The DEXS Recognition Awards

Judged across basins, not within one.

6 Categories

Five open to entry

13 April 2027

Gala Dinner & Awards

Grand Ballroom

ss Rotterdam

Awards judged across basins

Presented over dinner in the Grand Ballroom aboard the ss Rotterdam on Tuesday 13 April 2027, in front of the global decommissioning market.

Six categories. Five open to entry. One decided by the Stewardship Council.

National decommissioning awards already exist. This is the first programme to judge the work across basins rather than within one, so a campaign in Brazil, a yard in Denmark and a well programme on the UK shelf are considered against the same criteria.

The categories follow where the money and the difficulty actually sit. Wells are close to half of every programme’s cost, so they have their own category. Yards and reception now hold the highest margin seat in the chain, so they have theirs.

Key Dates

Nominations open

20 October 2026

Nominations close

26 February 2027

Shortlist announced

19 March 2027

Winners announced,
Gala Dinner

19 March 2027

The Categories

Decommissioning
Programme of the Year

For a completed programme, or a major phase completed, anywhere in the world.

Judged on delivery against schedule and budget, the material recovery and recycling rate achieved, and demonstrable learning the wider industry can use.

Cross Border Collaboration

For work that pooled scope, capacity or knowledge across operators, jurisdictions or sectors. Joint well campaigns. Yard and vessel consortia bidding as one. Shared vessel spreads. Operators combining portfolios into a single package.

Judged on the number of parties and jurisdictions involved, the demonstrated cost or schedule benefit against going alone, and whether the model is repeatable.

Wells and P&A Campaign of the Year

Well plugging and abandonment is 45 to 60 percent of every programme’s cost, and it has no international award. For a campaign completed or materially advanced.

Judged on wells delivered against plan, cost per well against comparable benchmarks, and the technique or technology that moved the cost curve.

Yard, Port and Recycling Achievement

For a reception base, port, yard or recycling operation. Operators now write 95 to 98 percent recycling targets into removal contracts, and this category recognises the people who meet them.

Judged on tonnage received and processed, verified recovery and reuse percentage, and capacity added or capability built.

Innovation in Decommissioning

For a technology, tool or commercial model that changed what a scope costs or how it is bought. Open to commercial innovation as well as technical. Must be in campaign use or have completed a field trial.

Judged on demonstrated field application, measurable cost, schedule or safety effect, and whether it is addressable beyond a single operator.

Outstanding Contribution to Decommissioning

Not entered. Not sponsored. Decided by the Stewardship Council.

For an individual whose career has shaped how this work is done.

Entering

Nominations open on 20 October 2026.

Work completed or materially advanced in the 36 months to 31 December 2026 will be eligible. Submissions run to 1,000 words, with up to three supporting files, and a maximum of two entries per category, per organisation.

There is no entry fee.

Self nomination is allowed, as is nomination by a third party with the nominee’s consent.

Entries are checked against the category criteria and the eligibility window before going to the panel.

Register your interest and we will let you know when nominations open.

How the Awards Are Judged

Five judges, drawn from research bodies, national agencies and non commercial organisations. No operators and no contractors sit on the panel, because both are eligible to win.

The panel is published before nominations open.

The Rules

Judges may decline to award any category where the field is not strong enough. We would rather withhold an award than give a weak one.
Judges may consider work that was not entered. The best programme in the world should be able to win whether or not its owner filled in a form. Anyone shortlisted without entering is contacted for consent and evidence before the shortlist is published.
A minimum field of three credible candidates is required in any category, or it is withheld.
Every winner is announced with a published citation setting out why they won against the stated criteria.

Governance

The judging panel is published before nominations open.

Category partners take no part in judging, and a category partner cannot win the category it sponsors.

Judges recuse themselves where their own organisation is shortlisted, and this is noted in the citation.

Partner A Category

Five categories are available to partner at £5,000 plus VAT each.

A category partner presents the award from the stage at the gala dinner, is named in all awards communications from October through to May, receives branding on the category throughout, and two delegate passes.

Category partners take no part in judging and cannot win the category they sponsor.

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