Well-Safe Solutions wins $25M well decom contracts in North Sea with extra $25M options

Aberdeen-based decommissioning services provider Well-Safe Solutions has secured two contracts worth $25 million for well decommissioning operations in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), with an additional $25 million in options for work extending into 2025 and 2026.

Under the firm scope, which spans 170 days, the company said it will deploy its Well-Safe Protector jack-up and Well-Safe Defender semi-submersible rigs to execute campaigns for Spirit Energy and another unnamed global operator.

Spirit Energy has assigned Well-Safe Solutions to decommission five wells on the York platform in Block 47/03a in the Southern North Sea. The York platform is a Not Permanently Attended Installation (NPAI). The platform is a four-legged, jacket-type fixed installation, with three platform wells in production.

The work, expected to begin in Q2 2025, will last 97 days, Well-Safe Solutions noted. Spirit Energy has also outlined an optional scope for two subsea wells, requiring around 50 days, to be performed either in continuation or later.

According to Well-Safe Solutions, this partnership follows the companies’ earlier success this year, when the Well-Safe Defender completed a campaign decommissioning 15 subsea wells in the Trees, Chestnut, and Appleton fields, achieving 99.2% rig uptime. The project concluded in March 2024.

“With York having reached the end of its economic life in the summer this year, Spirit Energy has partnered effectively with Well-Safe Solutions to ensure swift and responsible decommissioning of the asset,” said Nicky Riley, Spirit Energy’s Head of Wells.

“This builds on the success of our previous collaborations on the Chestnut, Trees and Appleton fields. Together, we look forward to continue setting the standard for efficient, responsible decommissioning of assets at the end of their productive lives.”

Separately, the Well-Safe Defender will handle at least two subsea wells for an unnamed client, starting in March 2025, directly following its current contract. This 75-day campaign includes optional decommissioning of two additional wells in 2025 and three more in 2026.

“Welcoming back Spirit Energy for another mutually-beneficial project is testament to the close cooperation and high performance we achieved together in our last campaign,” added Chris Hay, Chief Commercial Officer at Well-Safe Solutions.

“As the North Sea continues to face political and economic headwinds, it is heartening to see operators securing valuable North Sea assets amidst a backdrop of availability concerns and units departing the region.

Hay further noted that between 2026 and 2032, approximately 60% of the UKCS’ topside and subsea decommissioning is expected to occur, making it a “key growth industry” for the UK and Scotland.

In November 2023, Well-Safe Solutions and Spirit Energy worked together on adding a well to the existing scope of the Well-Safe Defender semi-submersible rig. The expanded scope included a well from the Appleton field located 160 miles east of Dundee, originally discovered in 1997.

On a related note, Well-Safe Solutions recently achieved a milestone in UK waters by completing 163 saturation dive operations with its semi-submersible rig. This rig is the only one in the North Sea equipped with saturation diving capabilities, supporting ongoing decommissioning projects.