Well-Safe Solutions has been awarded a multi-year contract by Apache North Sea Limited to decommission platform wells and subsea wells in the Forties Field.
Work will begin in 2026, with Well-Safe Solutions leading all well-related project management, well and subsurface engineering, and offshore delivery covering both platform and subsea wells.
The award will support hundreds of jobs in Aberdeen and provide a much-needed boost to the economy in the northeast of Scotland at a time when the sector is facing significant challenges and concerns over wider industry job retention.
Phil Milton, Chief Executive Officer of Well-Safe Solutions, said the award reflected Apache North Sea Limited’s confidence in the company’s ability to deliver safe, efficient and technically robust decommissioning solutions at scale. He added that the contract sends a strong signal to the supply chain and helps secure critical talent and resources during a difficult period for the sector in the North Sea.
The availability of mobile offshore drilling units capable of drilling and decommissioning both platform and subsea wells has been declining year on year. Just five semi-submersible rigs remain in the UK Continental Shelf, raising concern over the UK’s ability to meet its energy needs and decommissioning obligations, with thousands of wells due to be decommissioned by the end of the decade.
Donald Martin, Vice President, Decommissioning, at Apache North Sea Limited, said the company was pleased to work with Well-Safe Solutions on the large-scale program across the Forties Field. He said the contract reflects a commitment to safe, predictable and cost-effective decommissioning through disciplined execution and a high-performing integrated team.
He added that, after decades of production from one of the North Sea’s cornerstone assets, Apache North Sea Limited is focused on maximizing late-life asset value, reducing risk, and delivering a safe, efficient, and disciplined transition into decommissioning.
The latest award reinforces Well-Safe Solutions’ position in the UK decommissioning market following recent campaigns involving the Well-Safe Defender and Well-Safe Protector. It also follows two recent major contract awards for Well-Safe Solutions this summer with other operators in the North Sea.
