The Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015

Regulation 21(1) and (2)

SCHEDULE 9 PARTICULARS TO BE INCLUDED IN A NOTIFICATION OF WELL OPERATIONS

1.  The name and address of the well operator.

2.  Where the well operation is to be carried out—

(a) from an installation, the name of the installation and the name and address of the duty holder for that installation; or

(b) by means of a vessel (not being an installation), the name of that vessel.

3.  Particulars of the fluids to be used to control the pressure of the well.

4.  Particulars of any plant, not described in the current safety case for the installation, which is to be used in connection with the well operation.

5.  Particulars of the type of well, its number, and slot number, association with installations, and the name of any field development of which it may be part.

6.  A description of the well operation and a programme of works which includes—

(a) the date on which the well operation is expected to commence and finish;

(b) the intended operational state of the well at the end of the well operation, including whether it is intended to be permanently or temporarily abandoned and whether production equipment is to be placed into the well for future use;

(c) details of barriers against loss of well control (including the equipment, drilling fluids and cement);

(d) directional control of the well path; and

(e) limitations on safe operations in keeping with the risk management.

7.  A description of—

(a) any activities on or in connection with an installation or a vessel (not being an installation) during the well operation described pursuant to paragraph 6 which may involve any hazards with the potential to cause a major accident; and

(b) such hazards.

8.  In the case of a well which is to be drilled—

(a) particulars, with suitable diagrams, of—

(i) the location of the top of the well;

(ii) the directional path of the well-bore;

(iii) its terminal depth and location; and

(iv) its position, and that of nearby wells, relative to each other;

(b) particulars of the geological strata and formations, and of fluids within them, through which it will pass, and of any hazards with the potential to cause a major accident which they may contain;

(c) the procedures for effectively monitoring the direction of the well-bore, and for minimising the likelihood and effects of intersecting nearby wells; and

(d) a description of the design of the well, including the limits on its safe operation and use.

9.  In the case of an existing well—

(a) a diagram of the well;

(b) a summary of earlier operations in relation to it;

(c) the purposes for which it has been used;

(d) its current operational state;

(e) its state of repair;

(f) the physical conditions within it; and

(g) its production capacity.

10.  Where a well operation is to be carried out from a non-production installation or a vessel (not being an installation)—

(a) particulars of—

(i) the meteorological and oceanographic conditions to which that installation or, as the case may be, vessel may foreseeably be subjected;

(ii) the depth of water; and

(iii) the properties of the seabed and subsoil at the location at which the well operation will be carried out; and

(b) a description of how the well operator and—

(i) the owner of the installation; or

(ii) the operator and owner of the vessel,

involved in the well operation will co-ordinate their management systems so as to reduce the risks from a major accident to comply with the relevant statutory provisions.

11.  The report made under regulation 11(2)(b) in relation to the well operation, addressing in particular the matters in paragraph 6(c) to (e), together with a description of the actions of the well operator in response to the report.

12.  A risk assessment incorporating a description of—

(a) the particular hazards associated with the well operation including any environmental, meteorological and seabed limitations on safe operations;

(b) the subsurface hazards;

(c) any surface or subsea operations which introduce simultaneous major hazard potential; and

(d) suitable control measures.

13.  Where a well is to be constructed, modified or maintained by means of a non-production installation, additional information as follows—

(a) a description of any environmental, meteorological and seabed limitations on safe operations, and arrangements for identifying risks from seabed and marine hazards such as pipelines and the moorings of adjacent installations;

(b) a description of environmental conditions that have been taken into account within the internal emergency response arrangements for the installation;

(c) the description of the internal emergency response arrangements and a description of arrangements for responding in cases of major environmental incidents that are not described in the safety case; and

(d) a description of how the management systems of the well operator and the owner are to be coordinated to ensure effective control of major hazards at all times.

14.  Particulars of information obtained pursuant to the PFEER Regulations and the Management Regulations, so far as—

(a) relevant to the prevention of a major accident, and

(b) not otherwise required to be provided pursuant to this Schedule.

15.  In respect of a well operation to be conducted, particulars of information relevant to the relevant statutory provisions obtained pursuant to Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (1).

16.  An adequate description of the well operator’s safety and environmental management system (unless such a description has already been submitted by the well operator under another provision of these Regulations).

(1)

OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p1.