For the majority of older oil and gas facilities, the production and processing environment has changed significantly since its early days, with increasing operational and maintenance overheads and obsolete control technology often threatening to bring lift costs above production revenues. As a result, Production and Operational Efficiency has significantly worsened in recent years with many of these assets performing well below optimum production, equating to approximately 500,000 barrels of lost production per day in the UKCS or £10bn/annum (based on Oil and Gas UK production availability figures) Enquest's Thistle platform was one of these assets and was due to be decommissioned until the brave decision was taken to extend its life by putting in place the Late Life Extension Program (LLX). Using groundbreaking Asset Life Extension techniques and methodologies, this old facility is in the process of being re-designed by simplifying the topsides which in turn, is leading to improved availability, increased production and reduced operating costs. A simplified, safer process in a controlled environment has been created whilst balancing the requirements of a capital budget, against reduced OPEX and process risk. It is estimated that the modifications have added at least 15 years of safe, viable, profitable production to the Thistle's lifespan, a great example of deferring decommissioning and Maximising Economic Recovery.