Total is set to slash up to 200 jobs in Denmark as part of a restructuring process for its subsidiary Total E&P Danmark’s Danish oil and gas operations centred in Esbjerg.

The Danish subsidiary is undertaking the reorganisation to bring in a simpler and more focused set-up consolidating on the wider experience and expertise of its parent company with an objective to boost its competitiveness in the Danish North Sea.

Currently, there are nearly 1,500 people working in the Esbjerg-based exploration and production company. The restructuring will also impact an undisclosed number of contractors and will exclude the 360 employees at Total’s organisation in Copenhagen, who cater to the North Sea, Russia and Nordics regions in various capacities.

Why Total is undertaking the restructuring programme

The decision to reorganise the operations has been driven by a temporary decline in Total’s Danish North Sea production by 40% owing to the major redevelopment of the Tyra platforms.

According to the French oil and gas giant, production from the Tyra fields will shut-in end 2019 and will be recommenced in 2022. The company expects the new redeveloped Tyra fields to continue to play a significant role as key Danish infrastructure processing over 90% of the natural gas drawn from the Danish North Sea.

The $3.36bn (£780m) Tyra Redevelopment Project is being undertaken by the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC) led by the French oil and gas major to achieve continued production from the Tyra fields.

Total Danish North Sea operations managing director Patrick Gilly said: “We see an interesting potential in Denmark, and we want to become more competitive to continue unlocking the potential of the increasingly challenging Danish subsurface in a sustainable manner.

“The reorganization we announced today will transform the way we work, so that we can produce more efficiently and better utilize the skills and innovation power of our talented employees – while continuing our focus on safety and environmental impact.”

The restructuring in Esbjerg will be subject to statutory consultation as per Danish labour law, said the French oil and gas major.