Norwegian oil and gas company OKEA has confirmed a significant new oil discovery in the North Sea, offshore Norway. The find comes from an exploration well drilled in the Brage field, although another well drilled in the same area yielded no hydrocarbons.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) officially reported the discovery under production license 055, located in the eastern section of the Brage field. OKEA, in collaboration with its partners Lime Petroleum, DNO Norge, Petrolia Noco, and M Vest Energy, drilled the 31/4-A-23 G well, marking the 13th and 14th exploration wells under the license. This follows OKEA’s previous discovery in the 31/4-A-13 E well in 2023.
Discovery in the Brage Field
The newly discovered oil is situated in the southern section of the Prince exploration area, within the 31/4-A-23 G well. The well encountered a 20-meter oil column in the Sogn Fjord Group, a promising geological formation in the region. In contrast, the nearby 31/4-A-23 F well, located further north, yielded no hydrocarbons. This well was specifically aimed at confirming oil reserves in the Jurassic-era Sogn Fjord Group but did not result in any viable oil finds.
Well Specifications and Results
The 31/4-A-23 G well was drilled on the eastern flank of the Brage field, reaching depths between 2,120 and 2,171 meters. It encountered 3-4 meters of sandstone, which exhibited moderate to good reservoir properties. While no oil-water contact was found, pressure data suggests that the new discovery is not connected to the oil find made in the 31/4-A-13 E well located to the south.
The well reached a total measured depth of 10,023 meters, with a vertical depth of 2,171 meters below sea level. Drilling took place at a water depth of 140 meters, and both the 31/4-A-23 G and 31/4-A-23 F wells have now been permanently plugged and abandoned.
Reserve Estimates
Initial estimates indicate that the oil discovery could contain between 290,000 and 2.79 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent, which is roughly 1.9 to 17.5 million barrels. Based on preliminary recovery estimates, the recoverable oil equivalent from this discovery is expected to range from 0.05 to 0.44 million standard cubic meters, or approximately 0.3 to 2.8 million barrels.
The license holders will now evaluate the discovered reservoir as part of the ongoing development of the Brage field. Located in the northern North Sea, the Brage field has been in production since 1993. Efforts to enhance recovery rates are currently underway, including plans to drill additional wells and conduct surveys of nearby fields.
This latest discovery follows OKEA’s final investment decision (FID) on the Brasse project, which is set to be developed as an extension to the Brage platform, pending approval of the development and operation plan (PDO).
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