Equinor and Aker BP swap stakes in several Norwegian oil and gas fields (updated)

Aker BP ASA

21/05/2026 06:23

Adds quotes, detail in paragraphs 2-6

OSLO, May 21 (Reuters) - Norwegian oil companies Equinor EQNR.OL and Aker BP AKRBP.OL said on Thursday they have agreed to swap stakes in several oil and gas fields off the coast of Norway, and that this could lead to increased production by speeding up new developments.

Initial deals involved stakes in a cluster of discoveries known as Ringvei Vest as well as the Yggdrasil field and the Wisting area, and could be followed by further transactions, the companies said.

"These agreements will enable better development solutions, reduce complexity, and support value creation in line with our long-term strategy," Equinor Executive Vice President Kjetil Hove said in a statement.

"By aligning interests across these assets, we can enable better and faster project decisions," he added.

Norway is Europe's biggest oil and gas producer, pumping more than four million barrels of oil equivalent per day, and aims to extend the lifetime of its petroleum industry in the coming decades.

"The transactions support Equinor's strategy to optimise its oil and gas portfolio and enable high-value, timely developments on the Norwegian continental shelf towards 2035," the majority state-owned company said.

 (Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Tom Hogue and Kim Coghill)

 ((terje.solsvik@thomsonreuters.com; +47 918 666 70;))