Equinor Shuts Down Hammerfest LNG Plant, Halts Production for a Week

Core Insights - Equinor ASA has announced an unexpected shutdown of its Hammerfest LNG plant due to a compression failure, which will halt production for a week [1][2] Group 1: Production Impact - The compressor responsible for CO2 removal and re-injection failed, leading to a complete production halt at the Hammerfest LNG plant for one week [2] - Production is expected to resume by January 9, 2025, according to Gassco regulatory statements [2] Group 2: Hammerfest LNG Plant Details - The Hammerfest LNG plant, also known as Melkoeya LNG, is the largest liquefied natural gas export facility in Europe, with an annual capacity of approximately 6.5 billion cubic meters, sufficient to support 6.5 million households [3] - The plant contributes about 5% of Norway's total gas exports [3] Group 3: Gas Supply and Market Context - The plant receives gas from the Snoehvit field in the Barents Sea, operated by Equinor and partners [4] - Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Norway has become the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe, with most exports flowing through an offshore pipeline network in the North Sea [4]