The Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2020

Made: 27th March 2020

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2)

The Secretary of State makes this Order— in exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 of the Petroleum Act 1987[^f00001]; and for the purpose of giving effect to proposals submitted to her by the Health and Safety Executive under section 24(2A)[^f00002] of that Act.

in exercise of the powers conferred by section 22 of the Petroleum Act 1987[^f00001]; and

for the purpose of giving effect to proposals submitted to her by the Health and Safety Executive under section 24(2A)[^f00002] of that Act.

Citation and commencement

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2020.

• (2) This Order comes into force on 17th April 2020 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 each 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[^f00003] 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—

• (a) on 17th April 2020, where the installation arrives at its station before that date; and

• (b) when the installation arrives at its station, in any other case.

Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2019

3

In Part 2 of the Schedule to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2019[^f00004], in the entry relating to the Cook water injection well, Block 21/20a, Cook Field, for “57°21.35’N” substitute “57°21.54’N” and for “0°50.05’E” substitute “00°49.98’E”.

Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2019

4

In the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) (No. 2) Order 2019[^f00005]—

• (a) in Part 1 of the Schedule, for the entries relating to—

• (i) Well (P40) (SM7A), Block 19/19a, Ballindalloch Field, for “Block 19/19a” substitute “Block 9/19a”; and

• (ii) Vorlich North Wellhead, Block 30/1c, Vorlich Field, for “56°52.068’N” substitute “56°52.029’N” and for “02°04.335’E” substitute “02°04.244’E”; and

• (b) in Part 2 of the Schedule, for the entry relating to Well (P41) (SM7C), Block 19/19a, Ballindalloch Field, for “Block 19/19a” substitute “Block 9/18b”.

SCHEDULE — INSTALLATIONS

PART 1 — Installations stationed at the time the Order is made

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

Signed

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

Mims Davies — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State — Department for Work and Pensions — 27th March 2020

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

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 18 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)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1964/29)).

An automatic safety zone is currently established around the installations set out in the table below. It is intended that these installations will be dismantled by 31 December 2025. In accordance with section 21(3) of the Petroleum Act 1987, an automatic safety zone will cease to apply to an installation which does not project above the sea at any state of the tide or to which an order made under section 22 of that Act applies. In order to maintain a safety zone around the installations in the table below as they are dismantled and when they do not project above the sea level at any state of the tide, the automatic safety zones will be replaced and replicated by the safety zones made by this order.

Section 23(1) of the Petroleum Act 1987 prohibits vessels, which for this purpose 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 1987 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) (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-hydrographic-office) 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 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 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 in Part 2 of the Schedule will arrive at their stations at the approximate time set opposite their name in the table below:

Article 3 amends the coordinates for the Cook water injection well in Part 2 of the Schedule to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order 2019.

Article 4 amends the block numbers for Well (P40) (SM7A) and Well (P41) (SM7C), and the coordinates for Vorlich North Wellhead in the Schedule to the Offshore Installations (Safety Zones) Order (No. 2) 2019.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1987 c.12.

[^f00002]: Section 24(2A) was inserted by S.I. 1993/1823 and amended by S.I. 2008/960.

[^f00003]: 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).

[^f00004]: S.I. 2019/446.

[^f00005]: S.I. 2019/1166.