WATCH: North Sea decom campaign retires trio of gas wells in UK waters

Spirit Energy has finished a decommission campaign in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, resulting in the permanent closure of three gas wells. According to Offshore Energy, the operator spent approximately $55 million on the project, which targeted the Seven Seas and Grove G5 production sites along with the Grove Deep exploration well. The initiative required over 114,000 work hours and involved a diverse supply chain including more than 30 UK-based partners. The campaign removed 234 tons of subsea hardware, with the operator aiming to reuse or recycle all recovered materials at domestic yards. Technical operations involved the use of the Well-Safe Protector rig and the construction support vessel Edda Freya. At the Seven Seas location, teams removed a 100-ton protection structure from the wellhead, while work at the Grove sites utilized remotely operated vehicles to disconnect subsea infrastructure and prepare for final reservoir abandonment. Operational challenges included managing aging infrastructure and navigating unpredictable weather conditions in the southern sector. Spirit Energy's Decommissioning Manager, Ceri Wheaton, noted that success relied on clear communication across multiple vessels as they coordinated around "existing assets that are still in the field." The decommissioned wells had been active contributors to the regional gas supply at various intervals between 2008 and 2024.