DeepOcean has won a new offshore decommissioning contract in the UK North Sea, strengthening its position in the growing market for ageing offshore asset retirement projects.
The company will support the decommissioning and removal of a floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) currently operating on the UK continental shelf, as part of a wider recycling programme.
Managed from DeepOcean’s Aberdeen operations base, the campaign will involve a large range of subsea and offshore activities designed to safely disconnect and prepare the vessel for its final tow to shore.
The scope of work includes hydrocarbon and chemical flushing operations, as well as the isolation and disconnection of subsea trees, manifolds and pipeline systems connected to the FPSO. DeepOcean will also remove risers, umbilicals and mooring infrastructure before overseeing preparations for the vessel’s departure from the field.
Once offshore operations are completed, the FPSO will be towed to a recycling facility for dismantling.
According to the company,the project will rely on specialist methodologies and tooling developed during previous FPSO decommissioning campaigns carried out in the North Sea region.
DeepOcean explained that the operation will build directly on experience gained during the removal of the Gryphon Alpha FPSO in 2025, where advanced subsea techniques allowed the offshore campaign to be completed entirely without the use of divers.
The latest contract further reinforces the company’s expanding role in offshore decommissioning as operators across the North Sea continue preparing ageing oil and gas infrastructure for retirement in line with environmental and regulatory requirements.
