Norway's field of dreams

Equinor has had to dig deep to get Aasta Hansteen underway, in more ways than one

The Aasta Hansteen gas field has faced a challenging development as the first Norwegian Sea deepwater project -perhaps even comparable to the journey of the trailblazing 19th century Norwegian feminist after which it is named. But its operator believes these are worth overcoming due to the field's potential to open up a major new European exploration area. Located some 300km west of Sandnessjøen, far from other fields and in an area known for harsh weather conditions, Aasta Hansteen faced a range of logistical obstacles before starting production last December. Operated by Norway's Equinor and partners including Austria's OMV, Germany's Wintershall and US independent ConocoPhillips, Aasta Ha