More firms have joined the list of companies laying off north-east workers as a result of the sharp slump in oil prices.
UniversalPegasus International (UPI), Ceona and Bibby Offshore are all cutting jobs, although they refuse to say how many.
Sources say Aberdeen-based Helix Well Ops is also reducing its payroll.
Trade body Oil and Gas UK has estimated the total number of roles shed in the sector since crude prices plunged at more than 5,000, and warned the figure is likely to rise.
It is thought the Aberdeen offices of energy service firm UPI – owned by US conglomerate Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) – employed about 100 people a year ago.
Today, its workforce is believed to be less than one-fifth of that figure.
There is speculation that Virgina-based HII, which employs 38,000 people globally and alongside many other activities builds nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers and other warships for the US Navy, may dump the entire UniversalPegasus business and its operations in the Americas, Aberdeen and Woking.
A spokeswoman for HII said: “Due to the downturn in the oil and gas sector, HII has taken some actions to better position UniversalPegasus for long-term success.
“These difficult but necessary actions include a workforce reduction and a restructuring of UPI’s benefit and compensation programmes.
“While none of us can predict when the market will turn, UPI will be positioned to provide our customer base with high-quality products and services to help them complete their projects safely, on schedule, and on budget.”
Subsea company Ceona said yesterday it had been forced to cut jobs in a bid to keep costs under control.
Ceona is headquartered in London but has offices in Aberdeen as well as international operations in the US and Ghana. It employs 179 people globally, including 19 in Aberdeen.
Chief executive Mark Preece, in only his second week at the helm, said: “In order to ensure that Ceona continues to operate a robust, competitive business against the challenging market conditions, we are reviewing our operations across all our offices.
“Regrettably, part of this process involves reviewing our staffing levels to better align with current market conditions.
“The process is at a very early stage and we are working closely with our colleagues to try and reach the best outcome possible during what is extremely difficult time for everyone involved.”
Bibby Offshore said it was consulting employees at Westhill, near Aberdeen, about redundancies.
The subsea construction firm declined to reveal numbers, but it is thought more than 20 people may have to go.
A spokeswoman for Bibby said “We will be helping all affected people as much as we can throughout this process.”
Sources said Dyce-based subsea well intervention specialist Helix Well Ops, part of US-based energy service group Helix Energy Solutions, was mothballing one of its vessels, the MSV Seawell, and making most of its crew redundant.
Helix Well Ops was asked for comment but did not respond.