Fossil Energy – Decommissioning Tenders
Taqa UK is preparing to issue a tender in January for the removal of subsea infrastructure across its UK North Sea assets.
This represents one of the final major contract packages as the operator systematically winds down its UK operations, with an award targeted for the fourth quarter of the year. The company’s strategy involves consolidating scopes into large-scale packages to benefit the supply chain through multi-year commitments and to achieve economies of scale and efficient project management for itself.
Alongside the subsea tender, Taqa plans to award a contract for the engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal of the Harding platform by year-end, with several companies shortlisted. Production from Harding is expected to continue into 2027.
Taqa distinguishes itself in the industry, as NSTA data shows 99% of its 164 wells requiring decommissioning are within consent deadlines, with all plug and abandonment work already under contract.
The company, which began decommissioning planning in 2017, aims to set a benchmark for the industry, emphasizing that advanced planning is key to minimizing the duration and cost of the oil-to-exit process.
Taqa’s major decommissioning program commenced in 2022 with the removal of the 36,000-tonne Brae Bravo topsides. Following the cessation of production at its Northern North Sea platforms in 2024, contractor Allseas is tasked with removing four platforms with a combined weight of 114,000 tonnes.
Key recent and upcoming removals include:
• The Eider Alpha topsides, removed in October of last year.
• The North Cormorant topsides, scheduled for removal this summer.
• The East Brae platform, shuttered last year and set for removal by Heerema this summer.
• The Brae Alpha platform, which will produce through this year before its planned removal by Allseas in the late 2020s.
