146 rigs '˜could be scrapped by 2026'

Almost 150 oil rigs in UK waters could be scrapped within the next 10 years, according to industry analysts

Douglas Westwood, which carries out market research and consultancy work for the energy industry worldwide, said it anticipated that “146 platforms will be removed from the UK during 2019-2026”.

The North Sea has been hit hard by plummeting oil prices, with the industry body Oil and Gas UK estimating 65,000 jobs have been lost in the sector since 2014.

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But Douglas Westwood said that decommissioning could provide an opportunity for the specialist firms involved in the work.

Soon, it will publish its decommissioning forecast for the North Sea - covering Denmark, Germany, Norway and the UK from 2016 to 2040.