Equinor is preparing to start drilling at the Rosebank field west of Shetland, with Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Atlantic expected to mobilize around 18 March, according to a public offshore activity notice and industry sources.
The campaign is the next major stage for Rosebank, one of the largest undeveloped oil and gas projects on the UK Continental Shelf.
The field is located about 130 km northwest of the Shetland Islands in the Faroe-Shetland Channel, in water depths of about 1,100 m. The first phase of development includes four production wells, three water-injection wells and two plug-and-abandonment wells. Additional wells may be drilled later, depending on early results.
Produced hydrocarbons will move through new subsea flowlines to the redeployed and refurbished Petrojarl Knarr FPSO for processing. Gas will be exported through a new pipeline tied into the West of Shetland Pipeline System, while oil will be offloaded to shuttle tankers.
Subsea installation work started in 2024. First drilling is planned for March 2026, with first oil targeted for 4Q 2026, although reports have indicated this could shift to late 2026 or early 2027.
Rosebank is being advanced under an existing licensed North Sea portfolio rather than a new exploration licence. That status has allowed the project to continue under current UK policy despite the government’s broader opposition to new oil and gas licences. Once production starts, Rosebank is expected to operate for about 25 years. Equinor is the operator on behalf of Equinor UK Ltd. and Ithaca SP E&P Ltd.
