OKEA strikes oil at North Sea license

August 25, 2025, by Dragana Nikše

Norway’s oil and gas company OKEA has made oil discoveries at a production license it operates in the North Sea.

The oil discoveries were made in the Talisker exploration well (31/4-A-15 B) at the Brage field, production license (PL) 055. According to OKEA, this is a significant milestone in the first phase of the Talisker area development project.

The Talisker well was drilled from the Brage platform and will be produced using existing equipment and facilities. The Norwegian player describes the 10,223-meter well as its longest well drilled from Brage.

“Extending the economic life of Brage is central to our strategy – and the potential development of the Talisker area is an important part of that journey. Unlocking these resources is an important step in ensuring continued value creation at Brage through 2030 and beyond,” noted OKEA.

The discoveries considered commercial were made in the Cook and Statfjord formations. According to preliminary estimates, they hold gross recoverable resources in the range of 16–33 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) combined, 2–7 mmboe in the Cook formation, and 14–26 mmboe in the Statfjord formation.

In addition, OKEA reported having encountered hydrocarbons in two thin sandstones in the Brent group. These will be further appraised by upcoming well paths, scheduled to be completed in Q4 2025.

“This discovery is another example of OKEA’s strategy to utilise existing infrastructure, subsurface knowledge and drilling technology to unlock more value in the Brage area, and extend the lifetime of the field,” noted Svein J. Liknes, OKEA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

OKEA is the operator of the PL055 license and holds a 35.2% working interest in it, with Lime Petroleum (33.84%), DNO Norge (14.25%), Petrolia NOCO (12.25%), and M Vest Energy (4.44%) as partners.

In mid-August, Lime Petroleum reported that the Brage platform’s production is above expectations, with concurrent drilling operations continuing at Brage and Bestla. The latter is tied back to Brage.

Previously known as Brasse, the Bestla project got its current name last November. Representing a discovery of oil with associated gas at license PL740 made in 2017, the asset is situated in the Troll-Oseberg area of the North Sea, just south of Brage.

The development of the field, estimated to contain 24 million barrels of oil equivalent gross in recoverable reserves, entails a two-well subsea tie-back to the Brage platform, which will serve as the host facility for production, processing, and export.