The framework regulations § 30

§ 30 Cessation plan

The plan that the licensee is required to prepare according to Section 5-1 of the Petroleum Act, shall be submitted to the Ministry of Energy with copies to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate and the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority.
In addition to documentation as mentioned in Section 44 of the Regulations to the Petroleum Act (in Norwegian only), the plan shall contain a description of
  1. the risk during and following a possible removal,
  2. planned methods in the event of removal, including refloating the structure,
  3. planned analyses,
  4. operations planned in the event of a possible removal,
  5. consequences of potential removal as regards adjacent fields and facilities,
  6. other matters of importance for prudent implementation,
  7. measures, if any, to prevent pollution, cf. Section 20 of the Pollution Control Act (in Norwegian only).
This section applies to the onshore facilities insofar as they are covered by the scope of the Petroleum Act.
Section last changed: 01 January 2024

The provision clarifies Section 5-1 of the Petroleum Act and complements provisions regarding the same topic in the Regulations relating to the Petroleum Act, cf. Sections 43 and 44 (in Norwegian only). This section applies to the entire health, safety and environment area. This section entails no material changes in relation to current law, based on the Petroleum Act and the Regulations relating to the Petroleum Act, but provides a clarification of requirements evident from Section 44, second subsection, litera a of the Regulations relating to the Act relating to petroleum activities.
This section replaces other requirements related to cessation in the current onshore regulations in areas covered by the Petroleum Act. For a detailed description of the scope of the Petroleum Act, reference is made to the Guidelines regarding Section 27 No. 2.
For onshore facilities covered by the Petroleum Act, a cessation plan shall be presented in accordance with Section 5-1 of the Petroleum Act. This plan shall form the basis for the Ministry of Energy's disposal decision. As regards onshore facilities or facilities on the seabed that are subject to private ownership, the Ministry's disposal decision can only involve further use in the petroleum activities, cf. Section 5-2, seventh subsection of the Petroleum Act. The licensee shall therefore not discuss other disposal alternatives for such facilities.
Examples of operations according to this section's litera d include lifting operations, maritime operations and subsea operations.
Cessation of petroleum activities shall be reported to the Norwegian Environment Agency, cf. Section 20 of the Pollution Control Act (in Norwegian only). If the cessation plan according to the Petroleum Act is not sufficient in relation to requirements stipulated in or in pursuance of the Pollution Control Act (in Norwegian only), the Norwegian Environment Agency can require additional information and implementation of studies to map the risk of pollution in connection with and following cessation of petroleum activities, cf. Sections 49 and 51 of the Pollution Control Act (in Norwegian only). In addition, the Norwegian Environment Agency can stipulate which measures are necessary to prevent pollution, cf. Section 20, second subsection of the Pollution Control Act (in Norwegian only).