Thu, 10 Jul 2025

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 North Sea operators 'running out of time' to plug old oil wells

Industry regulator The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has identified a backlog of more than 500 wells that require plugging.
North Sea oil and gas operators are facing fines if they don't meet their decommissioning deadlines, with over 500 wells still to be plugged at an estimated cost of £41 billion. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has warned that further delays will increase costs by a further £4 billion and could lead to operators moving out of the region, causing long-term costs to rise. NSTA director Pauline Innes urged operators to act immediately, stating that they "are running out of time" to tackle the backlog. The regulator is prepared to help operators but will take action against those who continually delay. Industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) acknowledged that policy instability has created uncertainty in the sector, but said businesses are committed to decommissioning and working with the government to provide stable regulatory frameworks. To clear the backlog, 300 wells need to be fully commissioned each year, a task that is seen as complex due to the large number of decommissioning obligations still outstanding.
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