More than 160 offshore oil and gas workers employed by Apache are set to strike this week, raising the prospect of a major disruption to Britain’s energy supplies if industrial action forces the shutdown of the critical Forties Pipeline System.

The Unite union announced that workers will walk out for 24 hours starting at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, following a dispute over pay and backdated wages.

The action will affect seven offshore installations across the Forties and Beryl fields, including the strategically important Forties Charlie platform.

Unite warned that shutting down the Charlie platform could reduce pipeline pressure sufficiently to force the entire Forties Pipeline System offline.

Operated by Ineos, the extensive pipeline network connects more than 80 offshore fields and handles approximately 29% of UK oil and 30% of gas, according to figures cited by the union.

A shutdown could therefore have consequences extending well beyond Apache’s own production, potentially disrupting output from other North Sea operators.

The dispute follows workers’ rejection of a pay offer that Unite says amounts to a real-terms wage cut for many employees.

Talks involving the conciliation service Acas are scheduled ahead of Wednesday’s walkout, offering a final opportunity to avert industrial action.

Apache North Sea Production is a subsidiary of U.S.-based APA Corporation, which reported $1.7 billion in operating cash flow and $738 million in free cash flow during the second quarter of 2026.

A second 24-hour strike is scheduled for November 4 if the dispute remains unresolved.

The potential disruption comes as global oil and refined-product markets remain under severe pressure from the prolonged Middle East conflict.

Any interruption to North Sea supplies could add another layer of uncertainty to an already strained European energy market.

For now, the threatened pipeline shutdown remains a possibility rather than a confirmed operational disruption.

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