Var hits oil in Balder Area probe
The firm’s NCS near-field exploration strategy pays off again
Norwegian producer Var Energi, a joint venture between private equity firm Hitec Vision and Italy’s Eni, has made a discovery totalling an initially estimated 60-135mn bl oe from its King and Prince exploration wells close to the Balder field in the Southern North Sea. Var says the find is its “fifth significant exploration discovery so far this year”. “The discoveries prove that there are still opportunities in the mature areas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). Clearly, our near-field exploration strategy is paying off and is certainly an approach we will continue to pursue,” says the firm’s CEO Torger Rod. Var, which holds a 90pc stake in the licence, and its 10pc partner Mime Petr
Also in this section
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics






