Norway's centre‑left cabinet said on Tuesday it will bring the Albuskjell, Vest Ekofisk and Tommeliten Gamma fields back into production by 2028. The three North Sea sites have lain idle since the late 1990s, but surging European demand for gas outside Russia and the Middle East prompted the reversal. Restarting the wells aims to shore up supplies for Germany and the United Kingdom.

The fields, situated off Norway's south coast near the giant Ekofisk complex, held an estimated 90mn-120mn barrels of oil‑equivalent gas and condensate when they shut. Licensees include US‑based ConocoPhillips, Norway's Vår Energi and Petoro, and Poland's Orlen. Production is slated to run for about twenty years, delivering both gas to Germany and condensate to the UK.

Europe's scramble for reliable energy has lifted Norway to the continent's top gas supplier, overtaking a Russia crippled by sanctions. German utilities have already signed long‑term contracts, while British buyers see the condensate as a hedge against volatile oil markets. The move also strengthens Oslo's bargaining position in Brussels on broader energy policy.

Environmental groups and several left‑wing coalition partners condemned the decision, arguing new fossil projects clash with Norway's climate pledges and the sovereign wealth fund's $2 trillion portfolio. Yet the Labour government pressed ahead, unveiling 70 new offshore blocks—most in the Barents Sea—signaling that oil and gas will remain central to the nation's fiscal outlook.