The Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Regulation 39

SCHEDULE 15 N.I. TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS AND SAVINGS

PART 1 N.I. INTERPRETATION

Interpretation N.I.

1.—(1) In this Schedule—

“the 2007 regime” means—

(a)

the legislation modified by Schedule 14 to these Regulations; and

(b)

the 1978 Order as it applied in relation to the legislation mentioned in paragraph (a),

to the extent that that Order and that legislation had effect in relation to external waters immediately before the commencement date;

“the 2007 Regulations” means the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007(1) as they had effect immediately before the commencement date;

“the commencement date” means 19th December 2016;

“corresponding provision” means any provision of these Regulations—

(a)

as it has effect on or after the commencement date; and

(b)

so far as it corresponds (with or without modification) to a provision of the 2007 Regulations in relation to external waters;

“current safety case,” unless the context otherwise provides, has the meaning given in the 2007 Regulations;

“the date of thorough review” means the date immediately before the fifth anniversary of—

(a)

the date on which the Executive first accepted the current safety case pursuant to the 2007 Regulations; or

(b)

where there has been at least one review of that safety case under regulation 13 of the 2007 Regulations immediately before the commencement date, the date—

(i)

of that review, or

(ii)

if there has been more than one review, the last of those reviews;

“design notification”, unless the context otherwise provides, has the meaning given in the 2007 Regulations;

“duty holder”, except in paragraph 8, has the meaning given in the 2007 Regulations;

“field development programme” means a field development programme within the meaning given in the 2007 Regulations;

“existing non-production installation” means a non-production installation for which there was a current safety case immediately before 18th December 2014;

“existing production installation” means a production installation for which there was a current safety case immediately before 18th December 2014;

“operator” has the meaning given in the 2007 Regulations;

“owner” has the meaning given in the 2007 Regulations;

“transitional period” means, in relation to an owner, operator or well-operator (as the case may be) the period for which the 2007 regime continues to apply in relation to that person.

(2) For the purposes of this Schedule—

(a) “notification” means a notification under a provision of the 2007 Regulations specified in the first column of the Table below; and

(b) a notification is completed if the event specified in the second column of the Table corresponding to the entry for that notification in the first column of the Table has occurred.

Notifications and completion

Notification under the 2007 Regulations	Event on which notification is completed
Regulation 6(1) (design)	Submission of the field development programme
Regulation 6(2) (relocation of a production installation)	Submission of the field development programme
Regulation 9 (conversion of non-production installation to operate as a production installation)	Completion of the design
Regulation 10 (combined operation)	Engagement in the combined operation
Regulation 17(1) (general well operation)	Commencement of well operation
Regulation 17(2) (specific well operation)	Commencement of well operation

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 15 para. 1 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

PART 2 N.I. CONTINUED APPLICATION OF THE 2007 REGIME IN RELATION TO EXTERNAL WATERS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD

General saving of the 2007 regime N.I.

2.  Despite the coming into operation of these Regulations, the 2007 regime continues to apply in relation to external waters during the transitional period as provided for in this Part of this Schedule.

Commencement Information

I2 Sch. 15 para. 2 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Continued application of the 2007 regime to existing and proposed non-production installations N.I.

3.  The 2007 regime continues to apply in relation to the owner of a non-production installation, in respect of that installation, for the period which starts on the commencement date and ends—

(a) where the installation is an existing non-production installation—

(i) immediately before 19th December 2017; or

(ii) if earlier, on the date of thorough review provided that that date falls on or after the commencement date;

(b) where the installation is not an existing non-production installation and is established on or after the commencement date but before 19th December 2017, immediately before 19th December 2017.

Commencement Information

I3 Sch. 15 para. 3 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Continued application of the 2007 regime to existing and proposed production installations N.I.

4.  The 2007 regime continues to apply in relation to the operator of a production installation, in respect of that installation, for the period which starts on the commencement date and ends—

(a) where the production installation is an existing production installation—

(i) immediately before 19th December 2019; or

(ii) if earlier, on the date of thorough review provided that that date falls on or after the commencement date;

(b) where the production installation is not an existing production installation and is established on or after the commencement date but before 19th December 2017, immediately before 19th December 2017.

Commencement Information

I4 Sch. 15 para. 4 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Continued application of the 2007 regime to well operations N.I.

5.—(1) The 2007 regime continues to apply to the submission of a well notification by a well operator in respect of, or execution by such an operator of a well operation from—

(a) a non-production installation to which paragraph 3 applies, for the period that it applies to the owner of that installation in accordance with that paragraph;

(b) from a production installation to which paragraph 4 applies, for the period that it applies to the operator of that installation in accordance with that paragraph; and

(c) a vessel that is not an installation, for the period which starts on the commencement date and ends immediately before 19th December 2017.

(2) Despite sub-paragraph (1)(b) the 2007 regime ceases to apply to—

(a) the submission of a well notification in respect of a production installation; or

(b) the execution of a well operation from such an installation,

on 19th December 2017.

(3) Nothing in sub-paragraph (2) affects the application of paragraph 4 to the operator of the relevant production installation.

Commencement Information

I5 Sch. 15 para. 5 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Design notification for production installations to be established during transitional period N.I.

6.  Where a production installation is to be established on or after the commencement date but before 19th December 2017, the 2007 regime applies to the preparation and sending to the Executive of the design notification for that installation.

Commencement Information

I6 Sch. 15 para. 6 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Design notification: election to prepare notification under these Regulations N.I.

