Drilling underway for North Sea Bestla tieback

The Bestla Field development, operated by OKEA and supported by Lime Petroleum, DNO Norge and M Vest Energy, is progressing with the drilling of its initial well.
Related To: 
Aug. 8, 2025
Courtesy Odfjell Drilling
Deepsea Yantai offshore rig
Odfjell Drilling’s Deepsea Yantai rig is designed for operations in harsh environments and at water depths of up to 1,200 m.
Out to 2030, Norway is expected to attract $43 billion in E&P investment, while the UK is expected to bring in $11.3 billion.
July 8, 2025

The Deepsea Yantai semisub has started drilling the first of two production wells for the OKEA-operated Bestla Field development in the Norwegian North Sea.

According to partner Lime Petroleum, the well is being drilled from the Bestla subsea template, which was installed in June.

Bestla, in license PL740, is a tieback to the Brage platform, which is 13 km to the north, and first oil is scheduled for early 2027.  Lime Petroleum estimates Bestla’s recoverable reserves at 24 MMboe.

CEO Lars B. Hübert said, “The Bestla development is exemplary in the use of standard solutions, well-proven technology and close cooperation with strategic partners. With a project breakeven at around $40/bbl, the development is an efficient and cost-effective one, which is all the more important against volatility in oil prices amid the current geopolitical situation.”

Other partners in the project are DNO Norge and M Vest Energy.

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