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(This note is not part of the Order)
Article 2 of this Order establishes, under section 22 of the Petroleum Act 1987 (c. 12) (“the Act”), safety zones having a radius of 500 metres from the specified point around the 10 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 the Act applies (These include territorial waters and waters in areas designated under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964 (c. 29)).
An automatic safety zone is currently established around each of the installations known respectively as Gawain Subsea Structure, Leman 49/27H and Leman 49/27J. It is intended that Gawain Subsea Structure will be dismantled by 2025 and Leman 49/27H and Leman 49/27J will be dismantled by 2029. In accordance with section 21(3) of the Act, an automatic safety zone will cease to apply to an installation where, relevantly for these purposes, an order made under section 22 of the Act applies. In order to maintain a safety zone around these installations as they are dismantled, the automatic safety zones will be replaced and replicated by the safety zones established by this Order.
Section 23(1) of the Act prohibits vessels, which for these purposes include hovercraft, submersible apparatus and installations in transit, 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 Act (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) 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 (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-hydrographic-office). Mariners are advised to keep paper charts up-to-date by 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 2020 (S.I. 2020/673). 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 installation specified in the table in Part 2 of the Schedule (Tolmount East Drill Centre) will arrive at its station on 1 September 2022.
Article 3 amends the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 1997 (S.I. 1997/735) to omit, from Schedule 1 to that Order, the reference to Kingfisher Production Manifold.
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