Helix to go on P&A duty in UK North Sea in 2026

December 24, 2025, by Nadja Skopljak

U.S.-headquartered offshore energy services provider Helix Energy Solutions has secured a multi-year contract for riserless plug and abandonment (P&A) operations on up to 34 subsea wells in the UK North Sea.

Well Enhancer. Source: Helix Energy Solutions

The award came from a “major operator”, as Helix said, and includes the flushing and disconnection of pipelines and well P&A.

The company plans to use its own assets, including either the Well Enhancer or the Seawell, purpose-built light well intervention vessels with saturation diving capabilities, a subsea intervention lubricator, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

Helix will also be providing project management and engineering services in support of delivering a fully integrated solution to the operator.

Work is expected to begin in 2026.

Scotty Sparks, Helix’s Executive Vice President (VP) and Chief Operating Officer (CEO), said: “This new multi-year and multi-well award demonstrates Helix’s position as a leading decommissioning provider in the North Sea and globally. By leveraging our integrated assets and industry-leading operational track-record, we are proud to support our client in executing a safe and cost-effective decommissioning program.”

As for other recent news coming from the company, Helix announced in August that it had been appointed for a long-term assignment with an undisclosed oil & gas operator in the Gulf of America, formerly the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.