xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"

Offshore installations

4.—(1) The prescribed provisions of the 1974 Act shall apply within the territorial sea or a designated area to and in relation to—

(a)any offshore installation and any activity on it;

(b)any activity in connection with an offshore installation, or any activity which is immediately preparatory thereto, whether carried on from the installation itself, in or from a vessel or in any other manner, other than—

(i)transporting, towing or navigating the installation; and

(ii)any activity in or from a vessel being used as a stand-by vessel;

(c)a diving project involving—

(i)the survey and preparation of the sea bed for an offshore installation;

(ii)the survey and restoration of the sea bed consequent on the removal of an offshore installation.

(2) In this Order “offshore installation” means—

(a)the fixed structures consisting of six towers referred to in the Schedule to this Order as NSR M-1, NSR R-1, NSR R-2, NSR R-3, NSR R-4 and NSR R-5 and settled on the sea bed at the locations specified in the Schedule and the related cables between each of those towers at sea bed level and the related cables which lie or extend outside the said locations; or

(b)subject to paragraph (3) of this article, a structure which is, or is to be, or has been, used while standing or stationed in water, or on the foreshore or other land intermittently covered with water—

(i)for the exploitation, or exploration with a view to exploitation, of mineral resources by means of a well;

(ii)for the storage of gas in or under the shore or bed of any water or the recovery of gas so stored;

(iii)for the conveyance of things by means of a pipe; or

(iv)mainly for the provision of accommodation for persons who work on or from a structure falling within any of the provisions of this sub-paragraph,

together with any supplementary unit which is ordinarily connected to it, and all the connections.

(3) Any reference in paragraph (2)(b) to a structure or unit does not include—

(a)a structure which is connected with dry land by a permanent structure providing access at all times and for all purposes;

(b)a well;

(c)a structure which has ceased to be used for any of the purposes specified in paragraph (2)(b) of this article and has since been used for a purpose not so specified;

(d)a mobile structure which has been taken out of use and is not yet being moved with a view to its being used for any of the purposes specified in paragraph (2)(b) of this article; and

(e)any part of a pipeline.