The North Sea decommissioning market has been exceptionally active over the past two weeks, demonstrating a clear acceleration in end-of-life asset management. This period saw a landmark engineering achievement, new contract awards, and a steady flow of tenders, reaffirming the sector’s crucial role in the energy transition.
A significant highlight was EnQuest’s successful removal of the Heather Alpha topsides. On August 11, Allseas’ heavy-lift vessel Pioneering Spirit safely completed the single-lift removal of the 15,300-tonne structure, a major operation and the largest of its kind scheduled for the North Sea this year. The topsides are now in transit to a dismantling yard in Denmark, where they are expected to achieve a recycling rate of over 95%. This achievement follows three years of meticulous planning and preparation, showcasing the industry’s capability to execute complex projects safely and efficiently.
This milestone coincides with a wave of new tender announcements from key operators. EnQuest has awarded a multi-year contract to Well-Safe Solutions, valued at over $45 million, for a multi-well plug and abandonment campaign. The contract will utilize the semi-submersible rig Well-Safe Defender for a minimum of 230 days across 2026 and 2027, with options extending to 2034.
Other operators are also moving forward with their decommissioning plans. Dana Petroleum is seeking contractors for its Western Isles decommissioning project, which involves a planned 80-day rig period in 2027 to perform reservoir isolation on seven wells. Neo Energy has issued a tender worth over £25 million to plug and abandon 19 subsea wells, with work planned for early 2026. Additionally, Petrogas is advancing three contracts for its Abbey and Baker Fields, including a major subsea EPIC (engineering, procurement, installation, and commissioning) tender.
In a broader context, the industry is also preparing for a forecasted increase in decommissioning demand. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) forecasts that £27 billion will be spent on decommissioning in the UK between 2023 and 2032. This includes tackling a backlog of over 500 wells that have missed their decommissioning deadline. Operators like BP, which recently completed the removal of a 400-tonne subsea structure from its Miller field, are pioneering new contracting models to streamline these complex projects.
This simultaneous activity in both well abandonment and large-scale infrastructure removal underscores the dynamic nature of the North Sea’s transition, with operators committed to responsibly managing their assets while preparing for the next wave of energy projects.
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