Mermaid Subsea scores multi-year North Sea decommissioning contract with Shell

Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) has received a multi-year engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal (EPRD) wellhead severance (WHS) contract in the North Sea from Shell UK.

The decommissioning project will be done in three annual batches, starting later this year. Recovered materials will be managed to maximize reuse and recycling, said Mermaid Subsea Services (UK).

“This a milestone contract for Mermaid and we are very grateful to Shell for putting their faith in our team. We look forward to kicking off work this year,” said Scott Cormack, Regional Director for Mermaid Subsea Services (UK). 

“The North Sea is on the cusp of a multi-decade decommissioning boom and Mermaid plans to be front and centre of that with our bespoke solutions and leading expertise.” 

The 2024 campaign starts with removing wellhead protection covers from the sea floor and lifting them to the surface for transport onshore. Next, wellhead flow base structures will be retrieved using specialized tools, said Mermaid Subsea.

The final campaign involves severing and recovering wellheads using underwater cutting tooling and techniques. After each project stage, debris clearance and necessary seabed and over-trawl surveys will be conducted. 

In March 2023, Mermaid Subsea secured a two-year multi-well contract to be carried out on behalf of a North Sea operator, which includes the decommissioning of 22 wells. Aside from that, the contract includes the creation of 12 new roles at Mermaid’s Aberdeen headquarters.

In terms of other news coming from the company, in February 2024, together with UK’s EnergyPathways and MCS Subsea Solutions (MCS), Mermaid Subsea signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) related to negotiating the provision of subsea FEED services for its field in the UK Irish Sea.