The Late Cretaceous deep-water play in the Norwegian Sea and the Paleocene play in the North Sea have a long and successful exploration history. The Paleocene play has recently been extended eastward towards the Greater Horda Platform area.
Discoveries such as Kveikje and Heisenberg in 2022 and 2023 have proven further potential and new possibilities in mature areas.
Similarly, after several years without success, recent discoveries like Balderbrå and Obelix Upflank in Lower Cretaceous demonstrate that there is remaining potential in the deep-water region of the Norwegian Sea.
Continued success in these areas relies on a regional understanding of the structural development and the link to play element distribution, as reservoirs, source rocks, and seals show rapid thickness and quality changes across the region.
In September, keynote presenter Tor Sømme at Equinor will be our guide. During the NCS Exploration 2023 conference in Oslo, he will present a synthesis of the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the northern North Sea and southern Norwegian Sea to provide the regional context for play element prediction and near-field exploration.

To ensure future success and prediction of play element distribution in near-field exploration, an integrated understanding of the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene stratigraphy is crucial. Due to the long-lived deformation history and changing sediment fairways along the northern North Sea and Norwegian Sea, future discoveries rely on an integrated structural, seismic geomorphological, and biostratigraphic understanding of the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene stratigraphy across this region.
Unlock new exploration opportunities through updated regional knowledge! Join the conference and listen to this exciting and relevant talk by Tor Sømme in Oslo (Fornebu) on September 13th.