The Petroleum (Production) (Seaward Areas)(Amendment) Regulations 1996

Form of application

7.  In Schedule 3 to the Principal Regulations (form of application for a licence)—

(a) for paragraph 5 substitute—

“5.   In the case of an application for a production licence:—

(a) reference number(s) of—

(i) the block(s)

(ii) the tranche(s) or

(iii) the blocks and tranches in respect of which the application is made and, if the application is made by tender, the consideration by way of initial payment which the applicant is prepared to offer for each such block or tranche(A);

(b) an analysis of the geology of the area to which the application relates, identifying, in particular, petroleum prospects;

(c) the technical data on which the analysis of the geology is based;

(d) the work programme for evaluating the potential petroleum production from the area to which the application relates which the applicant would be prepared to undertake in the initial term of the licence applied for;

(e) evidence of the applicant’s technical and financial capacity to undertake that work programme, including the number of staff the applicant intends to assign for that purpose and any relevant technical qualifications held by those staff;

(f) an explanation of the way in which the work programme provided in accordance with sub-paragraph (d) above takes account of the analysis of the geology;

(g) evidence that either—

(i) the proposed operator is a member of the Offshore Pollution Lia-bility Association Limited, or any body which may after the date upon which these Regulations come into force assume responsi-bility for the functions currently carried out by the Offshore Pollution Liability Association Limited; or

(ii) the applicant will be able to meet the costs of any damage which may be caused through drilling or production operations;

(h) a statement of the general environmental policy of the proposed opera-tor in respect of activities licensed in seaward areas by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 2 of the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 together with—

(i) a summary of his management systems for the implementation of that policy, and

(ii) a summary of how those management systems will be applied to the work programme provided in accordance with sub-paragraph (d) above.”;

(b) after paragraph 7(d) insert—

“(dd) where the applicant is or has a subsidiary (as defined in sections 736 and 736A of the Companies Act 1985(1)), a diagram identifying any companies of which it is a subsidiary and any subsidiaries it has;”

(c) in paragraph 9(1), for the words “three copies”, in both places where they appear, substitute “two copies”;

(d) in paragraph 9(1)(b), for the words “(as defined by section 681(4) of that Act)” substitute “as defined by subsections (1) and (2) of section 660G(2) of that Act)”;

(e) after paragraph 9(2) insert—

“(3) Where the most recent audited accounts of a body corporate whose accounts are required to accompany an application are in respect of a period ending on a date more than twelve months before the date of the application, there shall also accompany the application two copies of a balance sheet showing the state of the body corporate’s affairs as at the latest date within that twelve months period in respect of which a balance sheet can be made available.”;

(f) in paragraph 11, for the words “Department of Energy” substitute “Department of Trade and Industry”;

(g) in Part VI, for the words —

• “To Licensing Branch Oil and Gas Division Department of Energy London SW1”substitute—

• “To Oil and Gas Directorate Department of Trade and Industry 1 Victoria Street London SW1H 0ET”;

(h) in note (A)—

(i) after the words “one block” insert “or tranche”;

(ii) after the words “that blocks” insert “or tranches”.

(1)

1985 c. 6; section 736 was amended and section 736A was inserted by the Companies Act 1989 (c. 40), section 144(1).

(2)

section 660G was inserted into the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 (c. 1) by paragraph 1 of Schedule 17 to the Finance Act 1995 (c. 4).