Pipe-Lines

Petroleum Act 19982020-06-052020-06-102020-06-182020-06-242020-07-03TSO (The Stationery Office), customer.services@thegazette.co.uk35885648275

Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning

THE OFFSHORE PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND PIPE-LINES (ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS) REGULATIONS 1999 (AS AMENDED)

DIRECTION DECISIONS

Pursuant to regulations 6(11) and 6(12) of the above Regulations, the Secretary of State gives notice of the following decision(s), in respect of application(s) made under regulation 6 of the above Regulations requesting a direction confirming that a relevant project need not be accompanied by an environmental statement and confirming the Secretary of State’s agreement to the grant of consent.

Reference	Operator	Project Name	Quad/ Block	Direction Issued
DRA/802	Equinor UK Ltd	Mariner AMPE production well	9/11	05/06/2020
DRA/817	Equinor UK Ltd	Mariner AMPH production well	9/11	05/06/2020
DRA/818	Apache Beryl I Ltd	Beryl A92 production well sidetrack	9/13	18/06/2020
Main reasons / conclusions on which decision is based		Main considerations related to marine discharges and atmospheric emissions. Discharges assessed as no risk to marine environment, and atmospheric emissions rapidly dispersed to background levels. Impacts assessed as localised and not significant.
Mitigation features / measures		Any cuttings contaminated with oil-based mud will be treated offshore prior to discharge or shipped to shore for treatment and disposal. Appropriate controls will be in place to reduce the likelihood of accidental events.

Reference	Operator	Project Name	Quad/Block	Direction Issued
PLA/765	Ithaca Energy (UK) Ltd	Captain Area C Umbilical Replacement	13/22	24/06/2020
Main reasons / conclusions on which decision is based		Main considerations related to installation of infrastructure and associated deposit of materials on the seabed, and interference with other users of the sea. Impacts assessed as localised and not significant.
Mitigation features / measures		Deposits will be the minimum required to achieve objectives and designed to prevent unnecessary interference with other users of the sea. Works will be undertaken in accordance with applicable navigational conditions and appropriate controls will be in place to reduce the likelihood of accidental events. Agreement was given to the issue of consent providing works are undertaken as specified in the application.

Reference	Operator	Project Name	Quad/Block	Direction Issued
PLA/732	Premier Oil UK Ltd	Solan P3 Pipelines Installation	205/26	24/06/2020
Main reasons / conclusions on which decision is based		Main considerations related to installation of infrastructure and associated deposit of materials on the seabed, marine discharges and interference with other users of the sea. Discharges assessed as no risk to the marine environment, and impacts assessed as localised and not significant.
Mitigation features / measures		Deposits will be the minimum required to achieve objectives and designed to prevent unnecessary interference with other users of the sea. Works will be undertaken in accordance with applicable navigational conditions and appropriate controls will be in place to reduce the likelihood of accidental events. Agreement was given to the issue of consent providing works are undertaken as specified in the application. .

Reference	Operator	Project Name	Quad/Block	Direction Issued
PRA/93	Apache North Sea Ltd	Tonto Field Increase in Production	21/10	10/06/2020
PRA/45	Apache North Sea Ltd	Maule Field Increase in Production	21/10	10/06/2020
PRA/29	Perenco UK Ltd	Cleeton Field Increase in Production	42/29	10/06/2020
Main reasons / conclusions on which decision is based		Main considerations related to marine discharges and atmospheric emissions. Discharges assessed as no risk to the environment and atmospheric emissions rapidly dispersed to background levels. Impacts assessed as localised and not significant.
Mitigation features / measures		Appropriate controls in place to reduce the likelihood of accidental events and agreement was given to the issue of consent, providing increase is as specified in the application.

Having regard to the relevant application(s) for direction(s) submitted under the above Regulations, the Secretary of State has assessed the project(s) as not likely to have a significant effect on the environment and has given a direction that the application for consent under the Petroleum Act 1998 need not be accompanied by an environmental statement. The main reasons and considerations on which this decision is based are summarised above and have taken full account of the characteristics of the project, the environmental sensitivity of the areas likely to be affected by the project and the nature and significance of the potential impacts, as set out in Schedule 1 to the Regulations.

Excluded Activities

Pursuant to regulation 5(10) of the above Regulations, the Secretary of State gives notice that, having regard to the matters set out in regulations 5(2) and/or 5(2A) and Schedule 1 to the Regulations, the Secretary of State has decided that the operations in respect of which consent is sought would not be likely to have a significant effect on the environment and accordingly no environmental statement need be prepared in respect of the relevant project.

Reference	Operator	Project Name	Quad/ Block
EX-215-2020	Perenco UK Ltd	NW Bell Pipeline Works	49/23
EX-216-2020	Perenco UK Ltd	Amethyst East Production Extension	47/14
EX-217-2020	Perenco UK Ltd	Amethyst West Production Extension	47/14
EX-218-2020	Perenco Gas (UK) Ltd	Lancelot Production Extension	48/17

Further information in relation to all the decisions detailed in this notice can be found on the GOV.UK website at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-environmental-data.

If you have any questions in relation to this notice or the decisions, please contact the Environmental Management Team, Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), AB1 Building, Crimon Place, Aberdeen AB10 1BJ (e-mail: emt@beis.gov.uk).