Apache UK Offshore Workers Hold 24-Hour Pay Strike

More than 160 offshore workers employed by US oil company Apache began a 24-hour strike on October 21 at seven UK North Sea installations, amid a pay dispute with the Unite union. The industrial action, which runs until 05:59 on October 22, prompted warnings of a possible impact on the Forties Pipeline System (FPS), operated by Ineos.

The industrial action covers the Forties Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo platforms, along with Beryl Alpha and Beryl Bravo. According to Unite, workers rejected a pay offer ranging from a freeze to below-inflation increases, and the union accused the company of threatening to withhold backdated pay that could leave some employees thousands of pounds worse off. Apache, for its part, maintained that its final offer includes a 4% increase for workers under the collective agreement, matching what was previously granted to non-unionised staff, and noted that the affected personnel are among the best paid in the UK, with an average offshore rotation of 153 days a year. A second 24-hour strike is scheduled for November 4 and 5 if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite warned that shutting down the Forties Charlie platform could cause a pressure drop severe enough to force a shutdown of the entire Forties pipeline system, affecting production from other North Sea operators. Apache rejected that scenario and stated that its contingency plans involve keeping experienced personnel on Forties Charlie to sustain third-party production, even if outflow from its five Forties platforms is suspended, equating any pressure reduction to a routine maintenance shutdown.

The FPS receives production from more than 80 offshore fields and from the St Fergus gas terminal, and according to Unite it handles around 29% of UK oil and 30% of UK gas. Splash 247 noted that its nominal capacity exceeds 600,000 barrels per day, while ports news rusia reported that the system carries between 200,000 and 250,000 barrels per day, with Forties crude forming part of the physical market underpinning Dated Brent.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of Apache's scheduled withdrawal from the UK North Sea by the end of 2029, with plans to decommission seven platforms and around 260 wells in the Forties and Beryl fields. Its parent company, Houston-based APA Corporation, reported $1.7 billion in operating cash flow and $738 million in free cash flow for the second quarter of 2026, with North Sea operations accounting for about 7% of its 2025 production and Apache's output there running at around 32,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.