ORLEN acquires stake in the Afrodite discovery, 12.02.2026
fot. www.orlen.pl
ORLEN Upstream Norway has agreed to acquire a 25% interest in production license PL293 in the North Sea from Vår Energi. The license covers the unconventional Afrodite gas discovery, which has the potential to deliver nearly 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas net to ORLEN.
The Afrodite project will also serve as a testing ground for new methods for producing unconventional resources on the Continental Shelf, including Victoria – the largest undeveloped gas discovery in Norway – in which ORLEN also holds a stake.
The acquisition of the PL293 license remains subject to standard Norwegian regulatory approvals. Upon completion, ORLEN will hold a 25% interest in the Afrodite field. Equinor will remain operator of the license with a 70% stake, while Wellesley Petroleum will hold 5%.
The Afrodite transaction further strengthens ORLEN’s unconventional upstream portfolio in Norway. In January 2026, following the APA 2025 licensing round, ORLEN Upstream Norway received an offer to acquire a 20% stake in the unconventional Victoria gas discovery, whose resources in place are estimated at 140 billion cubic meters. Total discovered unconventional gas resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf awaiting development decisions exceed 800 billion cubic meters.
ORLEN Upstream Norway’s involvement in the search for and acquisition of new deposits is consistent with the ORLEN 2035 strategy, according to which Norwegian fields are expected to deliver up to 12 billion m³ of natural gas annually by 2030.
Source: www.orlen.pl
