This legislation was developed in order to consolidate and reform regulation of submarine pipelines and the oil and gas industry in the UK [77]. The Acts core provisions relate to: petroleum exploration and exploitation (Part 1); application of civil and criminal law to activities associated with offshore installations (Part 2); submarine pipelines (Part 3); and abandonment of offshore Selleckchem TGF-beta inhibitor installations, including offshore installations used in connection with CO2 storage (Part 4).

The Act enables, inter alia, the DECC to issue various forms of licences to ‘search, bore for and get’ petroleum in the UK territorial sea and continental shelf [78]. It also enables the DECC to authorise in writing the construction

and use of submarine pipelines in those maritime zones [79]. DECC is required to make regulations ERK activity concerning the: procedures, requirements and fees associated with petroleum licence applications; conditions regarding the size and shape of areas in respect of which petroleum licences may be granted; and ‘Model Clauses’ that, unless specifically excluded in a particular case, are incorporated into petroleum licences [80]. The model clauses (and other regulations) allow DECC to control a wide range of matters including specific aspects of: offshore construction; provision of information; environment, health and safety precautions; surrender of licensed areas that are not being exploited; unitisation of petroleum deposits; and various commercial terms on which petroleum development is undertaken [81]. The Petroleum Act 1998 and associated regulations do not contain detailed provisions Nintedanib (BIBF 1120) concerning CO2 storage. However, as noted

previously, the Act does provide a detailed basis for regulating these activities to the extent that they are used to ‘get’ petroleum during EOR operations. There is also an absence in the Act of detailed provisions concerning cross-sectoral marine planning. The prevailing practice in the UK has been to open up two-dimensional seabed blocks for licensing in a series of rounds (27 to date), influenced primarily by economic considerations (see Fig. 2) [82]. Potential planning conflicts between petroleum development and other activities are managed through a general prioritisation of the former: The March 2011 Marine Policy Statement notes that a policy objective of the UK is ‘to maximise economic development of the UK׳s oil and gas resources reflecting their importance to the UK׳s economic prosperity and security of energy supply’ [83]. DECC is however expressly permitted, when exercising functions under the Petroleum Act 1998, to ‘have regard’ to various matters including: activities relating to electricity generation (e.g.