Detailed guide: Oil and gas: DECC Public Registers of Enforcement Activity

By HM Government

Updated: Oil and gas: 2008/003 Register of Enforcement and Prohibition notice removed

Overview

The Public Registers of Enforcement Activity are a new addition to DECC's Oil and Gas Website and have been introduced to bring this area in line with our policy on publication of data. The registers outline the formal Enforcement Activity undertaken by DECC in respect of offshore oil and gas operations on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS).

Under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, DECC is committed to make available on request information about its actions and decisions, which includes information on formal Enforcement Activity.

The information provided within the registers will be subject to release and publication in accordance with the Freedom of Information (FOI) act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).

DECC Enforcement Activity falls into four main categories; Letters, Enforcement and Prohibition Notices, Permit Revocation, and Prosecution. The DECC Public Register of Enforcement and Prohibition Notices and the DECC Public Register of Convictions are available by clicking on the relevant link(s).

DECC Public Registers of Enforcement Activity and Prohibition Notices

The DECC Offshore Environmental Inspectorate enforces offshore oil and gas environmental regulations and permit conditions. On occasion DECC may require offshore permit holders and/or licensed operators to make improvements by issuing them with a Notice; either an Enforcement Notice which allows time for the recipient to comply with prescribed conditions or a Prohibition Notice which prohibits an activity from occurring until remedial action has been taken.

• An Enforcement Notice may be issued where the Secretary of State is of the opinion that:
  
  • any condition of a permit has been contravened, is being contravened or is likely to be contravened; or
  
  
  • a release or a discharge without a permit has occurred , is occurring or is likely to occur
  
  

Each Enforcement notice will identify the steps to be taken to remedy or prevent the contravention/release or discharge and will specify the period within which those steps must be taken.

• A Prohibition Notice may be issued where the Secretary of State is of the opinion that the operation of an offshore installation involves an imminent risk of serious pollution. Each Prohibition Notice will specify the steps to be taken to remove the risk involved in the operation of the offshore installation before operations are allowed to be undertaken again.

The issue of an Enforcement Notice and/or a Prohibition Notice does not prevent other Enforcement Activity, such as Prosecution, being progressed if this is deemed appropriate.

The DECC Public Register of Enforcement and Prohibition Notices includes all notices issued in the last five years. Notices that are older than five years old are available on request. In order to account for the appeals process and quality assurance there is a 5 week period following the date of issue of a notice prior to publication of the notice details on this register. Where DECC are notified of an appeal outside this time period, details of the Notice will be removed from the register. Notices that have been appealed will not appear on the register until after the appeal has been disposed..

Register of Enforcement and Prohibition Notices

Notice Number	Operator	Notice Type	Legislation	Issue Date
001/2008 & 002/2009 (PDF, 83.7KB, 1 page)	Lundin Britain Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	19 December 2008
001/2009 (PDF, 82.8KB, 1 page)	Fairfield Betula Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	23 February 2009
001/2008 & 002/2009 (PDF, 83.7KB, 1 page)	Lundin Britain Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	30 March 2009
003/2009 (PDF, 82.7KB, 1 page)	Talisman Energy (UK) Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	23 October 2009
004/2009 (PDF, 83.2KB, 1 page)	ConocoPhillips Petroleum Company (UK) Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	11 November 2009
001/2010 (PDF, 83KB, 1 page)	Ithaca Energy (UK) Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	22 January 2010
002/2010 (PDF, 83KB, 1 page)	TAQA Bratani Ltd	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	28 September 2010
003/2010 (PDF, 83.5KB, 1 page)	Nexen Petroleum U.K. Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	7 October 2010
001/2011 (PDF, 155KB, 1 page)	CNR International (UK) Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	24 March 2011
002/2011 (PDF, 83.2KB, 1 page)	BG International (CNS) Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	23 March 2011
003/2011 (PDF, 82.6KB, 1 page)	Britannia Operator Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 16(A) & 19 of the OCR Regs 2002	22 November 2011
005/2011 (PDF, 82.7KB, 1 page)	Shell UK Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 13(1) & 17 of the OPPC Regs 2005	December 19, 2011
001/2012 (PDF, 82.6KB, 1 page)	TAQA Bratani Ltd	Enforcement	Regulation 4 of the OPPC Regs 2005	April 4, 2012
002/2012 (PDF, 82.7KB, 1 page)	BP Exploration Operating Company Limited	Enforcement	Regulation 4 of the OPPC Regs 2005	June 11, 2012
003/2012 (PDF, 82.8KB, 1 page)	TOTAL E&P UK Limited	Enforcement	Regulations 16A (1) & 16A (1A) of the OCR Regs 2002 as amended	December 18, 2012

DECC Public Register of Convictions

This is a register of prosecution cases resulting in successful conviction which have been brought by DECC against offshore permit holders and/or licensed operators in respect of the relevant environmental legislation administered. In general, Prosecutions are pursued where DECC consider:

1. the gravity of the alleged offence, taken together with the seriousness of any actual or potential pollution justifies this approach; or


2. the general record and approach of the alleged offender warrants it; or


3. there has been a reckless disregard of requirements enforced by the legislation.

The register includes Prosecutions brought by DECC in the last five years. Details of ongoing Prosecution cases and any convictions subject to appeal will not be published. To account for the appeals process there is a delay of 9 weeks following conviction before a case is added to the register. Details of Prosecutions will appear on this register for a period of five years after which they are removed from the register and are available on request.

Register of Convictions

Incident Report No.	Operator	Legislation