Mermaid Subsea Services (UK) has further extended its contract with the Island Valiant, the subsea support vessel which has been the lynchpin of its North Sea operations for the last three years.
Having first began using the ship in 2024 for well plug & abandonment (P&A) activities and Inspection, Repair & Maintenance (IRM) campaigns, the new deal further reinforces Mermaid’s commitment to the UK market, in which it has been operating since 2021.
The Aberdeen-based division of the global subsea services provider last year completed 10 wellhead severances, a critical decommissioning process, and a well intervention for the Anasuria FPSO. This followed on from a strong 2024 when it set the benchmark for the highest number of vessel-based well decommissioning operations ever completed in a single year within the basin by plugging and abandoning 30 wells.
Scott Cormack, Regional Director for Mermaid Subsea Services (UK), said: “The North Sea decommissioning market is at a pivotal moment, with operations set to ramp up in the coming months and years. Over the last five years, we have built up an expertise and knowledge which has established us as a leading provider in the region.
“By committing to the basin for another 12 months, we’re continuing to provide our customers with an expertise in well decommissioning and asset integrity that will be conducive to safe, streamlined and profitable operations.
“While our calendar is filling up for the remainder of 2026, we have slots available and would encourage asset owners and operators to get in touch with their needs for the season.”
In late 2025, Mermaid completed a fast-track subsea recovery project for a major operator in the North Sea, which included the internal and external severance of casing, conductor, guide pipe and cement lines, local seabed excavation, recovery of the CAN-Basic structure and management of associated materials, as well as waste management of recovered items and backfill operations for overtrawl survey.