Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Bill

As Introduced

CONTENTS

1.       Principal set of repeals

2.       Transitional provision

3.       Consequential provision

4.       Ancillary regulations

5.       Commencement

6.       Short title

A Bill to repeal provisions in the Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 relating to petroleum exploration and licensing; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and assented to by His Majesty as follows:

Principal set of repeals

1.—(1) The Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 is amended as follows.

(2) In section 1, omit subsection (3).

(3) Omit sections 2 to 13.

(4) In section 15, omit these definitions—

“Act of 1918”,

“Act of 1969”,

“the appointed area”,

“casinghead petroleum spirit”,

“the compensation area”,

“crude oil”,

“prescribed”, and

“the Tribunal”.

(5) Omit section 17.

(6) Omit the Schedule.

Transitional provision

2.—(1) Where an application has been made for a licence under section 2 of the Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 but the application has not been determined before the coming into operation of this Act—

(a)  the application is to be treated as withdrawn by the applicant, and

(b)  the Department for the Economy may (wholly or partially) refund to the applicant the fee paid in relation to the application.

(2) A refund under this section may include an amount in respect of interest, calculated in such manner as the Department for the Economy may determine.

Consequential provision

3.—(1) In the Offshore, and Pipelines, Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1992, omit—

(a)  in Article 5, paragraph (2), and

(b)  Schedule 1.

(2) In regulation 2(3) of the Storage of Carbon Dioxide (Licensing etc.) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, in the definition of “Northern Ireland Exploration Licence”, omit paragraph (b)(i).

(3) These instruments are revoked—

(a)  the Petroleum Production (Royalties) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1965,

(b)  the Petroleum Production Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987,

(c)  the Petroleum Production (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, and

(d)  the Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt, section 1(4) of the Petroleum (Production) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 continues to have effect as amended by regulation 11 of the Hydrocarbons Licensing Directive Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 despite the revocation of them by this section.

Ancillary regulations

4.—(1) The Department for the Economy may by regulations make such consequential, incidental, supplementary, transitional, transitory or saving provision as the Department considers necessary or expedient for the purposes of, in connection with or for giving full effect to this Act (or any provision of it).

(2) Regulations under this section may modify, particularly by way of repeal, revocation or amendment, any statutory provision (including this Act).

(3) Regulations under this section—

(a)  which repeal or revoke, or alter, remove or add to any text of, any primary legislation may not be made unless a draft of them has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Assembly, and

(b)  are otherwise subject to negative resolution.

(4) In this section—

(a)  the reference to any statutory provision is to be construed in accordance with section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, and

(b)  the reference to any primary legislation is to any Northern Ireland legislation or any Act of Parliament.

Commencement

5. This Act comes into operation on the day after the day of Royal Assent.

Short title

6. This Act be may cited as the Petroleum Exploration and Licensing (Repeal) Act (Northern Ireland) 2026.