Petrofac has been appointed Well Operator by Tullow Oil for the next phase of its Thames Decommissioning Project, following the award of a contract worth around US$16 million.

As Well Operator, Petrofac will be responsible for the execution of plug and abandonment operations on three of Tullow Oil’s subsea wells in the Southern North Sea. This will include detailed planning, direct procurement and management of all sub-contracted services, including provision of a jack-up rig.

The award follows the successful completion of plug and abandonment programmes in 2016 and 2018, throughout which Petrofac decommissioned seven of Tullow Oil’s subsea and platform wells, delivering project savings of more than US$6.5 million.

Alex Macdonald, Managing Director – Well Engineering, Petrofac Engineering and Production Services, said:
"We are delighted to further strengthen our relationship with Tullow Oil as it takes the next step in its Thames Decommissioning project.

"At the end of the asset lifecycle, the focus on cost and schedule remains as important as ever. This award is testament to the approach we take to optimise operations through new decommissioning techniques and maximise collaboration across the supply chain in order to drive efficiency."

Petrofac became the first outsourced Well Operator to execute fully integrated Well Operator services in 2016. The company’s Well Operator capability evolved from its outsourced Service Operator model and its extensive track record in well project management, enabling Petrofac to provide a standalone or integrated approach to the management of wells, installation and pipeline operations.