Norwegian oil and gas company OKEA has announced the appointment of a former CEO of a major oil company to lead the next phase of its development. The company plans to shift its focus from mature fields to a broader range of activities.

Nikolai Lunge, who previously headed Sval Energi before its acquisition by DNO, has been named OKEA’s Senior Vice President for Strategy and Business Development. Prior to this, Lunge held leadership roles in strategy and business development at Equinor, including Head of Corporate Strategy and Chief of Staff to the CEO.

The company stated that strengthening the management team is necessary to ensure the expertise and potential required to achieve new objectives in the next stage of development. Lunge’s experience and strategic skills are seen as a valuable addition to the team.

OKEA holds leading positions among operators of mid-sized and mature assets on the Norwegian continental shelf. The company aims to pursue new ambitions related to exploration, production, and deal-making that deliver additional value.

Additionally, Andreas Grøntvedt has been appointed Senior Vice President for Partner Assets and Commercial at OKEA, joining the executive management team.

As a result of these changes, the size of OKEA’s executive team has been reduced from ten to seven members. Five employees have left the team but remain in key positions within the company. The updated team now includes Svein Liknes, Birte Norheim, Nikolai Lunge, Hege Faero-Finnvik, Andreas Grøntvedt, Borge Nerland, and Ida Janssen Lund.

As of March 2026, the senior management team consisted of Liknes, Norheim, Faero-Finnvik, Nerland, and Janssen Lund. The other five team members—Espen Myhra, Tor Bjerkestrand, Kjersti Hovdal, Dag Eggan, and Marit Moen Vik-Langli—have left the executive group.