The 500th Well

The 500th started well in the Gullfaks area (34/10) was designated 34/10-I-3 BH. It was drilled at Gullfaks South during the period 18 May to 13 June 2023, a total drilling period of 27 days.[REMOVE]Fotnote: The information is taken from the Norwegian Offshore Directorate’s fact pages. Wellbore: All – Factpages – Norwegian Offshore Directorate  Downloaded 9 December 2025.

The operation was carried out from the jack-up rig Askeladden. The well was a production well in the Rimfaks structure.

The water depth at the drilling location was 134.6 metres, and the well was drilled to a total depth of 4,793 metres. During drilling, hydrocarbon deposits in the form of gas and condensate were confirmed.

The well is currently shut in.

A long drilling history

As of December 2025, just under 550 wells have been drilled in the Gullfaks area. This is connected to how long the field and the area have been in operation, the geology of the region, and the way the area has been developed.

Beyond the Gullfaks field and its three platforms, the area also includes production from other fields and accumulations, such as Gullfaks South. Much of this is subsea production, where the well stream — the oil and gas — is processed on Gullfaks A or Gullfaks C before the gas or oil is sent onward through gas pipelines or by shuttle tankers.