This year's winner of the Norwegian Offshore Directorate's 'Improved Recovery Award' has worked systematically to revitalise the Draugen and Brage fields. This has resulted in increased reserves and resources, higher production and extended lifetimes.
Okea took over operatorship on Draugen in 2018 and on Brage in 2022. Since the operator swap, the company has worked hard to revitalise the fields, which has resulted in increased reserves and resources, higher production and extended lifetimes.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate's 'Improved Recovery Award' is a prize for creativity, endurance and appetite for risk illustrated by utilising methods and technology that can improve oil and gas recovery on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) beyond what can be expected with existing plans and methods.
The prize was first awarded in 1998, and has been awarded during ONS since 2012.
Learn more about the award and previous winners.
'The NCS relies on bold players who are committed to optimising value creation from fields in the tail phase in order to ensure that all profitable resources are produced', the jury wrote in its decision.
What does the jury emphasise?
The prize is awarded to production licences, companies, projects or individuals who are expected to create added value on the NCS through innovative work for improved recovery.
- Implementing new technology or using established technology in a new way
- Smarter work methods and processes
- Project maturity
- Willingness to take risks, determination and boldness
- Outstanding research
- Energy-efficient improved recovery
The jury stated that 'OKEA is receiving recognition for utilising geosteering technology and real-time data integration to place record-long horizontal wells.'
The company's drilling strategy has also yielded crucial knowledge about the subsurface, and has resulted in important discoveries.
'This has made marginal resources profitable and led to their production. Systematic exploration close to existing fields has also resulted in increased reserves and resources. Both Brage and Draugen's estimated lifetimes have been extended to 2040 as a result of these efforts,' the jury wrote in its decision.
The Brage field in the North Sea was discovered in 1980, and production started in 1993. The Draugen field in the Norwegian Sea was proven in 1984, and started up in 1993. The expected recovery rate here has increased from 67.3 per cent in 2019 to 72.6 per cent in 2026.
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate's jury had a number of good candidates to choose from this year. A total of 17 nominations for the award were considered, which is an encouraging development.
The award will be presented by Torgeir Stordal, Director General of the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, 26 August during ONS.
Source: Norwegian Offshore Directorate
