Norwegian oil and gas firm DNO has announced the adoption of a fast-track development approach for its 2016 Brasse offshore oil and gas discovery, located in license PL740 off the coast of Norway.

The chosen development concept now sets the stage for in-depth design studies to integrate the Brasse field with the Brage field, in which DNO also holds an interest. A final investment decision is projected for early next year, according to DNO.

The project, which was reinitiated in early 2023, involves DNO's subsidiary DNO Norge AS (50 percent) and its new license partner, OKEA ASA (50 percent). The two partners undertook a review to simplify connecting Brasse to the Brage platform, situated 13 kilometers north of Brasse and in operation since 1993. OKEA assumed the role of Brage operator in the previous fall, and the primary commercial terms for the tie-in have been established with the Brage joint venture, wherein DNO possesses a 14.2567 percent stake.

The review culminated in the endorsement of a concept selection (DG2) which entails significantly reduced topside modifications on the Brage platform compared to earlier considerations for connection to a host platform. Additionally, the design of the wells has been streamlined for a two-well development strategy, aimed at recovering up to 30 million barrels of oil equivalent from Brasse, with approximately two-thirds oil and one-third natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL). The project could potentially commence as early as 2026.

Ørjan Gjerde, General Manager of DNO North Sea AS, remarked, "Together with OKEA we have come up with a win-win development concept for Brasse. In addition to finally unlocking profitable barrels from the Brasse discovery itself, the project is expected to materially extend the Brage field’s remaining lifetime."

To optimize operational synergies with Brage and reduce expenses, DNO has agreed to transfer operatorship of PL740 to OKEA, along with the 50 percent interest in Brasse that became available after a previous license partner's exit.

Knut Gjertsen, OKEA's Senior Vice President for Projects and Technology, stated, "Together with DNO, we have in a short time worked out a project alternative for Brasse with a simplified tieback to Brage. We have now decided to continue to mature a development solution with less extensive topside modifications and a simplification of the design of the production wells compared to previous project assessments. We believe that this will result in a better and less costly project."