Equinor and partner Aker BP have made a small gas/condensate discovery in the Linga prospect in the northern Norwegian North Sea, according to a Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) news release.

The COSL Innovator semisubmersible rig drilled exploration well 25/7-13 in 126 m of water in production license 782 S, 16 km northwest of the Balder Field and 205 km west of Stavanger, Norway.

Initial analysis suggests a recoverable resource in the range 0.1-2.1 MMcmoe, NOD stated.

The discovery lies near existing Balder-area infrastructure, one of the Norwegian North Sea's longest-producing production hubs. Although the estimated volumes are modest, smaller discoveries can be commercially attractive if they can be tied back to existing facilities and export infrastructure.

The Balder area has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years, with operators seeking to extend production through new wells, satellite developments and infrastructure upgrades.

This was the third well drilled in the license since it was awarded in 2015. The licensees are assessing the results from all three wells to determine whether there is further exploration potential elsewhere in the acreage.

The Linga well encountered gas/condensate in separate sandstone layers in the Draupne Formation with a total thickness of 13 m, before being terminated in the Heather Formation from the Late Jurassic. It has since been permanently plugged and abandoned.