James Fisher Decommissioning

What James Fisher Decommissioning does

James Fisher Decommissioning is the offshore decommissioning division of James Fisher and Sons plc, a UK-listed maritime and energy services group (LSE: FSJ) founded in 1857 and headquartered in Barrow-in-Furness. The division provides turnkey end-of-life services for offshore oil and gas and renewable energy infrastructure, including subsea well plug and abandonment, monopile and jacket severance, structure and pipeline recovery, and seabed preparation and restoration. Its core technology portfolio centers on proprietary, trademarked tooling — SEABASS™ and SEABASS™-MLS modular well abandonment systems, Controlled Flow Excavation (CFE) for non-contact seabed work, diamond wire saws capable of cutting up to 10m diameter monopiles, hydraulic shears and grabs, abrasive waterjet cutting systems, and the Soil Plug Removal Tool (SPRT) — supplemented by integrated engineering and project management delivered through experienced offshore field personnel. The business operates a project-based, professional services model: revenue is generated through negotiated, multi-year contracts with major oil and gas operators and offshore wind developers (named customers include BP Oil, ScottishPower Renewables, Iberdrola, and Taiwan Power Company), with pricing scoped per project and not publicly disclosed. Geographically the division is active across the UK, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and Asia Pacific (Taiwan), and has expanded capability via the 2024 acquisition of Subsea Engenuity Ltd, the earlier absorption of Mojo Maritime (now James Fisher Renouvelables), and a February 2025 global decommissioning partnership with Aquaterra Energy.

Name

James Fisher Decommissioning

Legal name

James Fisher and Sons plc

Website

https://jamesfisherdecommissioning.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

James Fisher Decommissioning is the offshore decommissioning division of UK-listed James Fisher and Sons plc, providing turnkey subsea well abandonment, monopile severance, structure recovery, and seabed restoration services to oil and gas majors and offshore wind developers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Offshore Decommissioning Services

NAICS

Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333132), Oil and Gas Extraction (211)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater Cutting, Demolition & Obstruction Removal (TLAHAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decommissioning, Plug & Abandonment (P&A) & Abandonment Liability Management (EUALAAAK), Underwater Salvage & Diving Operations (UWILD, Cutting, Welding) (IMAJANAD)

Keywords

• Offshore decommissioning
• Well abandonment
• Subsea cutting
• Structure removal
• Seabed preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Barrow-in-Furness

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Offshore Decommissioning Services: Project-based professional services for decommissioning offshore oil and gas and renewables infrastructure. Revenue is generated through long-term contracts with energy companies requiring specialized subsea removal, well abandonment, and seabed restoration services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

James Fisher Decommissioning delivers offshore decommissioning services for the oil & gas and offshore renewables sectors. Its core work covers subsea well abandonment, removal of offshore platforms and subsea structures, seabed preparation, and a suite of cutting and recovery services delivered using proprietary tooling such as SEABASS™ and Controlled Flow Excavation (CFE). The business operates from Barrow-in-Furness, UK, and is the decommissioning division of James Fisher and Sons plc.

Product overview

James Fisher Decommissioning offers a comprehensive portfolio of offshore decommissioning solutions for both the oil and gas and renewables industries. The core portfolio centers on SEABASS™ and SEABASS™-MLS for well abandonment operations, complemented by Controlled Flow Excavation (CFE) for non-contact seabed preparation. The company provides market-leading mechanical cutting tools including diamond wire saws, hydraulic shears, and hydraulic grabs, alongside specialized systems like the Soil Plug Removal Tool (SPRT) and abrasive waterjet cutting for well severance. These integrated tools and services enable turnkey solutions for well plug and abandonment, jacket removal, subsea structure recovery, pipeline removal, and seabed restoration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEABASS: Modular well abandonment tool enabling safe and efficient decommissioning operations, including SEABASS-MLS variant.
• SEABASS-MLS
• SPRT

Products and services

• SEABASS™ Well Abandonment Proprietary subsea well abandonment system used to plug and abandon subsea wells, including the SEABASS-MLS variant for multi-laterals; sold as a contracted service to offshore oil & gas operators.
• Controlled Flow Excavation (CFE) Non-contact, jet-based excavation tool used for seabed preparation, trenching, and freeing of buried infrastructure ahead of structure removal; delivered as a contracted service.
• Cutting Services Subsea cutting services delivered via diamond wire saws, hydraulic shears, hydraulic grabs and abrasive waterjet cutting systems for severing and recovering offshore structures.
• Offshore Structure Removal Engineering and execution services for the removal and recovery of offshore platforms, jackets and subsea infrastructure, including use of soil plug removal tool (SPRT) and recovery tooling.
• Seabed Preparation Survey, clearance and preparation of the seabed in advance of structure removal and post-decommissioning site restoration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Historic 10m diameter monopile cut achieved, marking new milestone for offshore wind decommissioning

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Aquaterra EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Fisher and Aquaterra Energy announced a global decommissioning partnership combining both companies' expertise in offshore energy services. The partnership enables integrated decommissioning solutions for the global market.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TechnipFMC: Subsea engineering and equipment provider active across offshore energy projects. Operates a much wider portfolio (subsea trees, umbilicals, installation vessels) but competes for integrated decommissioning scopes and supplies similar well abandonment technologies.
• Saipem: Italian engineering and offshore services major with full decommissioning and platform removal capability through its E&C Offshore and Drilling units. Broader portfolio but materially overlaps in topside removal and subsea infrastructure decommissioning.
• Aker Solutions: Norway-headquartered global energy services company with substantial decommissioning and removal services across the offshore lifecycle. Operates at broader scale, but shares the same North Sea P&A and platform removal end markets.
• Bilfinger UK: Industrial services provider with UK North Sea decommissioning, engineering and maintenance operations. Competes in adjacent maintenance, modification and decommissioning scopes for offshore operators in the same basins as James Fisher.
• Subsea7: Global subsea engineering, construction and services company operating installation and decommissioning vessels for offshore operators. Active in the same North Sea and global oil & gas / renewables markets, though broader scope of activity than pure decommissioning.
• Stena AB (Stena Recycling / Stena Offshore): Swedish-based industrial group with offshore services, vessel operations and recycling, including offshore decommissioning capabilities. Competes on platform and vessel-supported removal projects but operates as a diversified industrial group.

Direct peers

• Helix Energy Solutions Group: US-listed well intervention and decommissioning specialist with proprietary tools and vessels for subsea well abandonment and P&A. Highly comparable business model combining well engineering, cutting tools, and offshore execution.
• AF Offshore Decommissioning: AF Group's decommissioning division providing offshore platform removal, pipeline decommissioning and subsea services. Directly competes in topside/jacket removal and subsea infrastructure clearance activities analogous to James Fisher Decommissioning.
• Well-Safe Solutions: UK-based specialist well abandonment and decommissioning company offering plug and abandonment services for the North Sea. Directly comparable to James Fisher Decommissioning's SEABASS-led P&A offering, with overlapping customers and technology positioning.

Others

• OneSubsea (SLB): Subsea production systems and well intervention equipment provider serving upstream oil & gas. Functions more as a technology / equipment supplier to decommissioning contractors rather than a direct competitor, but its well intervention tooling is adjacent to SEABASS-style P&A tools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jamesfisherplc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-fisher-decommissioning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about James Fisher Decommissioning