The management regulations § 26

§ 26 Contents of applications for consent

All applications for consent pursuant to Section 25, with the exception of the application under fourth subsection litera d, shall contain
  1. information on which activities the applicant wants to carry out,
  2. a description of the activities covered by the application, and the progress plan for these activities,
  3. an overview of governing documents for the activities covered by the application,
  4. a description of the management systems for the activities covered by the application, cf. also Section 6,
  5. an overview of exemptions granted according to the health, safety and environment legislation and an assessment of these in view of the activities consent is applied for,
  6. information on whether agreements have been entered into with contractors, and possibly which enterprise is considered the principal undertaking in connection with these agreements, cf. also Section 33 of the Framework Regulations,
  7. a description of the analyses and assessments that have been carried out as regards health, safety and the environment for the activities and offshore or onshore facilities covered by the application, and the results and measures that will be implemented as a result of these assessments,
  8. a description of the results from internal and external follow-up, cf. Section 21 and Section 19 of the Framework Regulations, and a description of planned follow-up of the activities covered by the application,
  9. general drawings of the offshore or onshore facility,
  10. a statement regarding the application from the employees' elected representatives, cf. also Section 13 of the Framework Regulations,
  11. a summary of the results from the environmental risk and emergency preparedness analyses, cf. Section 17, as well as a description of how the planned emergency preparedness against acute pollution will be safeguarded in the areas where the results are also of significance to health, safety and working environment, when this information has not already been submitted to the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority, and
  12. an overview of which other permits for activities have been applied for and, if relevant, granted.
When applying for use of pipeline systems pursuant to Section 25, the application shall also contain the pipeline system's coordinates.
When applying for modifications pursuant to Section 25, the operator shall state how it plans to carry out simultaneous activities, cf. Section 28 of the Activities Regulations and Section 44 of the Technical and Operational Regulations.
When applying for a lifetime extension pursuant to Section 25, third subsection, litera d, the application shall also contain a summary of the results of analyses and assessments of the facility's technical condition which is the basis for the application, cf. first subsection, litera g.
An application for consent for offshore petroleum activity shall also contain
  1. a programme for the first well if the application includes drilling and well activities for one or more wells, cf. also Section 37,
  2. Acknowledgements of Compliance for facilities covered by this scheme, cf. Section 25 of the Framework Regulations,
  3. a statement of who participates if the activity is performed as an activity at your own risk.
An application pursuant to Section 25 fourth subsection litera d shall contain
  1. a description of the requirements for vessels to be used,
  2. a description of the design of transport routes (offshore gangways and any cranes) between facility and vessel, based on the design of the simpler facility and operational assumptions,
  3. a description of the analyses and assessments that have been carried out as regards health, safety and the environment for the activities and offshore or onshore facilities covered by the application, and the results and measures that will be implemented as a result of these assessments,
  4. a description of emergency response resources, and
  5. a statement on the application from the employees' elected representatives, cf. also the Framework Regulations Section 13.
The supervisory authorities can set other requirements to documentation.
Section last changed: 01 January 2021

The progress plan mentioned in the first subsection, litera b, should contain the key decision dates.
The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority coordinates the distribution of decisions made by the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency to the responsible party who applied for consent. The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority does not issue consent until all relevant permits are in place.

