BPC’s return to Aberdeen is an early proof point for a new market entry model that gives international well services companies a credible route into the UKCS - without the cost and risk of building a presence from scratch

From L-R - Adrian Bannister, Sandy Fettes and Alan Fairweather of Kerloch Engineering; David Scalley, Managing Director at AJT Engineering; and David Salzl - Operations Manager at Balance Point Control

At a time when many companies are scaling back their North Sea operations, a new partnership is creating a route to bring international companies back into the basin. 

Netherlands-based well services specialist Balance Point Control (BPC) has re-established its operational presence in Aberdeen, returning to a market where it previously supported more than 40 roles. The company’s return has been made possible through a new market entry model developed by Kerloch Energy, in partnership with Altens-based AJT Engineering, designed to improve the economics of entering and operating in the UKCS. 

The model addresses a structural challenge that has held back many international service companies from entering or re-entering the basin: the cost and complexity of building a UK presence from scratch. By combining Kerloch Energy’s North Sea market intelligence, embedded local relationships and commercial strategy with AJT Engineering’s established Aberdeen facilities, engineering capability and supply chain access, the partnership gives international companies a credible operational North Sea base from day one - without the overhead burden of establishing independently.

Kerloch Energy - comprised of industry veterans Alan Fairweather, Sandy Fettes and Adrian Bannister - was founded to help both new entrants and established service companies identify and act on the right opportunities in the North Sea. For new entrants, the model reduces the cost and risk of establishing a UKCS presence. For incumbents, it offers a more flexible, lower-cost way to maintain a footprint, extend late-life activity and respond to changing demand.

With late-life production, well intervention and decommissioning activity set to shape the basin for years to come, Kerloch Energy believes the North Sea continues to offer significant commercial opportunity for companies with the right technology, the right support and the right entry strategy.

Kerloch Energy also believes this next phase of North Sea activity creates an opportunity to retain and redeploy skills that already exist. While much of the workforce conversation has focused on transferring oil and gas skills into other sectors, the company believes there is still significant work to be done within late-life production, intervention and decommissioning - creating long-term opportunities for people with drilling, completions, engineering, fabrication and offshore experience.

BPC is the first clear example of Kerloch Energy’s model in action. Its return to the region was marked this week with an open week at AJT Engineering’s Altens facility, giving operators, service companies and industry stakeholders the opportunity to meet the teams, view equipment on site and engage directly with the partnership.

Alan Fairweather, founder of Kerloch Energy, said:
“The prevailing narrative is that the North Sea is a market to exit. We don’t accept that. The basin is changing - it is not finished - and that shift has created a genuine mismatch between how many established businesses are structured and what the market actually needs right now.

“BPC recognised the opportunity. What they needed was a commercially credible route to act on it, without committing to the kind of infrastructure investment that would have made the numbers difficult. That is exactly what Kerloch Energy and AJT Engineering exist to provide.

“BPC is an important proof point for the model, and we see significant potential to support other companies looking to access the North Sea in a more flexible and commercially viable way.

“This is also about people and skills. The North Sea still needs experienced teams who understand drilling, intervention, completions and offshore operations. Those skills do not have to leave the industry or leave the region. If we get the model right, we can keep that capability here and create opportunities for the next generation.”

David Scalley, Managing Director at AJT Engineering, said:
“A credible North Sea presence is not just about having an address. Companies need the facilities, engineering capability, supply chain access and practical support to demonstrate that they can operate here.

“That is where AJT Engineering adds real value. Through our partnership with Kerloch Energy, international companies entering the UKCS can access established facilities, precision engineering expertise, yard space, procurement support and connections into the wider UK supply chain from day one, without having to build or fund that infrastructure independently.

“For BPC, that means being able to demonstrate its technology and capability in a live operational environment in Aberdeen, supported by a team that understands what the North Sea demands. The open week is a tangible expression of what this partnership delivers.”

David Salzl, Operations Manager at BPC, said:
“The North Sea remains an important market for BPC, and re-establishing a presence in Aberdeen is a significant step.

“We see strong opportunities in the UKCS, particularly as the basin continues to evolve around late-life production, intervention and decommissioning activity. But entering the market in the right way is critical, and our previous experience here only reinforced that.

“Kerloch Energy gave us the market intelligence and commercial clarity we needed to commit. AJT Engineering gives us the operational base to pursue contracts with confidence. The open week is our opportunity to introduce BPC’s technology and expertise to Aberdeen, meet operators and industry partners, and demonstrate that we are here for the long term.”

KeyFacts Energy news: New Kid on the Block