• The audit was conducted from 12 to 19 January 2026.
  • Notification of the order was made on 14 April 2026.
  • The order itself was issued on 12 May 2026

Objective

The objective of the audit was to monitor how Equinor is meeting the regulatory requirements for the design, development and operation of the control room and other related factors at Johan Sverdrup.

The audit focused on the central control room and the driller’s cabin, which is operated by the drilling contractor Odfjell Platform Drilling.

The objective was also to assess human factors and any additional strain on the operators resulting from the implementation of phase 2, which involves a new processing platform controlled from the control room, in addition to any updates and changes to the driller’s cabin

Result

The audit identified five non-conformities in the following areas:

  • Deficient follow-up of the alarm systems in the central control room
  • Deficiencies in human-machine interfaces in the central control room
  • Inadequate analyses of the working environment in the central control room and the driller’s cabin
  • Inadequate non-conformity handling
  • Inadequate follow-up and evaluation of One Button Startup

We also observed one factor that we have chosen to categorise as an improvement point. This concerned:

  • Training of personnel in NOVOS

Follow-up of non-conformities

During the audit, we also verified how Equinor has addressed certain previously identified non-conformities.

We found that the following non-conformity has not been addressed in line with Equinor’s feedback to us:

  • Non-conformity regarding “deficient follow-up of the alarm systems” from chapter 5.1.1 of the report following an audit of the application of experience from the start-up and operation of phase 2 of 26 September 2023, our journal entry 2023/114-11.

Order

We have identified serious breaches of the regulations governing the alarm systems in the central control room at Johan Sverdrup.

The audit has shown that there are too many new alarms in both normal and critical situations for them to be perceived and processed within the time necessary for the safe operation of equipment, installations and processes; see non-conformity 5.1.1 in the report.

Non-conformities related to the alarm systems have also been noted in previous audits (see chapter 4.2 of the report), without these issues being corrected.

Accordingly, we have issued Equinor with the following order:

Pursuant to the Framework Regulations, section 69 concerning administrative decisions, with reference to the Management Regulations, section 22(1 and 3), concerning the handling of non-conformities, and the Facilities Regulations, section 34a concerning the control and monitoring system, we order Equinor Energy AS to:

  1. Identify and implement corrective measures to reduce the alarm rate for new alarms in both normal and critical situations in the central control room on Johan Sverdrup, so that they can be perceived and processed in the time necessary for the safe operation of equipment, installations and processes, with reference to chapter 5.1.1 of the report, and fulfil Equinor’s own requirements or the standards to which they refer.

  2. Implement the necessary compensatory measures, as described in non-conformity 5.1.4 concerning non-conformity handling, until corrective measures have been implemented, as referred to in item 1 of the order.

The deadline for complying with item 1 of the order is 31 August 2027.

The deadline for complying with item 2 of the order is 8 weeks from the date of the letter of notification.

We are to be notified when the various parts of the order have been carried out.