Norwegian oil and gas company OKEA and its partners have announced a new oil discovery at the Brage field in the North Sea.

The find was made in the southern part of the Prince prospect, with preliminary estimates suggesting a significant quantity of oil in place.

The oil was discovered in wildcat well 31/4-A-23 G, while the adjacent well 31/4-A-23 F did not encounter hydrocarbons.

The estimated size of the discovery ranges from 1.9 million barrels (mbbl) to 17.5mbbl of oil, with recoverable volumes projected at between 0.3mbbl and 2.8mbbl.

These figures indicate the potential for a notable addition to the field's resources.

The Brage field licensees, who have been operating under production licence 055 since 6 April 1979, will now evaluate the new deposit.

This discovery is part of ongoing efforts to enhance recovery methods and explore nearby prospects, including drilling new wells.

Located 10km east of the Oseberg field, the Brage field has been a staple in the North Sea oil landscape since its discovery in 1980.

The field's development plan was approved in 1990, with production commencing in 1993.

The field features an integrated facility for production, drilling and living quarters, supported by a steel jacket structure.

This discovery marks the 13th and 14th exploration wells drilled within the production licence.

Earlier this month, OKEA granted an integrated engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract to the Subsea Integration Alliance, a partnership between SLB OneSubsea and Subsea7, for the development of the Bestla project in the North Sea.

The purpose of this contract is to streamline the subsea tieback operation.

Previously referred to as Brasse, OKEA's Bestla initiative involves a tieback that spans 13km to the existing Brage platform.