The Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 3) Order 2015

Statutory Instruments

2015 No. 1673

Offshore Installations

The Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 3) Order 2015

Made

9th September 2015

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

The Secretary of State makes this Order—

(a)

in exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 of the Petroleum Act 1987(1); and

(b)

for the purpose of giving effect to proposals submitted to him by the Health and Safety Executive under section 24(2A)(2) of that Act.

Citation and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 3) Order 2015.

(2) This Order comes into force on 30th September 2015 except for article 2(2) which comes into force as provided in article 2(3).

Establishment of safety zones

2.—(1) A safety zone is established around the installation specified in column 1 of Part 1 of the Schedule (being an installation stationed in waters to which subsection (7) of section 21 of the Petroleum Act 1987 applies) having a radius of five hundred metres, as respects that installation, from the point which has the co-ordinates of latitude and longitude according to the World Geodetic System 1984(3) specified in columns 2 and 3 of Part 1 of the Schedule.

(2) A safety zone is established around each installation specified in column 1 of Part 2 of the Schedule (being an installation to be stationed in waters to which subsection (7) of section 21 of the Petroleum Act 1987 applies) having a radius of five hundred metres, as respects that installation, from the point which has the co-ordinates of latitude and longitude according to the World Geodetic System 1984 specified in columns 2 and 3 of Part 2 of the Schedule.

(3) Paragraph (2) comes into force, as respects each installation specified in column 1 of Part 2 of the Schedule, when the installation arrives at its station.

Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 1997

3.  In Schedule 1 to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 1997(4), omit the entries relating to—

(a) Fife Field Wellhead 1;

(b) Fife Field Wellhead 2; and

(c) Fergus—Wellhead.

Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 3) Order 1998

4.  In the Schedule to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 3) Order 1998(5), omit the entries relating to—

(a) Flora 1 Wellheads; and

(b) Flora 2 Wellheads.

Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2001

5.  In the Schedule to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2001(6), omit the entry relating to Angus Well.

Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2008

6.  In the Schedule to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2008(7), omit the entry relating to FFFA Centre, Block 31/26a, Fife Field.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Justin Tomlinson

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department for Work and Pensions

9th September 2015

Article 2

SCHEDULE INSTALLATIONS

PART 1 Installation stationed at the time the Order is made

(1) Name or other designation of the offshore installation	(2) Latitude	(3) Longitude
Ettrick I2 Water Injection Well, Block 20/2a, Ettrick Field	57°53.54′ North	00°40.50′ West

PART 2 Installations not stationed at the time the Order is made

(1) Name or other designation of the offshore installation	(2) Latitude	(3) Longitude
FNT Development, Block 9/13, Beryl Field	59°35.60′ North	01°26.92′ East
Kraken DC3 Production Well, Block 9/2b, Kraken Field	59°56.53′ North	01°15.45′ East
Well W197, Block 23/26a, Machar Field	57°04.74′ North	02°04.91′ East

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

Article 2 of this Order establishes, under section 22 of the Petroleum Act 1987, safety zones having a radius of 500 metres from the specified point around the four installations (which are subsea installations) specified in the Schedule to this Order stationed, or to be stationed, in waters to which section 21(7) of that Act applies (these include territorial waters and waters in areas designated under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964 (c. 29)).

Vessels, which for this purpose include hovercraft, submersible apparatus and installations in transit, are prohibited from entering or remaining in a safety zone except with the consent of the Health and Safety Executive or in accordance with regulations made under section 23(1) of the Petroleum Act 1987 (currently regulation 21H of the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/738), inserted by paragraph 14 of Schedule 13 to S.I. 2015/398).

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) (http://www.ukho.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx) publishes nautical charts covering the area in which installations are located, which include information on the existence and, where the scale allows, the location of safety zones. Mariners are advised to keep paper charts up-to-date using appropriate Notices to Mariners or, where electronic charts are used, to subscribe to an appropriate updating service. Vessels meeting the requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 will carry nautical charts and nautical publications (such as Notices to Mariners) to plan and display the ship’s route for the intended voyage and to plot and monitor positions throughout the voyage. This may be compulsory for some vessels, for example under the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2002 (S.I. 2002/1473). The UKHO also broadcasts Radio Navigational Warnings in relation to safety zones where updates to charts have yet to take effect and where installations are in transit.

Maritime safety information, which includes information on safety zones, is issued via the appropriate International Maritime Organisation, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System broadcast systems as defined by the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service.

It is estimated that the installations, which are not on station at the time of making this Order, will arrive at their stations at the approximate time set opposite their name in the table below:

Name of installation	Estimated arrival at station
FNT Development, Beryl Field	November 2015
Kraken DC3 Production Well, Kraken Field	December 2015
Well W197, Machar Field	November 2015

Articles 3 to 6 remove seven safety zones established under previous orders.

(1)

1987 c. 12.

(2)

Section 24(2A) was inserted by S.I. 1993/1823 and amended by S.I. 2008/960.

(3)

The World Geodetic System 1984 (“WGS 84”) defines a reference frame for the earth, for use in geodesy and navigation. It was developed by the United States’ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and is maintained by it. WGS 84 is defined at paragraph 2.1 of the United States’ National Imagery and Mapping Agency Technical Report TR8350.2, third edition, amendment 1 of 3rd January 2000 entitled “Department of Defense World Geodetic System 1984” (http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/publications/tr8350.2/wgs84fin.pdf).

(4)

S.I. 1997/735, to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.

(5)

S.I. 1998/1660.

(6)

S.I. 2001/2528.

(7)

S.I. 2008/2157.