North Sea operators produced an additional 16 million BOE in 2025 from 56 reinstated wells, as a renewed focus on well interventions improved production efficiency across the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), according to the North Sea Transition Authority’s (NSTA) UKCS Wells Insights Report 2026.
The NSTA said intervention efficiency improved significantly during the year, with the cost per BOE added falling from £9.60/BOE ($12.96/BOE) in 2024 to £7.60/BOE ($10.26/BOE) in 2025. Operators carried out 398 well interventions during the year, reflecting a shift toward restoration work designed to return shut-in wells to production.
According to the report, the UKCS had 2,298 wells at the end of 2025, down 7% from the previous year. Of those, 1,439 were operating, 558 were shut in, and 301 had been plugged.
The authority said it has worked closely with licensees to identify shut-in wells with reinstatement potential and support the work required to return them to service. While many shut-in wells are expected to be decommissioned, the NSTA believes opportunities remain to restore a significant number to production and contribute to domestic energy supply.
The report presents a mixed picture of overall wells activity. Operators drilled 38 development wellbores in 2025, including six mechanical sidetracks, while development drilling expenditure remained steady at £1.6 billion ($2.16 billion). Total drilled length increased from 162 km in 2024 to 177 km in 2025, and average drilling cost declined slightly from £10,135/m ($13,686/m) to £10,000/m ($13,503/m).
Exploration and appraisal activity declined during the year. Operators drilled three appraisal wells and no exploration wells in 2025, compared with three appraisal wells and three exploration wells in 2024. Two of the three appraisal wells drilled in 2025 were spudded in 2024.
Looking ahead, the NSTA forecasts that 32 exploration and appraisal wells could be drilled between 2026 and 2028, including five in 2026, 12 in 2027, and 15 in 2028. Fourteen of those wells are expected to be drilled in the Central North Sea, eight in the Southern North Sea and East Irish Sea, seven in the Northern North Sea, and three West of Shetland.
Keith Hogg, the NSTA’s wells manager, said the results demonstrate the value of intervention activity in extending production from existing assets.
“The NSTA is fully committed in supporting industry to boost cost-effective production, so it is welcome to see that the time and resource we put into encouraging well interventions has paid off with an extra 16 million barrels produced,” Hogg said.
However, Hogg also warned that declining intervention levels and reduced exploration and appraisal drilling could have broader implications for the sector.
“A fall in the overall number of interventions and decline in E&A drilling, combined with rising rig costs points to a concerning loss of skills and resource. This all means it remains vital that operators engage with the supply chain and commit to investing in wells,” he said.