EnQuest hires Well-Safe Solutions rig for multi-year North Sea decom job

August 7, 2025, by Dragana Nikše

London Stock Exchange-listed energy player EnQuest has handed out a long-term decommissioning contract to Aberdeen-based decommissioning services provider Well-Safe Solutions.

Well Safe Defender; Source: Well Safe Solutions

Under the new contract, the Well-Safe Defender will work with EnQuest for a minimum of 100 days in 2026 and a minimum of 130 days in 2027. It also includes options for further activity between 2028 and 2034. The firm scope is expected to generate over $45 million in revenue.

Well-Safe Solutions believes the multi-year strategic partnership will secure vital supply chain resources in the North Sea well into the next decade. In the first half of 2025, the company decided to make a strategic shift and offer full well lifecycle services in response to growing demand for integrated, multi-phase campaigns.

Phil Milton, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Well-Safe Solutions, said: “This contract is a testament to the trust our clients place in us and the consistent performance of our teams. It marks a pivotal moment in our journey and sets the tone for the next phase of our growth.”

The contract award follows several decommissioning campaigns with other UKCS clients using the Well-Safe Defender and another rig, Well-Safe Protector. The Scottish player says the former has consistently delivered top-quartile performance since its mobilization in April 2023, with rig uptime exceeding 98%.

EnQuest’s North Sea Managing Director, Steve Bowyer, said: “Having completed the plugging and abandonment of more than 35% of all wells decommissioned across the northern and central North Sea over the past three years, EnQuest is proud to be one of the most prolific decommissioning operators in the North Sea, employing innovative technologies and operating techniques to deliver top-quartile decommissioning performance.”

During its first assignment with Spirit Energy, Well-Safe Defender completed abandonment activities for 15 wells and recovered 45.7 kilometers of tubing and casing alongside four horizontal and six vertical trees. The gig lasted from 2022 to 2024.

Well-Safe Solutions’ rig braves 13 North Sea storms to carry out Spirit Energy’s 15-well decom program

Business Developments & Projects

While Well-Safe Solutions described this year as challenging across the sector, it pointed out that the industry is preparing for a projected increase in demand from 2026 onward.

This comes at a time when the availability of mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) has decreased, with only seven semi-submersibles currently in or near the region, many of which are either committed long-term or stacked.

Meanwhile, EnQuest recently secured a production sharing agreement (PSA) for Block C, covering three offshore fields in Brunei Darussalam. A final investment decision (FID) for the development of this project is expected to be taken within the next two years.