Norway trims gas exports ahead of winter as fields undergo maintenance

Norway, Europe's largest gas supplier, is set to reduce its export capacity by roughly one-fifth through the end of September as it carries out a final round of planned maintenance before the winter heating season. The work is part of routine preparations to ensure the country's pipeline network and processing plants are ready for peak demand.

According to Gassco, the state-owned operator of Norway's gas infrastructure, the median reduction in aggregated capacity will reach 71 million cubic metres (mcm) per day. That figure represents about 20% of typical daily deliveries, which usually run around 340 mcm.

Alfred Skaar Hansen, head of system operation at Gassco, said this year's maintenance schedule has been lighter than usual and has so far progressed largely as planned. "This bodes well for the rest of the year," he said, speaking on the sidelines of an energy conference in Stavanger.

One notable exception is the Ormen Lange field, where a longer outage will cut supply by 7.9 mcm per day until February 1. That is slightly less than the initial estimate of 8.9 mcm per day provided by operator Shell.

Gassco delivered 114.9 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas through its 8,800-kilometre pipeline network in 2025. Deliveries so far this year stand at 76.1 bcm, up about 1.3 bcm compared with the same period last year.

Hansen noted that Europe's focus on filling storage facilities is driving demand for Norwegian gas. "The storage situation is a priority in Europe, so there is a willingness to transport as much gas as possible," he said.

He added that the pipeline system retains some spare capacity, giving shippers flexibility on delivery timing. "Right now, it's a question of production capacity," he said.

Looking ahead, Gassco expects next year's maintenance schedule to be busier than this year's. The operator plans to finalise its 2027 maintenance plan in November or December.