Melkøya

Melkøya is a small island located off the coast of Hammerfest in what is now Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The island is best known for hosting the Melkøya liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, the onshore component of the Snøhvit (Snow White) natural gas development in the Barents Sea.

Natural gas produced at the Snøhvit field offshore is transported as LNG via a subsea pipeline to Melkøya, a distance of about 143 kilometers. At Melkøya the LNG is regasified and routed into the Norwegian and European gas networks. The facility also provides storage and handling capacity for the field’s gas liquids.

Construction and operation of the Melkøya facility are led by Equinor (formerly Statoil) in partnership with other industry players. The plant began operations in 2007 as part of the broader Snøhvit development.

Geographically, Melkøya is part of Hammerfest municipality. The island is primarily industrial in use and does not have a resident population, with workers typically commuting to Hammerfest or staying on-site as needed. The facility represents a key link in Norway’s Arctic energy exports, enabling offshore gas from the Barents Sea to reach markets in Norway and beyond.