Irish Statutory Instruments

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 19th March, 2013.

The Commission for Energy Regulation in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Section 13D(1) of the Section 3 (c) of the Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act 2010 ) (No. 4 of 2010) having consulted with those persons specified in section 13D(3) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 , hereby makes the following regulations:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Petroleum Safety (Designation of Certain Classes of Petroleum Activity) Regulations 2013.

Commencement

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on 30 November 2013.

Interpretation

3. (1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires-

“Act of 1999” means the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (No. 23 of 1999), as amended;

“production” means:

(a) getting, raising, taking, carrying away, storing and/or treating petroleum; and/or

(b) commissioning, operating and maintaining petroleum infrastructure, in each case on or after the first introduction of hydrocarbon to any apparatus designed to contain or convey petroleum that comprises or forms part of such petroleum infrastructure; and

“well” means a boring, borehole or other excavation in the earth’s crust made for the purpose of exploring for or extracting petroleum through it or another boring, borehole or other excavation.

(2) In these Regulations-

(a) a word or expression that is used in these Regulations and is also used in the Act of 1999 has, unless the contrary intention appears, the same meaning in these Regulations as it has in the Act of 1999.

(b) where a word or expression is given a meaning in the Act of 1999 or in these Regulations then, except where the context otherwise requires, any cognate word or expression used in these Regulations shall be construed accordingly.

(c) a reference to an article or schedule is to an Article of, or Schedule to, these Regulations, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended, and

(d) a reference to a paragraph is a reference to a paragraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.

Designation of certain classes of petroleum activity

4. Any petroleum activity which falls within the following classes of petroleum activity is designated as requiring a safety permit under section 13P of the Act of 1999:

(1) any petroleum activity or discontinuance of a petroleum activity (whether permanently or temporarily) in relation to a well including:

(a) digging, drilling, boring, or sinking of shafts for the purposes of raising petroleum;

(b) testing and completion of wells;

(c) well interventions and workovers;

(d) re-injection of petroleum, water or any other material into a well; or

(e) plugging, blocking, capping, or abandonment of any well whether temporarily or permanently.

(2) production, excluding the conveyance of petroleum by means other than pipeline.

(3) decommissioning of petroleum infrastructure until such time as:

(a) in respect of a well, the well is abandoned; and

(b) in respect of petroleum infrastructure other than a well, any apparatus designed to contain or convey petroleum that comprises or forms part of such petroleum infrastructure is free of hydrocarbon.

Sealed with the common seal of the Commission for Energy Regulation

13 March 2013.

DERMOT NOLAN,

Chairperson of the Commission.