Offshore decommissioning heavy lift vessel removing platform topside
Legacy infrastructure, removal, reuse, waste routes

Decommissioning

Image: Vantage Subsea image library / Offshore imagery

OEUK forecasts £19.7bn in North Sea decommissioning expenditure over the next decade. 2,100 wells at £7.8m average cost. 75% of spend in central and northern North Sea. Ports from Teesside to Aberdeen will handle removal campaigns. The work is accelerating and will continue for decades.

£19.7bn decommissioning expenditure forecast over the next 10 years. 2,100 wells to be decommissioned.

Opportunity

Decommissioning is a long-tail marine market that keeps legacy infrastructure commercially relevant for years. It requires heavy-lift vessels, subsea engineering, waste handling, port logistics and specialist engineering. Clear explainers help non-specialists understand the scale and opportunity.

Key signals we track

Programme approvalsRemoval campaignsPort logisticsWaste handlingLate-life asset supportRegulatory changes

Who this is for

Local businessesSuppliersStudentsPolicy readersInvestorsEngineering firms

Primary source: North Sea Transition Authority