§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list his sources of independent expert advice on the design and removal of oil and gas rigs and their related undersea installations.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Secretary of State has appointed six certifying authorities to carry out independent assessments of both the design and method of construction of offshore installations before certificates of fitness are issued. No installation can be operated on the United Kingdom continental shelf without a certificate of fitness.
An abandonment programme for the removal of an offshore installation on the United Kingdom continental shelf requires the approval of the Secretary of State under the Petroleum Act 1987. Those required to submit an abandonment programme will be asked to include independent advice from a certifying authority as to the safety and feasibility of the programme to assist the Secretary of State in his assessment of the programme.
433WThe six certifying authorities are:
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping
- Det Norske Veritas
- Bureau Veritas
- American Bureau of Shipping
- Germanischer Lloyd
- Offshore Certification Bureau.