1. These Regulations may be cited as the Petroleum (Production) (Seaward Areas) (Amendment) Regulations 1992 and shall come into force on 1st November 1992.

2. The Petroleum (Production) (Seaward Areas) Regulations 1988(3) (hereinafter referred to as "the Principal Regulations") shall have effect subject to the amendments set out in regulations 3-6 below.

3. In paragraph (a) of regulation 3(1) of the Principal Regulations (application of the Regulations), for the words from "and, where such lines" to "within that limit," there shall be substituted the words "and within the outward limit of the territorial waters of the United Kingdom,".

4. In regulation 6(2) of the Principal Regulations (non-invited applications), for sub-paragraphs (a)-(c), there shall be substituted the following sub-paragraphs-

"(a)every part of the area to which the application relates was comprised in a production licence (in this paragraph referred to as "the revoked licence") which has been revoked either in whole or in relation to the area to which the application relates;

(b)at the time the revoked licence was revoked, it was held by two or more persons; and

(c)the application is made by one of those persons, or by a group including at least one of those persons."

5.-(1) In paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Principal Regulations (lines dividing landward areas from seaward areas)-

(a)for the word "four" there shall be substituted the word "five", and

(b)after the words "Great Britain", in each place where they appear, there shall be inserted the words "and Northern Ireland".

(2) After paragraph 4 of that Schedule, there shall be inserted the following paragraph-

"4A. The lines dividing landward areas from seaward areas at the bays and harbour specified in the second column of Table 3 of this Schedule shall be straight lines drawn between the points identified by the map references respectively specified in the third column of that Table, each such point being a point situate on the low water line on or adjacent to the feature respectively named in the fourth column of that Table."

(3) In paragraph 5 of that Schedule, for the word "three" there shall be substituted the word "four".

(4) In paragraph 7 of that Schedule, after the words "on a scale of 1:25,000", there shall be inserted the words "in the case of maps relating to Great Britain and 1:50,000 in the case of maps relating to Northern Ireland,".

(5) The first table set out in the Schedule to these Regulations shall be substituted for Table 1 in Schedule 1 to the Principal Regulations, and the second table set out in the Schedule to these Regulations shall be inserted after Table 2 in Schedule 1 to the Principal Regulations.

6. For paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the Principal Regulations (form of application for a licence), there shall be substituted the following paragraph-

"3. If the application is made by more than one person, and the applicants have agreed on the manner in which benefits resulting from the exploitation of the licence should be shared between them, the share which each applicant would be entitled to take."

Regulation 5(5)

SCHEDULETABLES TO BE INCORPORATED IN SCHEDULE 1 TO THE PRINCIPAL REGULATIONS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Petroleum (Production) (Seaward Areas) Regulations 1988, which relate to applications for offshore petroleum exploration and production licences and the clauses to be incorporated in such licences.

The amendments extend the scope of the 1988 Regulations so as to apply to licences in respect of areas within the territorial waters adjacent to Northern Ireland. The table applicable for the purpose of defining lines across bays and estuaries around the coast of Great Britain, and accordingly determining limits in the scope of the 1988 Regulations, is consolidated with amendments to take account of changes in the coastline. The circumstances in which an application for a licence may be made otherwise than in response to a published invitation are restricted to the case where one or more of the former holders of a licence which has been revoked apply (with or without others) for a new licence over the same area. Other amendments are made for clarification.