Norway is Europe’s largest supplier of natural gas and a major producer of oil, but output varies from month to month depending on maintenance needs and other stoppages at close to 100 offshore fields.

Overall oil, condensate, natural gas liquids and gas output stood at 0.654 million standard cubic metres per day, equivalent to 4.11 million barrels of oil equivalent, an increase of 11 per cent year-on-year.

Natural gas production in June rose to 332.8 million cubic metres (mcm) per day from 293.5 mcm a year earlier, and exceeded a forecast of 316.5 mcm by 5.1 per cent, the regulator said on its website.

Crude oil output rose to 1.83 million barrels per day (bpd) in June from 1.68 million bpd in the same month last year, and came in above a forecast of 1.80 million bpd, NOD’s preliminary data showed.