Norway Starts Annual Offshore Maintenance

Each year, extensive maintenance is carried out on the Norwegian continental shelf between 1 April and 30 September. The work is essential to ensure safe and efficient offshore production and to prepare transport and processing facilities for another year of high gas deliveries from Norway.

The scale of the maintenance programme varies from year to year. Some work can be done while facilities are operating, while other activities require partial or full shutdowns. In 2026, the programme includes relatively few planned shutdowns, and most of them are shorter than in previous years.

– In 2026, maintenance work on the Norwegian continental shelf will have relatively limited impact on the operation of the gas transport system. This allows the system to deliver more natural gas than would be the case with a more extensive maintenance programme, says Alfred Skår Hansen, Senior Vice President System Operation at Gassco.

To make full use of the available transport capacity, gas must be produced at the fields and absorbed by downstream markets. Gassco plays a key role in coordinating and optimising this interaction.

Preparing for winter demand

Offshore maintenance is completed ahead of winter, which is the peak season for gas exports to Europe. During the summer months, European countries fill their gas storage facilities in preparation for winter, making high and stable deliveries throughout the summer particularly important.

Maintenance work is carried out by a wide range of operators offshore, at onshore facilities and at receiving terminals in Europe. Gassco coordinates activities across all parties to ensure efficient execution.

– Close cooperation with operators offshore, onshore and in receiving countries is essential to ensure that maintenance is carried out smoothly and with minimal impact on gas transport operations, Hansen says.

Norwegian gas remains vital for Europe

The global situation is marked by geopolitical tensions, great power rivalry and economic uncertainty. Following the loss of Russian gas supplies and the outbreak of war in the Middle East, Norway has become the most important single supplier of natural gas to Europe.

In 2025, 114.9 billion standard cubic metres of gas were delivered through the Norwegian gas transport system, making it one of the highest annual volumes ever. Both delivery volumes and regularity have reached record levels in recent years.

While production on the Norwegian continental shelf is currently high, volumes are expected to decline after 2030. At the same time, forecasts show that Europe will continue to need natural gas for decades to come.

Norwegian gas has never been limited by market demand — everything produced on the Norwegian continental shelf has been delivered and absorbed by the market.

–This has never been clearer than it is today. If Europe is to receive more natural gas from Norway in the long term, new significant discoveries will be needed, along with markets that provide clear and predictable long-term signals, Hansen says.