Norwegian engineering and construction specialist Aibel has secured a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for the topsides of the planned Wisting FPSO vessel in the Barents Sea.

Equinor and its partners awarded the contract following a competitive tender, and it covers engineering and further development of the topsides design ahead of a potential final investment decision.

The contract also includes an option for engineering, procurement, and project management, while fabrication of the topsides modules will be awarded separately.

Aibel said around 250 employees at its Asker offices, supported by personnel in Haugesund, will work on the project. Engineering activities will begin immediately and are expected to be completed in late 2027. Financial details were not disclosed.

“We are at an early stage in the development of Wisting, and considerable work remains to develop a project that is profitable and feasible,” said Trond Bokn, Equinor’s SVP for project development.

The partners plan to complete concept selection and decide whether to advance the project by the end of 2026, with a final investment decision targeted for late 2027.

Located around 310 km north of Hammerfest in water depths of approximately 400 m, Wisting is Norway’s largest undeveloped oil discovery, with estimated recoverable resources of just under 500m barrels of oil equivalent.

The current development concept centres on a newbuild FPSO with onboard power generation using energy-efficient gas turbines, while carbon capture and storage remains under consideration.

Drilling, wells, and subsea infrastructure are expected to account for around half of the project’s investment, offering significant opportunities for Norwegian offshore contractors.

Equinor operates Wisting alongside Aker BP, Petoro, and Inpex. If sanctioned, the field is expected to remain in production for around 30 years.