright is indicated: © Vår Energi.
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