UK’s offshore mooring expert to support decom specialist’s North Sea campaign

Aberdeen-based First Marine Solutions (FMS), an offshore moorings expert, has been awarded a seven-figure contract in the North Sea by a well-decommissioning specialist, Well-Safe Solutions.

Under the multi-million agreement, FMS will provide its full spectrum of marine consultancy services, including the provision of equipment, marine services, and survey and marine engineering.

Namely, earlier this year, Well-Safe Solutions secured a contract to execute all well decommissioning activity within Repsol Sinopec UK’s Buchan and Hannay fields in the North Sea and FMS’ contract will start with this 14-well project, the company has revealed.

Repsol Sinopec previously said that its contract with Well-Safe Solutions was considered to be the first fully-inclusive well decommissioning contract of its kind while the UK’s petroleum regulator hailed it as “ground-breaking” in its collaborative approach.

Steven Brown, FMS Managing Director, said that this well P&A campaign represents a shift in the offshore decommissioning commercial landscape.

Brown further stated: “The agreement has been four years in the making – a period of time that has seen FMS evolve to an impressive extent through significant investment in personnel, technology and facilities. Since 2017, our workforce has increased fourfold and is now led by a management team of industry experts, allowing us to strengthen our position not only in the North Sea but across a number of international markets; we look forward to supporting Well-Safe as it expands its global business.”

FMS previously also supported Well-Safe by completing a rig entry survey utilising an electric ASV. The survey was undertaken in preparation for a potential rig move of Well-Safe Solutions’ jack-up rig, the Well-Safe Protector. This ensured the seabed was clear of debris and that nothing would impact the safe relocation of the unit.

Commenting on the latest contract award, Lou Duncan, Rig Manager at Well-Safe Solutions, said: “As we prepare for the deployment of the Well-Safe Guardian, it’s vital to us that we utilise trusted partners to enable timely and safe fulfilment of our obligations.”

It is also worth reminding that, less than a month after the Repsol Sinopec contract, Well-Safe secured another 14-well decommissioning job in the North Sea, this time with CNR International.