Archer secures North Sea plug-and-abandonment role
Norwegian firm to handle platform drilling for Well-Safe's Apache decommissioning campaign
Norwegian offshore services group Archer has been contracted by Well-Safe Solutions to carry out plug-and-abandonment work in the UK North Sea, covering the Beryl and Forties fields operated by Apache North Sea.
The decommissioning programme is due to get under way during 2026 and spans seven platforms together with more than 260 wells. Well-Safe holds the lead contractor role for the fully integrated plug-and-abandonment scope, while Archer supplies all platform-based drilling activity.
Archer's contribution also takes in a range of its well services lines, among them wireline, coiled tubing and downhole solutions, and the company will handle specialist fishing and plug-and-abandonment tasks on subsea wells.
Chief executive Dag Skindlo said the firm intends to back the campaign with its operational track record, technology and engineering know-how.
The award follows a separate multi-year agreement Well-Safe struck with Apache in April to retire platform and subsea wells across the Forties field, underlining the steady pipeline of decommissioning activity in the maturing UK basin.
