Boskalis Subsea Services Launches Collective-Based Model for North Sea Decommissioning

Boskalis Subsea Services, a subsea provider of decommissioning, IRM and construction solutions, has launched a new collaborative delivery model, "The Decommissioning Collective," designed to change how subsea infrastructure decommissioning is planned and executed in the North Sea. 

The new model marks a shift away from fragmented, project-by-project contracting, enabling operators to plan and deliver decommissioning activity within a shared framework. Developed by Boskalis Subsea Services and shaped through engagement with operators, the approach is focused on improved alignment, efficiency and value across sustained programs of work. 

Drawing on more than two decades of subsea decommissioning experience, Boskalis Subsea Services created "The Decommissioning Collective" to address one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: inefficiencies driven by isolated schedules, differing standards and short-term decision-making. Through "The Decommissioning Collective," participating operators align around common ways of working, standardized procedures and coordinated planning. 

“The scale and complexity of decommissioning in the North Sea means the traditional, project-by-project approach no longer delivers the best outcomes," said Stuart Cameron, Managing Director of Boskalis Subsea Services. "'The Decommissioning Collective' responds to that challenge by aligning operators around common ways of working and a program-based delivery model, improving efficiency, cost certainty and predictability across decommissioning activity.” 

"The Decommissioning Collective" has been established with the participation of three companies including Harbour Energy, which has worked closely with Boskalis Subsea Services on decommissioning programs in the North Sea. 

The model is supported by Boskalis Subsea Services’ substantial investment in UK subsea capability, including diving, remote operations and decommissioning resources, alongside the continued development of its Remote Operations Centre, strengthening offshore support and operational assurance. 

With three companies already planning their decommissioning activity through "The Decommissioning Collective," which could amount up to 3,000 days of work over the next decade.