Equinor awards design and engineering contracts for Bay du Nord oil project off N.L.

A sign for the company Equinor is displayed on Oct. 28, 2020, in Fornebu, Norway. (Hakon Mosvold Larsen/NTB Scanpix via AP, File)

ST. JOHN’S — Equinor has awarded contracts for front-end engineering and design work on its proposed Bay du Nord oil project off the east coast of Newfoundland.

The Norwegian energy giant has tapped Subsea Integration Alliance for design and engineering work on the project’s subsea architecture, cables and flowlines.

BW Offshore will help design Bay du Nord’s floating production and storage vessel, which the company is also supplying.

Equinor has not yet decided to proceed with the development and has spent the past few years overhauling the project to make it more affordable.

An Equinor spokesperson says the contracts awarded this week advance key design and engineering work as the company prepares to make a final investment decision next year.

Bay du Nord would be Canada’s first deepwater oil project, in waters about 500 kilometres from shore. First oil is expected in 2031, if it proceeds.

“Signing the (front-end engineering and design) agreement is a significant step for the Bay du Nord project,” said Marco Beenen, chief executive of BW Offshore, in a news release.

The release says BW has established an office in St. John’s, N.L., to work with Equinor and the regional supply chain.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.