Oil and gas: offshore environmental legislation

Environmental regulations and guidance on offshore oil and gas exploration and production offshore gas unloading and storage and offshore carbon dioxide storage activities

Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017

Whilst the Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations 2001 (as amended) set down the obligations for the assessment of the impact of offshore oil and gas activities (including gas and carbon dioxide unloading and storage activities) on habitats and species protected under Council Directive 2009/147/EC (the codified version of the Birds Directive) and Council Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive), the Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 are the governing legislation for implementation of a number of the other requirements contained in the Directives. The Regulations apply to the “offshore area” outside UK territorial waters, i.e. the area greater than 12 nautical miles from the landward baseline of the territorial sea, and are commonly referred to as the Defra Offshore Habitats Regulations.