SECTION 7 OF THE PETROLEUM (PRODUCTION) ACT 1934 AND SECTION 2(1)(a) OF THE PETROLEUM ACT 1987 (MODIFICATION) REGULATIONS 1997

• Citation: S.I. 1997/2703
• Sections: 3

Section 1 Citation, commencement and extent

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Section 7 of the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 and Section 2(1)(a) of the Petroleum Act 1987 (Modification) Regulations 1997 and shall come into force on 8th December 1997.

(2) Nothing in these Regulations affects the law in force in Northern Ireland.

Section 2 Modification of section 7 of the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934

For section 7 of the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 (power to inspect plans of mines) there shall be substituted the following section—

(7)

(1) For the purpose of ascertaining on behalf of the Secretary of State the position of the workings, actual and prospective, of any mines or abandoned mines through or near which it is proposed to sink any borehole for the purpose of searching for or getting petroleum, any officer appointed by the Secretary of State shall have the same powers with respect to the production and inspection and the taking of copies of relevant documents as may under section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. 1974 be exercised by an inspector acting for the purpose mentioned in subsection (1) of that section.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—

(a) “relevant documents” means plans, sections, drawings or other similar documents which, by virtue of paragraph 16 of Schedule 3 to that Act of 1974, are required to be kept;

(b) “an inspector” means an inspector appointed under section 19 of that Act; and

(c) subsections (2) and (3) of section 19 of that Act shall be disregarded.

Section 3 Modification of section 2(1)(a) of the Petroleum Act 1987.

In section 2(1)(a) of the Petroleum Act 1987 (persons who may be required to submit abandonment programmes) the words preceding “the person having the management” shall be omitted.