Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) Ltd has successfully completed the first stage of a major North Sea decommissioning contract for Shell UK Limited.

Delivered ahead of schedule, the initial phase of the multi-year campaign involved the removal to vessel of well heads and protection covers, which were then brought ashore for disposal.

For the next stage of the project, which is due to begin next year, Mermaid will use specialist tooling equipment to retrieve well head flow base structures, followed by well head severance and recovery operations in 2026.

After each project stage associated debris will be cleared and removed, and seabed and over trawl surveys carried out where necessary. In order to maximize the sustainability of the project, all of the recovered materials from the structures will be managed to ensure maximum reuse or recycling.

Scott Cormack, Regional Director for Mermaid Subsea Services (UK), (Image credit: Mermaid Subsea Services (UK)

Scott Cormack, Regional Director for Mermaid Subsea Services (UK), said: “I am immensely proud that we have been able to complete the first stage of this campaign ahead of schedule and I would like to thank our teams onshore and offshore for their hard work. We aren’t resting on our laurels though, and work is already going on in partnership with Shell UK to prepare for the next phase of the campaign, scheduled to get underway early next year.”

Mermaid announced earlier this year that it had been awarded an Engineering, Preparation, Removal and Disposal (EPRD) Well Head Severance (WHS) contract by Shell UK Limited in the North Sea.

As part of the campaign, Mermaid will leverage key stakeholders across the supply chain to offer a bespoke, vessel-based, WHS solution.