7.—(1) The Department may, after consultation with a person to whom this Article applies, give to that person such directions of a general character as appear to the Department to be requisite or expedient for the purpose of preserving the security of any offshore installation, onshore terminal or oil refinery.
(2) If it appears to the Department to be requisite or expedient to do so for the purpose mentioned in paragraph (1), it may, after consultation with a person to whom this Article applies, give to that person a direction requiring him (according to the circumstances of the case) to do, or not to do, a particular thing specified in the direction.
(3) A person to whom this Article applies shall give effect to any direction given to him by the Department under this Article notwithstanding any other duty imposed on him by or under any statutory provision.
(4) The Department shall lay before the Assembly a copy of every direction given under this Article unless it is of the opinion that disclosure of the direction is against the interests of national security or the commercial interests of any person.
(5) A person shall not disclose, or be required by virtue of any statutory provision or otherwise to disclose, anything done by virtue of this Article if the Department has notified him that the Department is of the opinion that disclosure of that thing is against the interests of national security or the commercial interests of some other person.
(6) This Article applies to any person who is the operator of an offshore installation, onshore terminal or oil refinery.
(7) In this Article—
“offshore installation” has the same meaning as in Article 3;
“oil refinery” includes an installation for processing petroleum products;
“onshore terminal” means an onshore terminal which receives petroleum directly or indirectly from an offshore installation;
“petroleum” has the same meaning as in the Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964F1;
“petroleum products” has the same meaning as in the Energy Act 1976F2.