Coexistence?

Statoil (now Equinor) first announced plans to develop Hywind Tampen at the ONS (Offshore Northern Seas) oil conference in 2018. In January 2019, the Hywind Tampen area, located between the Gullfaks and Snorre fields, was awarded as one of 83 exploration licenses. Both Lundin and DNO expressed interest in exploring the area. 

Equinor had previously been made aware that the area they were targeting (production license 991) was classified as an APA (Awards in Predefined Areas). This means the region’s geology was well understood, and it had a well-developed infrastructure, making it a mature area for oil exploration.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Tollaksen, T. G. (2019, 24. januar). Delte ut letelisens i område for Equinors vindpark. Stavanger Aftenblad. The area had been explored before, though no commercially viable discoveries were made, leading to its return to the authorities in 2014. However, in 2019, a new attempt to explore the area was planned. 

The Green Party (MDG), represented by Arild Hermstad, feared that the offshore wind plans might fall through if DNO and Lundin were to make a discovery in the area. Equinor, however, believed that coexistence would be possible if a future discovery were made. 

Hywind Tampen officially opened on August 22, 2023. By 2024, the question of coexistence remains hypothetical, as no discoveries have been made in the area. The impact assessment for Hywind Tampen indicated that the turbines, even when fully operational, would not hinder further exploration.[REMOVE]Fotnote:  Equinor. (2019, mars). Hywind Tampen: PUD del II – Konsekvensutredning (PL050, PL057, PL089). https://cdn.equinor.com/files/h61q9gi9/global/59db109a1ab7991e6b7546ef9b161dcfa74ec514.pdf?hywind-tampen-pud-del-II-konsekvensutredning-mars-2019-equinor.pdf  Nevertheless, if a discovery were made in the future, the parties are obligated to enter into constructive discussions to find a workable solution.