With the backlog of wells due for decommissioning on the rise, the UK’s regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), has issued a stark warning to operators on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), urging them to take steps to decommission permanently inactive wells now to stave off a future scenario where they, alongside taxpayers, will need to face cost hikes and potential sanctions because of the missed decommissioning deadlines.