Strict regulations by the United States administration are driving North America's market share in end-of-life services, which leads globally, followed closely by Europe.

Regulatory push besides, environmental accountability and unavoidable age-old infrastructure liabilities are making operators to sit up and notice. They are equally prioritising funding and execution of removal plans to meet rising public as well as investor scrutiny of idle offshore assets. Regulatory bodies like OSPAR have upped surveillance and issued tighter deadlines for platform removal and seabed clearance.

Dedicated divisions for asset retirement and long-term decommissioning are taking up visible space in the annual work plans of oil majors. 

The rapidly growing sector is now dynamically placed, involving big players in oilfield services innovations such as Halliburton, SLB, Baker Hughes. TechnipFMC and Aker Solutions, to name a few. Cutting edge offerings from them, including advanced cutting tools, cold-cutting technology for underwater structures, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and single-lift vessel technologies, among others, are supporting operators to deliver decommissioning liabilities in a safe, cost-effective and sustainable manner. 

These companies are also known for their specialised services, with Halliburton, SLB and Baker Hughes leading in well plugging and abandonment, while TechnipFMC and Aker Solutions specialising in full-field decommissioning projects. Saipem and Petrofac, on the other hand, bring heavy-lift and project management expertise to complex removals.

These tools are helping operators tackle challenging deepwater situations in North America, which is predominantly attracting decommissioning developments.