New wildcat on North Sea asset’s drilling agenda next month

June 30, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Norwegian oil and gas company OKEA has secured a drilling permit for an exploration well in the North Sea off the Norwegian coast, which is scheduled to be drilled in July 2025.

The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted OKEA a drilling permit for the wellbore 31/4-A-15 B in production license 055. The company’s partners in this license are Lime Petroleum, DNO Norge, Petrolia Noco, and M Vest Energy.

The new wildcat well, slated to be drilled from Brage next month, follows the drilling of the 13th and 14th exploration wells in the same production license, which led to an oil discovery in the southern part of the Prince prospect in the wildcat well 31/4-A-23, located along the eastern flank of the Brage field.

In the aftermath of the discovery, the licensees decided to evaluate the deposit as part of the further development of the Brage field, where work is underway to identify new methods to improve recovery, such as drilling new wells, often combined with an investigation of nearby prospects.

In line with its plans to ramp up production, OKEA made a final investment decision (FID) for the Brasse project, renamed Bestla upon approval of its plans for development and operation (PDO), which will be developed as a tie-back to the Brage platform.

Situated in the northern part of the North Sea, 10 kilometers east of the Oseberg field, Brage was proven in 1980, and the plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 1990.

With production starting in 1993, the field is developed with an integrated production, drilling, and living quarters facility with a steel jacket.