Petrofac has deferred an £11million decommissioning contract for Aberdeen-headquartered Awilco Drilling.
A three-well campaign, expected to last 100 days, was due to begin at the Rubie and Renee fields in early May using the WilPhoenix rig.
The work is now being postponed until May 25, Awilco said, with the rig remaining on a standby rate during the interim.
The US-based Hess Corporation, whose UK operations now only cover decommissioning, operates Rubie and Renee.
In August last year Petrofac was awarded the contact to oversee the P&A campaign, who in turn signed a letter of intent in January with Awilco
Petrofac confirmed there is no impact on its deal with Hess, which covers a total of four wells.
The move comes as several North Sea companies have deferred project spending in light of the oil price crash.
Drilling firms have been particularly impacted, with the Offshore Coordinating Group, comprised of the major oil and gas unions, assessing that 1,000 drilling jobs could go by September.