Offshore petroleum activities
Applications for consent should contain the following regarding health-related factors:
  1. a description of how the health service and the health-related preparedness are organised, including distribution of responsibilities and tasks, and with relevant information on the necessary number of nurses, responsible physician and physician on-call scheme, as well as required qualifications and need for training and drills for health personnel
  2. results of risk and vulnerability assessments of health and hygienic factors, as well as planned and/or implemented measures in relation to these factors,
  3. a description of the health department with information regarding where the health department is located, how the health office is equipped and the amount and selection of medical equipment and medicines, and accessibility of same,
  4. a description of how the health-related preparedness is ensured, including a description of where the emergency hospital is located and what it is designed to handle, manning of the emergency hospital, training of first-aid providers, plan for transport of sick and injured personnel and system for handling medicines,
  5. a description of a system to ensure drinking water of satisfactory quality and in sufficient amounts,
  6. a description of a system to ensure adequate supplies of food, as well as sound food hygiene,
  7. a description of a system for keeping and handling journals, and
  8. a description of a system for handling nonconformities.
With regard to an overview of granted exemptions as mentioned in the first subsection, litera e, a new operator for a mobile facility should consider whether changed assumptions exist that necessitate application for a new exemption for the facility, or whether it is advisable to operate with the previously granted exemptions.
As regards the contents of programmes as mentioned in the fifth subsection, litera a, the NORSOK D-010 standard, Chapter 5.7, should be used.
For applications for consent in cases where an Acknowledgement of Compliance has also been granted, cf. Section 25 of the Framework Regulations, the Acknowledgement of Compliance with appurtenant information and documentation can replace parts of the information required under the first subsection, literas a to i, and the fourth subsection, literas a and b.
Application for consent pursuant to Section 25, third subsection, litera a and fourth subsection, litera b, should contain
  1. information regarding the scope of geotechnical surveys, with a brief description of soil conditions in the uppermost layers, cf. Section 15 of the Activities Regulations
  2. a brief summary of the assessment of the suitability of the relevant location, e.g. in relation to hundred-year current speeds, wind speeds and wave heights, and the planned air gap between the wave crest and the facility deck, cf. Section 15 of the Activities Regulations. For the northern areas, also which assessments have been carried out with regard to the consequences of sea ice, icebergs and low temperatures,
  3. the main conclusions of the site-specific analyses and planned test tension of the anchor lines,
  4. a brief summary of the operator’s verification of the analyses, cf. Section 19 of the Framework Regulations.
The contents of the application for lifetime extension as mentioned in the first subsection litera g and fourth subsection, shall document that the facility and the activities are prudent during the period for which the application has been made, cf. Sections 10 and 11 of the Framework Regulations.
In the areas of health, working environment and safety, older technical requirements can be used as a basis for existing permanently placed facilities, cf. Section 82 No. 2 of the Facilities Regulations, but then with the exception of what may be subject to major rebuilding or modifications. Regardless of whether the party responsible for an existing facility chooses to use older technical requirements, the rest of today’s HSE regulations will apply in full. The prerequisite for the responsible party to choose to use older technical requirements, is to safeguard the requirement for prudent activities at the same time.
Where the responsible party has chosen to use older technical requirements as a basis for a facility, questions may arise over time as to whether the facility's technical condition meets today’s prudential standard. It will be natural for the responsible party to assume that requirements in today’s Facilities Regulations state an acceptable prudence level.
Applications should also contain
  1. a summary of the operator’s barrier management, cf. Section 5, including identification of needs for updated performance requirements, which take into account the fact that ageing effects can lead to impairment of several barriers at the same time,
  2. any technical and operational weaknesses that are of significance for the decision on life extension, cf. Section 11,
  3. an overview of necessary modifications, replacements and any need for repairs, cf. Section 11 of the Framework Regulations, and a plan for their implementation,
  4. an overview of any non-conformities and how they are handled with regard to risk reduction, cf. Section 22,
  5. a description of how long the assessments show the facility can be used,
  6. identification of the factors that will limit lifetime and indication of criteria for safe operation to the extent possible,
  7. an overview of necessary modifications, replacements and any need for repairs,
  8. a description of changes in maintenance philosophy, strategy and programme, which will be implemented as a consequence of the expected ageing effects,
  9. the period of time for which consent is applied.
The letter points above should inter alia contain a résumé of analyses prepared in accordance with Norwegian Oil and Gas’ Guideline 122 and NORSOK N-006 where relevant.
Activities at your own risk as mentioned in the fifth subsection litera c, mean that one or more parties in the production license, in accordance with provisions in the cooperation agreement, carry out projects that have not been approved by the steering committee.

Onshore activities
For land facilities covered under the Petroleum Act, it is presumed that the application will contain an account of how the health-related requirements laid down in Section 68 of the Technical and Operational Regulations, will be complied with.