7.—(1) Despite paragraph 6, the operator of a production installation which is to be established on or after the commencement date but before 19th December 2017 may elect to prepare and send a design notification to the competent authority under these Regulations.

(2) Where an operator elects to prepare and send a design notification under these Regulations, the 2007 regime ceases to apply to that operator in relation to that installation on the date on which that notification is sent to the competent authority.

Commencement Information

I7 Sch. 15 para. 7 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Election to prepare a safety case under these Regulations N.I.

8.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), nothing in paragraph 3(b), 4(b) or 5(1) prevents a duty holder who would otherwise be or continue to be subject to the 2007 regime as a consequence of any of those provisions from preparing and sending a safety case to the competent authority under these Regulations.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply if there is a current safety case for the installation.

(3) Where a duty holder elects in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) to prepare and send a safety case to the competent authority under these Regulations—

(a) the 2007 regime ceases to apply to that operator in relation to that installation on the date on which the operator sends the safety case to the competent authority; and

(b) these Regulations apply to that operator in relation to that installation on and after that date.

Commencement Information

I8 Sch. 15 para. 8 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Treatment of current safety cases for installations continuing under the 2007 regime N.I.

9.—(1) Sub-paragraph (2) applies to the duty holder of an installation, in respect of that installation, where—

(a) paragraph 3 or 4 continues to apply to the duty holder in respect of that installation;

(b) there is a period of no more than four months, or such longer period as the competent authority may specify, remaining until the end of the transitional period;

(c) there is a current safety case; and

(d) there is an intention, after the transitional period ends—

(i) in the case of a non-production installation, to operate it in external waters or move it in external waters with a view to its being operated there; or

(ii) in the case of a production installation, to operate it in external waters.

(2) Where this sub-paragraph applies the duty holder may make revisions to the current safety case—

(a) containing particulars, not required pursuant to the 2007 Regulations, but specified in—

(i) regulation 16 of and Schedule 8 to these Regulations, in the case of a non-production installation; or

(ii) in regulation 16 of and Schedule 7 to these Regulations in relation to a production installation; and

(b) which are otherwise appropriate in consequence of any revision made under paragraph (a).

(3) Revisions made under sub-paragraph (2) which make a material change to the current safety case are not effective unless—

(a) the duty holder sends a version of the current safety case which incorporates the proposed revisions, showing clearly where they are to be made, to the competent authority at least three months, or such shorter period as the competent authority may specify, before the revisions are to be made; and

(b) the competent authority accepts the revisions.

Commencement Information

I9 Sch. 15 para. 9 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

10.  Where revisions to current safety case under paragraph 9(2) may take effect without the acceptance of the competent authority or are accepted by the competent authority, the current safety case together with those revisions has effect—

(a) as a current safety case until the end of the relevant transitional period; and

(b) subject to paragraph 11, on and after the end of that transitional period for the purposes of these Regulations as a current safety case within the meaning of regulation 2(1).

Commencement Information

I10 Sch. 15 para. 10 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

11.  Where paragraph 10(b) applies to a safety case, paragraph 1(a) of regulation 23 has effect as if the reference in that paragraph to the date on which the current safety case was first accepted by the competent authority were a reference to the date on which the Executive first accepted that safety case under the 2007 Regulations.

Commencement Information

I11 Sch. 15 para. 11 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

PART 3 N.I. TRANSITION FROM THE 2007 REGIME

Improvement notices issued before the end of the transitional period N.I.

12.—(1) An improvement notice to which this paragraph applies has effect on and after the relevant date as an improvement notice issued in respect of a contravention of a corresponding provision of these Regulations.

(2) This paragraph applies to an improvement notice if—

(a) it was in force or effective immediately before the relevant date; and

(b) it was served on an owner, operator or well operator by an inspector under the 2007 regime.

(3) In this paragraph “relevant date” means the date on which the transitional period ends.

Commencement Information

I12 Sch. 15 para. 12 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Prohibition notices issued before the end of the transitional period N.I.

13.—(1) Where—

(a) a prohibition notice—

(i) is served on an owner, operator or well operator by an inspector as regards activities to which the 2007 regime applied or would have applied;

(ii) is in force or effective immediately before the relevant date; and

(b) the activities mentioned in paragraph (i) are activities to which a corresponding provision of these Regulations applies, or will, if carried on, apply on and after the relevant date,

that notice continues to have effect on and after the relevant date as if served as regards activities to which these Regulations apply or will apply.

(2) In this paragraph “relevant date” means the date on which the transitional period ends.

Commencement Information

I13 Sch. 15 para. 13 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

Design etc. notifications N.I.

14.  A notification under the 2007 regime which is completed immediately before the date on which the transitional period ends has effect on and after that date as a notification made under the corresponding provision of these Regulations.

Commencement Information

I14 Sch. 15 para. 14 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

15.  Where a notification under the 2007 regime is not completed before the date on which the transitional period ends (“the relevant date”), but particulars of it have been notified before the relevant date in accordance with the 2007 regime—

(a) the particulars notified have effect on and after the relevant date as particulars notified pursuant to the corresponding provision of these Regulations;

(b) the absence from particulars falling within paragraph (a) of any particulars required pursuant to a corresponding provision of these Regulations but not required pursuant to the 2007 regime is to take effect as a material change in those particulars on the relevant date.

Commencement Information

I15 Sch. 15 para. 15 in operation at 19.12.2016, see reg. 1

(1)

S.R. 2007 No.247, revoked in part by S.R. 2008 No. 21